Scottie Richardson, head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Crossroads Christian, and Taron Downey, head men’s basketball coach at Vance Charter School, have both seen injuries to players throughout their careers.
Both men briefly discussed their thoughts on the tragic injury to Damar Hamlin in Monday night’s NFL game. “I thought the NFL made the right decision,” Richardson said and added that Crossroads has an on site defibrillator in case there is ever a need for one. “It was a very unfortunate and tragic situation. It’s part of the game and coaches have to deal with it as best as we can,” Downey added.
Both coaches are coming off holiday breaks at their respective schools. According to Richardson, Crossroads men’s basketball is ranked at third in the state but will meet a big challenge Friday as they hit the road to take on the top-ranked team in state, United Faith of Charlotte. “We are not getting on the road for three hours to lose,” Richardson said. It’s the longest road trip of the year for Crossroads. The school won on Tuesday defeating Thales Academy, but Richardson said they were sluggish during the win after the holiday break.
“We are trying to get back in the swing of things,” Downey said of Vance Charter. They are coming off a win this week against Eno River but travel to face rival Oxford Prep Friday, who Downey says has quick guards and tenacious defense. Downey also said the game will have a great environment. Downey feels that’s important to home teams.
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