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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

Both the West Forsyth boys and girls basketball teams came off post-Christmas-tournament wins last week.

And with two titles under their belts, those teams returned with late-week games this past week.

The boys returned to Central Piedmont 4-A play on Friday night and edged Reagan 58-56. The boys finished the week on Saturday with a 68-57 nonconference win against High Point Andrews at the Ed Price Classic at High Point Andrews.

In Friday’s win, the West Forsyth boys outscored Reagan 26-20 in the fourth quarter to win.

“It was nip and tuck,” Coach Marlon Brim of West Forsyth said of the Reagan win. “They took the lead in the fourth and then we kind of got control the last 5 minutes of the game. But we didn’t play our best either. We didn’t play defensively or offensively very well in the second and third quarter.

“I thought the fourth quarter was really good, but the second and third quarter we got, again, let our foot off the gas and we just kind of let Reagan do what they wanted to do offensively.”

Jacari Brim led the Titans with 14 points, Jordan Tate chipped in with 13, and Kamauri Manuel added 11.

In addition, the West Forsyth boys struggled from the free-throw line against Reagan. The team finished 5 of 14.

“We missed a bunch of free throws,” Marlon Brim said. “We shot the free throws miserably (Friday) night. So, that’s how the game was close. They made a couple shots late, but at the end of the day we didn’t do enough, even though we won. The margin of victory should’ve been bigger than a 2-point game.”

Friday’s boys game at Reagan was also a rematch of the semifinals of the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic in the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Bracket at Mount Tabor in which West Forsyth upended Reagan 62-54.

“It was about the game,” Marlon Brim said. “We got a big lead and they came back. They ended up taking the lead in the fourth quarter, and we ended up in the last 4 minutes taking total control of the game.

The win against Reagan has helped put the West Forsyth boys in a tie for first place in the conference with Davie County at 3-0. The two teams were scheduled to have played each other Tuesday night in Clemmons.

“I think we’re one, if not the best team in the conference,” Marlon Brim said. “You know, Davie, Tabor, East, Reagan, us – I just think when we play we’re the best team in the conference. And that has nothing to do with the other teams. I just like my team, and the way we are, and the way we’ve got the grit and the toughness to play different positions.

“I think overall, the conference is going to be a dog fight like it is every year.”

After Friday’s win at Reagan, the West Forsyth boys traveled to High Point to play High Point Andrews.

West Forsyth led 19-10 after the first quarter and 38-30 at halftime.

“I thought we played well in spurts,” Marlon Brim said. “The first quarter was good. The third and fourth quarter was good. The second, we didn’t play well at all.”

Jacari Brim led West Forsyth with 27 points, and Tate finished with 19.

“We had some balance,” Marlon Brim said. “It’s just when we needed baskets Jacari has to score and Tate got going in the second half for us.”

Saturday’s win ended a stretch of eight games in three weeks. West finished 7-1. The lone loss was in the championship of the Frank Spencer in which Mount Tabor won 71-51.

“You’ve got to prepare for the state playoffs,” Marlon Brim said. “And you’ve got to play different teams in different gyms and different parts of the day. And sometimes you’ve got to take Christmas and play.”

The West Forsyth boys (11-1, 3-0) were scheduled to have played host to Davie County (10-2, 3-0) on Tuesday but weather forecasts prompted schools to close Tuesday, moving the game to Wednesday. Davie County defeated Mount Tabor 63-59 this past Friday in Mocksville.

“I think (Davie) is a tough out,” Marlon Brim said. “Coach (Josh) Pittman does a great job with those kids. And those kids can score. They play within themselves and they play team basketball, so I expect another great game between us and Davie. You know, it’s at home, so hopefully we can take of home-court advantage and come away with a victory.”

The West Forsyth boys are also scheduled to play another home conference game on Friday against Reynolds (5-6, 2-1).

“We’ve just got to take care of Tuesday first,” Marlon Brim said.

The West Forsyth girls won the Ledford Christmas Tournament on Dec. 28, but it struggled back on the court this past Friday at Reagan in a Central Piedmont 4-A game, losing 61-34.

The score was tied 7-7 after the first quarter, but Reagan took a 27-18 lead at halftime. Reagan led 46-32 after the third quarter, but Reagan dominated the fourth quarter and outscored West Forsyth 15-1.

“We just didn’t shoot the ball well,” Coach Johnathan Gainey of West Forsyth said. “We didn’t play well. We were getting by. We didn’t play well in the first quarter. We were down at half. It was a only a 9-point game. So, we were within striking distance.

“And I’m not here to make any excuses. We just didn’t play well. I give a hat off to Reagan. They shot the ball very well. Coach (Keith) Gunter and I talked after the game. He said they really shot the ball well and played surprisingly well by his statement. But it’s a rivalry game.”

Isabel Gil led West Forsyth (8-3, 2-1) with nine points.

“We came in there with an 8-2 record, a six-game winning streak. I think the girls, they understood,” Gainey said. “I don’t think they went in there overconfident. I think they understood. Many of them had played in this rivalry game. It wasn’t new to them. They knew what a rivalry game is. They knew what it means to play at Reagan. We just didn’t play well.”

Now, West Forsyth has to refocus and play a rescheduled conference game at home Wednesday night against Davie County (7-5, 2-1). Mount Tabor (3-7, 2-1) defeated Davie County 53-50 this past Friday in Mocksville.

“Mount Tabor did us a favor,” Gainey said. “It could’ve easily been one team (Davie) in first place. Now, it’s five teams (Davie, Reagan, East Forsyth, Mount Tabor, West Forsyth) in first place. So, it’s really like for the most part, the teams that’s 1-2, they’re not totally out. So, instead of being two games back, they’re one game back.”

The second of the three scheduled games the West Forsyth girls have this week is going to be a special one for Gainey. It’s a home conference game Friday night against Reynolds (3-6, 1-2), which he coached from 2013-17.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it,” Gainey said. “But I think it’ll probably hit me Wednesday morning. It’ll hit me more on Wednesday morning because Davie is so big of a game it’s really out of mind.”

The final scheduled game this week for the West Forsyth girls was a home nonconference game Saturday against Bishop McGuinness, coached by 11-time NCHSAA Class 1-A state-champion Brian Robinson. However, that game has been postponed to Feb. 8 in anticipation of inclement winter weather.

Also, Bishop McGuinness (9-0) is led by senior Adelaide Jernigan, who recently signed to play at N.C. State. Jernigan is averaging 26.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.

“You’ve got Bishop coming to our town on Saturday, who’s coming in with a (NCAA) DI player that’s committed to N.C. State,” Gainey said. “And we know how well coached they are. So, we don’t want to get far ahead. We just know this week’s going to be tough and we’ve just got to come to play on Tuesday.”