PREP NOTEBOOK: All-star game review

BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier

Perhaps no player enjoyed Saturday’s Team Sports Outfitters Southwest Virginia All-Star Game more than Pound High School senior Erik Bolling.

Bolling battled his way to six points and helped the Blue team earn a 103-78 victory over the Red team in the third annual event at J.I. Burton High School.

“Overwhelming,” Bolling said. “This is just a whole new level.”

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Bolling overcame a major obstacle during his career at Pound. As a sophomore, an illness sidelined Bolling during football season and cost him time on the basketball court.

“I think it made me work harder,” Bolling said. “It made me want it more.”

Bolling bounced back in a big way this past season. He averaged 15 points and 9.7 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.

His achievements might have been overlooked by many in the area as Pound struggled for victories.

“I think we played hard, we just couldn’t come out at the end,” Bolling said.

Coleman’s Homecoming

J.I. Burton guard Jaycob Coleman played his final game in Stan Wilson Gymnasium during Saturday’s event. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with six points in helping the Blue team collect the victory.

“It was a real good feeling to play in the high school gym one more time,” Coleman said. “I didn’t think I would get the chance to play here again, but it was nice.”

Coleman will shelve his hoop dreams this fall, as he will play football for NCAA Division II powerhouse Carson-Newman College.

“Basketball was my first love,” Coleman said. “I always liked basketball coming up, until later on in my life when I became a football player.”

PH Power

Patrick Henry High School head coach Jon Caywood was in attendance at the All-Star game and watched two of his players turn in strong performances.

PH’s Johnny Thompson scored 11 points for the victorious Blue team, while Ronnie Groves recorded 12 points for the Red team.

Ex-Rivals, Now Teammates

Council and Twin Valley are bitter Black Diamond District rivals and have had some classic encounters over the past few seasons.

But on Saturday, the rivals became teammates. The Twin Valley duo of Garrett Horne and Hunter Simpson and Council post player Otto Fletcher combined for 32 points for the Blue squad.

Horne, who was the game’s most-valuable player, made several strong passes to Fletcher.

“It helped a lot having him on our team,” Horne said. “We knew what his game was, so we could get him the ball.”

Usual All-Star

Lee High’s Scotty Woliver shined again in an all-star showcase. He scored a game-high 17 points in Saturday’s game, exactly one week after he pumped in 24
points in the FCA-Quiznos All-Star Senior Shootout at Coeburn.