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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

CLEMMONS — The West Forsyth boys continue rolling to what could be a regular-season Central Piedmont 4-A championship on Friday, and the West Forsyth girls picked up a win but had two losses this past week.

The West Forsyth boys (20-2, 11-1) had road wins this past week at Davie County (14-7, 7-5) and Reynolds (6-16, 3-9). West Forsyth is scheduled to play host to East Forsyth (13-4, 9-3) Tuesday on senior night. The regular-season is scheduled to conclude Friday for West Forsyth as it will travel to Mount Tabor (18-4, 10-2).

If West Forsyth defeats East Forsyth, it clinches at least a share of the conference title, and if it loses to East Forsyth, Friday’s game at Mount Tabor would still be for the conference title if Mount Tabor wins at Parkland (6-15, 2-10) on Tuesday. West Forsyth and Mount Tabor split its first two meetings this season. West Forsyth’s lone loss in the conference was at East Forsyth.

“That’s what we talk about. We don’t talk about Mount Tabor until Tuesday night,” Coach Marlon Brim of West Forsyth said. “So, right now we’re focused on East Forsyth, senior night, and winning that game. And then, go from there. Don’t want to look past East and get to Tabor because that’s not our goal and our objective – is one game at a time and that’s what we’ve been all year.”

Mount Tabor won 71-51 in the championship of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Bracket of the Frank Spencer on Dec. 21, and West Forsyth defeated Mount Tabor 53-38 on Jan. 17 in Clemmons in the first conference meeting this season.

“It’s very exciting,” Brim said of the chance to play for a conference championship. “You know, one of the reasons I took the West Forsyth job (in his third season after coming from Atkins) is to bring that history and that tradition back that they had in the ‘90s and the early 2000s. To have a chance to play for a conference championship, to have a chance to get a high seed in the (NCHSAA Class 4-A) playoffs, and hopefully make a run in the playoffs.

“So, you know, that’s what I said when I took the job was to win and build a program and win championships.”

This past Tuesday, the West Forsyth boys traveled to Mocksville to face Davie County. Jordan Tate led three West Forsyth players with 20 points as it edged Davie County 61-53.

Davie (14-7, 7-5) led 18-12 after the second quarter and 37-24 at halftime. However, West Forsyth outscored Davie County 20-4 in the third quarter to take control.

“I just think we came out sluggish in the first half, and then the last few minutes of the second quarter we kind of found our legs and we got going after that,” Brim said. “They’re well coached by Coach (Josh) Pittman. He does a great job and I told them going into the locker room that we weren’t ready to play, that they were going to be ready at home, and we needed to be ready. So, they came out ready and we didn’t. So, that we kind of the tale of two halves.”

Elliott Erlandson led the War Eagles with 14 points and Noah Dulin finished with 11.

“I didn’t like that we gave up a couple baskets to cut the lead to where it was at,” Marlon Brim said. “But like I told them after the game, we played the way we’re supposed to play and did what we’re supposed to do. So, I was pleased with it.”

Princeton Scott added 14 points for the Titans, and Jacari Brim chipped in with 12 points.

“Cari may be our leading scorer, but some games he won’t be our leading scorer,” Marlon Brim said. “Jordan Tate’s playing really well. Kamauri (Manuel) and Princeton has had moments as well. So, we three to five guys who can get double figures every night.”

This past Friday, Tate led visiting West Forsyth with 23 points as it routed Reynolds 85-57.

Jacari Brim added 18 points for the Titans, Scott had 14, and Jordan Jones chipped in with 11.

“I thought we played well,” Marlon Brim said. “I thought we played much better than we did against Davie from beginning to the end. So, we took control of the game early, which I liked. And I just thought we pushed through and finished the game the way we’re supposed to.”

With East Forsyth and Mount Tabor on the horizon this week, West Forsyth accomplished what it needed to this past week.

“I thought we were focused on the game Friday and not looking past until Tuesday and Friday,” Marlon Brim said. “So, I thought our guys were locked in, and like we told them once the game was over, now we focus to the next week.”

East Forsyth defeated West Forsyth 59-55 on Jan. 15 in Kernersville.

