Valwood guard James Clarkson (2) brings the ball up during a game against Sherwood Dec. 20, 2022 at Eager Sports Center.

HAHIRA – Even with Valwood down 28-18 midway through the second quarter, head coach Joel Stites never doubted his team.

“Well, we’ve been down ten before, and we’ve been able to fight back,” Stites said.

The Valiants (11-9, 3-6 District 3-AAA) did fight back, using a strong second half to surge past the Terrell Academy Eagles (12-11, 2-7 District 3-AAA) 64-53 on Friday night.

The Valiants have now ripped off three wins in a row. It is their longest win streak since opening the season with five straight wins.

“I feel prophetic so far,” Stites said of the win streak. “I told our guys on Sunday that we were going to go 3-0 this week. We’re going to have the exact same opportunity to do it this coming week.”

Though their wins over Crisp Academy and Tiftarea Academy came with relative ease, the Valiants found themselves in a battle against the visiting Eagles.

Neither team was able to gain an edge in the first quarter, entering the second quarter tied at 16.

However, it was the Eagles who led for most of the second quarter. The Eagles opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run to build a 10-point lead.

Still, Stites knew his team was up to the task.

“We simulate these kinds of moments in practice,” Stites said. “It was good to see them be able to come out and execute when they had to, and I’m real proud of that.”

The Valiants closed the half on an 8-2 run to go into halftime down 30-26.

Even though the Valiants still found themselves trailing, their strong first-half finish would carry over to the second half.

The Valiants, led by junior guard James Clarkson and sophomore guard Felton Foster, dominated the third quarter. Clarkson and Foster both scored nine points in the third quarter to help the Valiants build a 46-39 lead after three quarters.

Sophomore guard Triston White also played a key role in the second half. White, along with freshman forward Chase Helfer, matched up against center Logan Todd, limiting him to just five points on the game and zero points after the first quarter.

“Triston is a banger, and I thought we had a little matchup [on Todd],” Stites said. “I thought Chase Helfer did a good job on 35 [Todd] as well. Triston kind of caught a little lightning there, and we stuck with him for a little bit. I thought those two guys did a really good job on 35. He’s a good ball player. He hurt us at their place, and we pretty much took him out of this game tonight.”

The fourth quarter was littered with fouls, including a technical foul on the Eagles. Still, Valwood began to pull away, using a 10-3 run to go up 56-42.

The Eagles did fight back, using a 6-0 run to draw within eight. However, it would not be enough as Clarkson and Foster shut down the Eagles’ comeback bid at the line. Clarkson finished the night with 28 points, while Foster had 21 points.

Stites was particularly proud of Clarkson’s pass-first mentality.

“Well, we moved him kind of midseason to the point, and he’s composed,” Stites said. “He shares the ball better with it as a point guard. Tonight, he shared the ball, he got to the rim, and he got good looks and made foul shots down the stretch. He played like a leader, played like we expect him to, and I’m proud of him.”

Additionally, the Valiants’ defense was a force to be reckoned with throughout the game. The Valiants’ full-court press caused multiple turnovers throughout the second half, allowing them to pull away from the Eagles.

Stites, who is known for fielding tough defenses, believes it all boils down to practice.

“[Defense has] been my calling card, has been for a long time, and it’s starting to show up with our guys,” Stites said. “I know I’m new here, and they’re new with me, but you’re starting to see that cohesion. … Games are fun for us because we work a lot harder in practice, and I’m proud to see us show up the way I know we can because we practice hard.”

UP NEXT

The Valiants will be back at home to face Brookwood in their region finale on Monday, Feb. 6. The Lady Valiants, who fell 62-16 against the Lady Eagles, tip off at 6:15 p.m. The boys will follow at 7:45 p.m.