Mount Airy – With most of his team going on long road trips to the Yadkin Valley the past two football seasons, Andrews boys basketball coach Matt Maennle knew his team could handle the long bus ride out to Mount Airy for the first round of the state playoffs.
That part was fine. The game against the Granite Bears was a different story. No. 11 seed Mount Airy jumped on the No. 22 seed Wildcats early and controlled the game the entire way in a 69-49 win. Andrews finishes the season with a 12-13 record.
“We didn’t handle the pressure well,” Maennle said. “We had way too many turnovers. We had some open shots early that if they would’ve fallen, it would’ve helped a lot.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well, and I know that what’s people have been talking about, but the shots definitely weren’t falling last night, so that hurt, too. They were a lot better than an 11 seed in my mind.”
Despite finishing fifth in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A West RPI rankings, Mount Airy (19-5 overall) was dropped to the No. 11 seed because they finished second to South Stokes in the Northwest Conference. The Granite Bears would fall to No. 6 seed Bessemer City (22-4) 65-54 in the second round Thursday.
Mount Airy was not a big team, but Maennle said they had some players who played bigger than their size. That, along with the press, allowed the Granite Bears to lead 24-11 after the first quarter and lead by as many as 27 points in the game.
“Mainly it boils down to the intensity that they played with,” Maennle said, “and the aggressiveness they put on us while we were on offense hurt.”
Though it was a disappointing loss, Andrews battled through a lot to make it to the playoffs. They dealt with injuries all season, then had some COVID-19 issues in January when teams were also scrambling to make up games because of winter weather.
The Wildcats won four of their last six games before the playoffs to clinch a spot. Players like Kegan Ellis and Cam Rattler were much improved by the end of their first varsity season.
With no seniors on this year’s squad, Andrews could return its entire roster next season. Ellis, Rattler, Donovan Bateman and Isaac Weaver are a solid core to build around, though Maennle is looking for a little bit more intensity as the team heads into next year. With that, he thinks they can reach their potential.
“I know this is a lot of the kids’ second sport below football, and that’s fine,” Maennle said. “That’s how I was in high school. But when you’re in practice and you’re in games, we got to be 100 percent dialed in at the job that’s at stake.”