Blue Devils’ fast pace could be dangerous

The Blue Devils play basketball like they're in a hurry to get somewhere. From opening tip-off to final buzzer, CCHS puts the pedal to the metal. In the time it takes to grab that popcorn from the concession stand, the Blue Devils have taken a dozen shots.

The frantic pace makes for exciting basketball. Watching Eric Washington and Solomon Francis run the floor is entertaining. There's no better way to pump up the home crowd than to score in bunches.

It has also proved to be an effective way to win basketball games. So far. But the Blue Devils are living on the edge.
The lightning pace has advantages. The full-speed-ahead tempo means a two-point game can be stretched to 10 quicker than you can say "fast-break".
Against James Monroe, the Blue Devils practically burst from the locker room in an all-out sprint. They led 26-12 at the end of one quarter, 39-17 by halftime.

And they did it all by outrunning the Yellow Jackets. Francis scored 17 gritty first-half points, mostly on hustle and determination. Washington was so quick up the floor, the James Monroe guards had no choice but to hack away. The Culpeper senior had 12 points at intermission, six from the foul line.
But in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils showed why the whirlwind pace is a double-edged sword. 

They got moving so fast, they couldn't keep up with themselves. They turned the ball over - a bunch. They threw passes that went too high. They threw passes too low. On one ill-advised breakaway, Kyle Majors tried to go behind his back and threw the ball out of bounds.

In a matter of minutes, the Yellow Jackets whittled a 26-point lead down to 10. The high-octane Blue Devils suddenly looked like they could give one away.

They held on, winning 70-60. For a young team, the win was a jolt of confidence. But it also showed the Blue Devils' weakness.
The tempo CCHS sets catches teams off guard. But in both games this year, the Blue Devils ran their way to a double-digit lead and then held on for dear life.

They play fast enough to run any team out of the gym. But that same pace could prove to be the team's undoing. And coach James Thompson knows it.

"I like that fast pace if we can get a double-digit lead and have somebody try to catch us," he said. "I don't know if somebody gets in front of us how we're going to react because I don't think we have the firepower."

The Blue Devils don't have a 6-foot-8 center that can muscle people out of the gym. They don't have a guard who will consistently score 30 points per game from outside.

Their biggest weapon is their ability to get up and down the floor. Playing fast gives them the best chance to win.

But if they don't learn to limit their turnovers, the Blue Devils will outrun themselves.

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or