Mark Little BDT/Pocahontas Coal POTW

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http://bdtonline.com/cnhi/bdtonline/localsports/local_story_355000905.html?keyword=topstory

 

POCAHONTAS, Va.  Mark Little has played big this season for the Pocahontas Indians.

 

The unassuming senior scored 36 points in the Indians’ 78-62 win over Iaeger last Wednesday and had 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a 30-point victory over Northwood  and he’s not hesitant to get the ball to his teammates.

 

For his outstanding effort, Little has been named the first 2005-06 recipient of the Pocahontas Coal Association-Bluefield Daily Telegraph Player of the Week award for boys’ basketball.

 

Little said he felt as though he should share the award with his teammates.

 

“Last year, we weren’t really a team,†Little said. “Now, this year, we’ve all pulled together. We’re play as a team. We’ve got two wins (out of three games). ... They get me the ball. I try to get them the ball, and let everybody score. ...

 

“This year, everybody gets to touch the ball. Everybody gets to play now.â€ÂÂ

 

Coach Scott Louthan said, “I’ve been preaching to them for two years to share the ball, and I guess this year they decided that they wanted to listen. They’ve looked better in three games this year than we looked at any point last year.â€ÂÂ

 

The coach said Pocahontas currently has four players averaging in double figures.

 

The results show in the 2-1 record. Louthan said, “It feels a lot better than 0-3 at this point last year.â€ÂÂ

 

Louthan said of Little, “He’s one of the few players we’ve got who can shoot the 3, and he can also drive and score inside. He’s pretty much got an all-around game, which helps everybody on the team.â€ÂÂ

 

Little had to apply himself in the classroom and the basketball arena just to suit up for his team this year. Bad grades had held him back. “(Coach) Louthan kept pushing me to make better grades,†he said, adding, “This is actually my first full season playing.â€ÂÂ

 

Louthan said, “He’s a great athlete. ... By him getting his grades up, he’s getting that chance to play. I’ve seen that he can do it, because we played in the summer some. He’s finally applied himself.â€ÂÂ

 

In addition to playing in an off-season league, Little and some of his teammates got together for pickup games in the Lucas Gym  a promising new development, Louthan said.

 

“We just started it last year. It’s something they told me they’d never done before. Just get them all experience playing,†the coach said.

 

Little attributed his shooting touch to “a lot of practice.†He has been working on driving to the basket, he said. He said his admitted problem with foul shooting “is getting better.â€ÂÂ

 

Little took up basketball as a third-grader at Abbs Valley Elementary School and soon knew “it’s my sport. ... People had been trying to get me to play football, but I’d never played football until now (the 2005 season).â€ÂÂ

 

He said, “Football made me faster, and a little bit stronger.â€ÂÂ

 

• • •

 

Honorable mention was earned by a trio of prep players. Jeremy Morris of Mercer Christian tallied 11 points in Monday’s 83-56 victory over Greater Beckley Christian; 18 points in Thursday’s 74-71 win over Tug Valley; and 21 points and 11 rebounds in 71-61 loss to Robert C. Byrd on Friday.

 

Tazewell’s David Saunders scored 11 points in 69-37 loss to Abingdon on Dec. 2; tallied 21 points and five assists in a 61-55 win over Marion on Nov. 29; canned 15 points in 50-42 win over Holston on Dec. 9; and scored nine points in 50-29 loss to Johnson County on Dec. 11.

 

Matthew Parker of Mercer Christian burned the nets for 26 points, and grabbed five rebounds and three steals, in the win over Greater Beckley. He also scored 25 points against Tug Valley and 19 points against Robert C. Byrd.

 

• • •

 

Noteworthy performances for the week included:

 

From Big Creek, Shawn Golden scored 20 points in Owls’ 72-58 win over Iaeger. Ricky Dunford added 19 points and Jeff Cooper added 16 points and nine rebounds in the game.

 

From Bland County, Jacob Leighton collected 14 points and 11 rebounds in 72-46 win over Northwood on Dec. 6. Matt Morris scored 11 points and dished out six assists in win over Panthers. Robert Faulkner and Hunter Romano scored 10 points against the Panthers.

 

From Bluefield, Dexter Moore scored 17 points and Maurice Jordan contributed 15 in the Beavers’ 54-30 win over Graham last Friday night.

 

From Council, D.J. Barton scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading the Cobras past Coeburn 48-45 on Dec. 9. Caleb Epling tallied 15 points and eight boards against the Blue Knights. Daniel Lester pulled down 10 rebounds against Coeburn.

 

From Honaker, Justin Newberry scored 21 points in 63-51 win over Holston on Dec. 6. Chad Burks scored 10 points, including during a key second quarter run, leading the Tigers past St. Paul 55-40 on Dec. 10. Justin Honaker scored 12 points against St. Paul. Jacob Shortridge collected 10 points in win over the Deacons.

 

From Iaeger, Justin Goodman scored 17 points in the Cubs’ 78-62 loss to Pocahontas on Dec. 14 and Chris Addair added 13 points. Joey Dotson scored 22 points and Steve Sparks chipped in 12 for the Cubs in a 72-58 loss to Big Creek on Dec. 16.

 

From James Monroe, Cory Bradley scored 17 points while Corey Miller and Matt Bumgardner each scored 11 in a 60-59 loss to Narrows on Dec. 14.

 

From Mercer Christian, Jeremy Bryan scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the victory over Tug Valley.

 

From Mount View, Mike Helm scored 14 points in Mount View’s 72-56 loss to Capital on Dec. 14. Cordero High and Shannon Thomas added 13 and 12 points respectively in the game.

 

From Narrows, Jon Butler scored 11 points, including the game-winner with two seconds left for a 60-59 win at James Monroe on Dec. 14. Justin Thornton tallied 10 against the Mavericks.

 

From PikeView, Shane Roark hit a shot at the buzzer to lead the Panthers past Chapmanville 58-56 on Friday at the Hoops Classic in Charleston. Matt Scott chipped in 10 points in the win.

 

From Pipestem Christian Academy, Houston Peyton tossed in 27 points and Kyle Kinzer scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Friday’s 52-32 win over Granite Christian.

 

From Pocahontas, Brandon Pauley scored 22 points in win over Northwood. Josh Sams scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in win over the Panthers; tallied 12 points against Iaeger. Shayne Dillon tallied 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists against Northwood; scored 19 points against Iaeger.

 

From Princeton, Shane Minnix led his team in scoring in his first varsity game, and connected on two 3-pointers in a 53-38 loss to Parkersburg.

 

From Tazewell, T.J. Rasnick scored 14 points in win over Marion; collected 11 points and six steals against Holston; and added 10 points in 56-47 loss to J.J. Kelly on Dec. 7. Justin Wilson scored 17 points in the loss to Kelly and tallied nine points and 14 rebounds against Marion.

 

From Twin Valley, Jeremiah Lester scored 21 points in the Panthers’ 67-40 win over Virginia High on Dec. 15. Matthew Baldwin added 19 points.