In a region ripe with parity, every game matters for teams seeking to improve their region standings position going into the second half of the season.
Jones County certainly finds itself within that boat, and it’s still a team that is confident it can string a few wins together. After all, Jones County two weeks ago stunned Putnam County, and it also won three out of four games in December.
“It’s cohesion. One night, we’re electric and playing together,” Greyhounds head coach Dylan Dupree said. “The next night, we’re taking horrible shots and playing as five individuals. We have to be consistent playing as one team.”
Currently seventh in the 10-team region, the Greyhounds are 7-9 overall and 3-7 in the region. That currently places them three games shy of fifth place after last week’s string of three losses in region play.
“Even going back to June, our goal is to be in the top four in the region, and that’s still attainable,” Dupree said. “So we can’t let games slip away like this. We have to compete every night.”
After Tuesday’s 93-60 loss to ELCA, JCHS saw Union Grove propel an eight-point swing in the second quarter to a 65-48 win before Saturday’s 65-51 loss to McDonough.
Scoring balance was not a problem against ELCA, as four Greyhounds reached double figures, led by Rudy Bowden’s 16 points, 15 a piece from Sheldon Jackson and Justin Ray as well as 10 from Jaiden Bond. Jackson had another strong showing against Union Grove with 16 points, but it was not enough to counter the Wolverines, who prevented JCHS from going on a pivotal scoring run.
“Union Grove was the better team, and I challenged our guys to watch this game film and be honest about with themselves on the quality of shots that they took, the quality of passes that they made, and to be honest with themselves about well they played and to watch how well Union Grove played together.”
