The boys’ basketball team from Maplesville High School secured a decisive victory over Billingsley High School, winning 58-21 in a Class 1A Area 7 matchup on January 22, 2023. The Red Devils maintained control throughout the game, demonstrating their dominance in this local rivalry.
Maplesville head coach Undra Rush reflected on the game, acknowledging areas that need improvement despite the strong performance. “We played kind of slow at the end; we started out pretty good,” Rush said. “Defense was flat, and offense was flat. We got the win, so I guess that’s all that matters. We got to go in and fix some stuff in certain areas.”
The game kicked off under unusual circumstances, as a technical foul was called on a Billingsley player for dunking during warm-ups. This resulted in Maplesville receiving the first free throws of the match. Chris Simon stepped up to the line, converting 1 of 2 attempts, giving the Red Devils an early lead that they would not relinquish.
Following the technical foul, Maplesville quickly scored with a putback from Nehemiah McCary. Billingsley responded with a goaltending call, earning them two points. The Red Devils then went on a scoring spree, netting six unanswered points, which included baskets from McCary, Aiden Abbott, and Pearce Yeargan, leading to a 9-2 advantage.
Billingsley’s Kyle Boice attempted to rally his team with an and-one layup, narrowing the score to 9-5. “Well, I thought we didn’t play that bad; we just didn’t shoot the ball well,” said Billingsley head coach Tyson McLean. “You know they’re tough because they got some height on us, so we have to do a better job getting a body on them.”
Maplesville responded to Boice’s effort with a three-pointer from Eli Hubbert, followed by another three from Abbott. By the end of the first quarter, Maplesville led 15-5.
In the second quarter, the Bears began with a free throw from Kalvin Thomas. Maplesville continued to extend its lead, with Ty Bailey contributing significantly through two three-pointers and a layup. Abbott also added four points during this stretch, leading to a halftime score of 34-15 in favor of Maplesville.
The second half saw Maplesville maintain and expand its lead, resulting in a final score of 58-21. Abbott emerged as the leading scorer for Maplesville with 15 points, while McCary followed with 10 points. Simon contributed 9 points, and both Bailey and Yeargan added 8 points each. For Billingsley, Boice was the top scorer with 9 points.
This commanding win places Maplesville firmly in a strong position as they continue their season, while Billingsley will need to regroup and address its shooting struggles as they move forward.