“We just look at it one game at a time,” Marlon Brim said. “You know, playing East at home, senior night, so it will be a big night on top of that, emotionally as well. So, we know what we have in store. We’ve just got to be able to play and don’t worry about any other game.”

As for the West Forsyth girls, they lost at Davie County, defeated Reynolds, and lost at home this past Saturday to Bishop McGuinness.

Avarie Martin led Davie County (15-6, 10-2) with 18 points, Bailey Aderhold had 16, and Londyn McDowell scored 11 to help it defeat West Forsyth 66-53 this past Tuesday in a Central Piedmont 4-A game in Mocksville.

Davie County, which defeated West Forsyth 86-28 in the first meeting in January in Clemmons, led 13-5 after the first quarter and 30-20 at halftime.

“We was able to handle their pressure much better than we did the first game,” Coach Johnathan Gainey of West Forsyth said. “We knew it was senior night (at Davie County) and we just wanted to make sure, we talked about the girls going down there and make sure we (made progress). And I think they played with that mindset. Even though we turned the ball over early we settled down and made it competitive. So, I was pleased with our effort.”

Brooklynn King led the Titans with 19 points and Isa Gil chipped in with 14.

This past Friday, Emma Staples led visiting West Forsyth with 25 points as West Forsyth pummeled Reynolds 64-29.

King added 13 points for the Titans, and Laila Jones scored 10.

“We felt that even with the Reagan loss (the week before last), we had lost that game as well, but we felt that we started playing better,” Gainey said. “We had went through a drought there where we really wasn’t playing well. The ball wasn’t going in the basket for us the way it was going earlier.”

The Demons fell to 5-15 overall and 3-9 in the conference.

“So, we felt after the Reagan game I thought we came up on a short end. We played pretty good in that game, and I think that carried over even though we lost to Davie,” Gainey said.

Things were no easier this past Saturday after Bishop McGuinness, which has won 11 NCHSAA Class 1-A state championships, traveled from Kernersville to play at West Forsyth.

Senior Adelaide Jernigan, who has signed to play at N.C. State, led all scorers with 36 points as Bishop McGuinness cruised past West Forsyth 64-48.

“You know, I was pleased with our effort,” Gainey said. “Our girls played hard. We talked to them. They knew who Bishop was. But talked with pregame, we talked about the program and, you know, how good they’ve been over the years, and the coach that Brian Robinson is.

“And we just want to get our here and compete. That’s the main thing I told the girls. Don’t look at the records. You know they’re a good team. You know who they are, but we just want to compete and we got out there and competed.”

McGuinness led 19-15 after the first quarter and 35-23 at halftime.

“We made things interesting early,” Gainey said. “We played with them, but our Achilles’ heel has been all year is turnovers. And live-ball turnovers will make close games get out of hand.”

Claire Sullivan added 18 points for the Villains (19-1).

King led the Titans with 23 points.

“Brooklynn, she plays hard,” Gainey said. “And the good thing, I’m pleased and I’m happy to be her coach. She plays hard. She leads by example on the floor.”

The West Forsyth girls (11-11, 5-7) were scheduled to have played senior night this past Tuesday against East Forsyth (15-4, 10-2), which is tied with Davie County for first place.

Staples is the lone senior for the Titans.

“Though this is my first year you build relationships,” Gainey said. “And Emma’s been one of the most coachable players I’ve ever had. She’s a joy to coach. She’s not vocal, but she plays hard on the court, and I think her teammates really enjoy playing with her. So, she’s definitely going to be missed.”

East Forsyth won the first meeting 51-43 in Kernersville.

“They’re long, they’re athletic. They like to try to speed you up,” Gainey said. “And, it’s senior night. We’re definitely want to send Emma out on a good note going into our final game (at Mount Tabor). We know how important it is for conference seeding as well.”

West Forsyth is scheduled to finish the regular season Friday at Mount Tabor (7-14, 6-6). West Forsyth won the first meeting 54-43 on Jan. 17 in Clemmons.

“That’s going to be a huge game, as well,” Gainey said. “(This) week is going to be huge, not just for us, but for everybody in our conference.”