Chatham boys facing brutal stretch

CHATHAM — The schedule is daunting to say the least.

Chatham hosts Dan River, ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press Group A state poll, on Tuesday and perennial power George Washington, ranked No. 6 in the Group AAA state poll, on Wednesday.

With two high-profile local games on tap, Chatham coach Barry Mayo and his team are focused on one team and one team only: Appomattox County. Outside of the Raiders being ranked No. 4 in the AP Group A state poll, Appomattox is today’s opponent, beginning a stretch that could define Chatham’s season.

“It just shows that we’re not playing against no amateurs,” forward Solomon Witcher said. “We’re playing against one of the best teams in the state of Virginia and we’re not going at them light. We’re going against them like they are state champions or something.”

That mindset has been the Cavaliers’ approach this season, a season in which Mayo felt that being selected to finish fourth in the Dogwood District was a slight to his team. Chatham features four seniors, but what the Cavaliers may lack in experience is made up for in size, as 11 of 14 players stand at least 6 feet tall.

“One thing about it, and the biggest thing that I have come to realize and I told our guys from the beginning, is that you earn respect. Respect is not given,” Mayo said. “When you show the people that you are a better team than what they have you at, then that’s showing that your success is coming.”

Today’s opponent, Appomattox, sits at 12-2 overall and 3-1 in the Dogwood, with the Raiders’ only loss coming to Dan River. The Wildcats sit perched atop the Dogwood at 4-0 in the district and 11-2 overall. Chatham sits at 3-0 in the district and 8-4 overall.

The thought came across Mayo’s mind that if both Chatham and Dan River take care of business today, it would set up for a huge matchup Tuesday to determine which team controls its own destiny in the rather competitive Dogwood.

“Our guys are peaking and they’re peaking hard,” Mayo said. “They’re like a dog that hasn’t ate in a couple of days. They’re real hungry. All they want to do is keep peaking and keep eating.”

The challenge of continuing to peak is made a bit easier by having Appomattox, Dan River and GW (11-1) all play in Chatham and having the backing of a packed home crowd.

“It helps a lot. It helps more than, you know, people really think,” said guard Patrick Murphy, who by averaging 18.3 points per game is one of the leading scorers in the Dogwood. “It’s a blessing because it takes a little bit of pressure off us.”

The third game in the stretch, against GW on Wednesday, is the only non-district game during the week. The Cavs have a road game Friday, Jan. 23 against Dogwood rival Altavista, a team Chatham has already beaten this season.

Chatham traveled to Danville to play the Eagles earlier this season. After becoming the first team to hold a lead against GW after the first quarter, the Cavaliers eventually succumbed 92-43. In preparation for the rematch, Mayo is hoping his team plays like it did in the first quarter for the entire 32 minutes.

“We looked back on it, and the thing we looked at from the first quarter and we were the first team that GW ever played behind in one quarter,” Mayo said. “But the guys realized just by that one quarter that they know the extent that they have to play and knowing the extent that they have to play knew that, ‘Hey, all we have to do is really play and we know we can win and sustain with GW.’ Like I tell the team every night, it’s the team that wants it the most.”

Mayo stressed that GW is a non-district game and that the game is a good measuring stick for how well his team can play against one of the best Group AAA teams in the state. The games that really matter to the Cavaliers are the first two games of the slate, which if both result in wins, would make Chatham the top dog in the Dogwood District.

“If we get both of those wins, people will think different about Chatham and think different about us as a team too,” forward Marcus Fuller said. “Dan River is real good this year and Appomattox has been decent since last year, and for us to win both of those games … would be big for us.”