By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

Twelfth in a series of reports on local basketball teams …

SPENCER — North Rowan football played in the fourth round of the 1A state playoffs, so the basketball team is dealing with a very late start.

Jason Causby, who is in his 17th season as a head coach in Rowan County, wasn’t taken by surprise by the playoff run. This isn’t his first rodeo.

“We do have a lot of football players who also play basketball,” Causby said. “So we’ve been in a holding pattern, with about three varsity guys plus some jayvee hopefuls in the gym. But we prepared for this by playing a boatload of games over the summer. Our guys will have a base to operate from. We knew we’d have only a couple of practices with everyone, and then we’d be playing games. I’m OK with that. Most of the really good basketball teams I’ve coached in my career were heavy on football players.”

North won’t be tall, but the Cavaliers will boast quite a collection of point guards and wing players. There’s a solid core of returners, and the Cavaliers have added two transfers who are going to be important.

Freshman wing Carter Williams, who came from Cabarrus County, might already be good enough to start for the varsity. Causby has seen a lot of freshmen over the years, and he believes Williams will be special.

“He’s got that ideal basketball frame and  the work ethic to go with it,” Causby said.

Causby also expects Dillon Mosley, a point guard who transferred from Nation Ford High in Fort Mill, S.C.,  to be a key addition.

“He’s a really cerebral, steady guy who’s looking to pass and make plays for his teammates,” Causby said.

The Cavaliers have offensive firepower in senior returners George Maxwell and Amir Alexander. They can fill it up.

Maxwell averaged 16.0 points last season. He got on a roll from the 3-point line, at times, including a 42-point night. He had two more games in the 30s.

Alexander, who is about 6-foot-4, averaged 10.5 points, including a 22-point effort.

Both got tougher mentally and physically by being important members of the football squad.

“We know those two can score,” Causby said. “But as senior leaders, we’re going to ask them to do more than score. We want them to be facilitators for the offense and to be really good defenders.”

Jaemias Morrow, the exciting running back, could be a big factor.

“He’s an energy guy, and we’ll ask him to perform in a lot of different roles, including defensive stopper, ” Causby said. “He’s embracing that challenge as a senior.”

The fourth senior is a newcomer. Ahijah Lewis, an athletic guard, will be making his varsity debut.

The scorer in the junior class is Jayden Polk, who averaged 8.8 points. Polk had his ups and downs as a sophomore, but he’s a high-flyer and could have a breakout season.

“He’s an athletic, explosive wing who can leap and really attack the glass,” Causby said. “He can be a handful for our opponents. He had big games last season and he had games where he struggled, so we’re looking for more consistency.”

Jerricho Charleston is a junior guard who can be tough to stop on the drive.

“He’s strong with the ball and elusive with the ball,” Causby said. “He does some things you just don’t expect. He’s the first guy I’ve ever seen Euro-step a defender on the football field. He’s a point guard, but he also can play off the ball, so we plan to play him and Mosley together, at times.”

Kamahri Feamster and Yasir Wactor are junior football linemen. They will give the Cavaliers two thick, rugged bodies to battle and bang inside.

Junior Jeremiah Alford, the football quarterback, will play a lot.

“He’s a very tough rebounder and defender who can score some,” Causby said. “He probably understands his abilities and his limits better than anyone we’ve got.”

The lone varsity sophomore will be Jo Jo Tarver. He’s a combo guard whose strength is defense, but he had a unique scoring night against South Davidson last season as a freshman.

“He’d play in the jayvee games, but we used him as a fifth-quarter guy, so he also got varsity action,” Causby said. “There was a night against South Davidson that he was the leading scorer in the jayvee game … and the varsity game.”

Tarver scored 16 in a hurry in that varsity game.

All that’s missing from the mix is a post scorer, but Causby has had success over the years with teams that relied heavily on athletic wing players to do the bulk of the scoring and rebounding.

“I don’t know that I’d say we’re loaded, but we are talented,” Causby said. “When we get our basketball legs, when we start getting some chemistry, we’ll see how good we can be. There are really good teams in the Central Carolina Conference, and really good teams in Rowan County, but we’re excited to see how we stack up.”

North was 12-15 last season with a roster that wasn’t always stable. It’s a safe bet that the Cavaliers will do better than that.

 

North Rowan boys

Coach: Jason Causby (6th year at North, 87-38, 17th year in Rowan, 258-162)

2022-23: 12-15 overall, 6-6 1A/2A Central Carolina Conference (3rd)

Playoffs: Lost 62-44 to Mountain Heritage in first round of 1A playoffs

Top returners: George Maxwell, Amir Alexander, Jayden Polk, Jerricho Charleston. Jeremiah Alford

Key additions: Freshman Carter Williams, transfer Dillon Mosley

League: 1A/2A CCC (Salisbury, East Davidson, South Davidson, West Davidson, Lexington, Thomasville)