For many playing in the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star Games simply means playing one last high school game. But for Logan Terrell, Jerel Carter and Taylor Boyers, it was a chance to play on the same team for the first and only time. For Russ Gowin and Ben Breeden, the same thing was on the table as the Buckingham County and Madison County head coaches were each named to the East coaching staff.
“It was a great experience overall,” Breeden said. “There were a lot of familiar faces and that made it a lot easier. I’ve never been a part of an event like this, and just watching these kids get up and down the floor, there’s just so much athleticism out there.”
Terrell and Carter, two of the Mountaineers’ big three, are used to seeing Boyers run down the other side of the court for the Knights when the two squads met in both 2008 and 2009 during the Region B playoffs. But all of that was put aside on Tuesday night at the Hampton Colliseum as the trio helped pushed the East All-Stars to an easy win over the West All-Stars, 98-79.
“Playing with all the best players in the state, it was a really fun experience,” Terrell said. “But especially playing with Taylor because we’re usually rivals. It was nice getting to know everyone.”
It was also a chance to reflect on the season, now nearly four months removed. As the team’s practiced, Gowin and Boyers got a chance to rehash some memories with Mike Goad and Ethan Humphries of James River, the Group A Division 2 champs that narrowly defeated the Knights back in March.
“We had a chance to sit with James River and replay some of that game,” Gowin said. “That’s kind of what this event is about — good sportsmanship, good character.”
While the Madison and Buckingham crews found themselves in a friendly alliance, that wasn’t the case for the Division 2 title contenders. Both Goad and Humphries were installed on the West bench.
As far as the action went, the first five minutes of play went back-and-forth, but after Carter came in off the bench and sunk a pair of quick 3-pointers, the East established a comfortable lead that they never surrendered.
Carter, Terrell and Boyers all saw significant playing time with the East staff choosing to let one half of the team start each quarter and the other half finish them.
With the game put away late, the final two minutes turned into an impromptu dunk contest with both defenses allowing the opposition to piece together whatever they like.
In the end, Carter finished with 14 points. Terrell put up five points and four rebounds. Boyers had two points and four rebounds.
All three plan to continue their athletic careers. Terrell is heading to Fork Union for a post graduate year. Boyers ships over to Bridgewater where he plans to play both football and basketball. Carter will attend Hagerstown Junior College to play basketball.
