Bobcats set sights on back-to-back-to-back state championships

Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org

The Radford High School boys’ basketball team has won two straight 1A state titles. They have a chance for three-straight, but it will have to come at a higher classification. Radford has moved up to 2A because of an increase in enrollment.

Head Coach Rick Cormany has over 600 wins in his career, including 471 at Radford, and he has been asked over and over this offseason: can he add another state title to his resume?

He lost two starters off last season’s 26-5 team, but the three that he returns have been playing together since grade school.

Quinton Morton-Robertson, Kam Edwards and Miles Jones have been the nucleus of two straight 20-win seasons, and they’re only juniors.

“We have a lot of guys back and newcomers could provide some depth after they get some experience,” Cormany said.

The former Rocky Gap and Grayson County coach is brief in his responses, and sometimes he doesn’t want to admit how dominant Radford has been over eh past two years. Most of their losses have come from higher classification teams, but 1A and 2A teams have dreaded seeing the black and gold walk into the gym.

Morton-Robertson (5’6, guard) is a floor general who took control of the last two state championships and the Bobcats have ridden his back for most of those 40-plus wins the past two seasons. He did suffer a high-ankle sprain last season that kept him out of four-game span, but that’s where Miles picked up the ball and ran with it. At 6’6, he became a force for the Bobcats, especially when it comes to rebounding.

Edwards has been a consistent shooter from outside and proved it in last year’s state final.

Cormany said those three plus a much-improved Thor Sproule (6-5, also a junior) provide a plus for his team.

“The three returning starters plus Thor Sproule will be key players for us this season. All are three-year varsity players and have been on back to back state championships,” the coach said.

Morton-Robertson was last year’s state’s 1A player of year, and Cormany was the 1A coach of the year.

The state title was Cormany’s fifth overall. The coach said the honor to Quinton or “Q” as he is called is well deserved.

“He averaged 20 points for the year but around 25 for the three state games, and he was forced to score more this year than he likes. He is a true point guard and prefers to distribute the ball first,” Cormany said.

Morton-Robertson scored 593 total points and averaged 20.4 points per game this season. He shot 51 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from behind the three-point line. He also pulled down 87 rebounds.

“I definitely think he will continue to get stronger and better. He is a D1 (Division I college) point guard. Not sure the level yet,” he said.

As a team, the Bobcats scored an average of 61.3 points per game this season while only allowing an average of 47 points by their opponents.

Cormany was humbled with being named state coach of the year, and credited both his players and assistant coaches for a job well done.

“Great players and especially great assistants make good head coaches and I have both,” he said.

This is Cormany’s 25th year as a head coach and it could be his best team yet. He just won’t admit it.

Jones provides strength under the basket as he has added a lot of muscle during the offseason, meaning plenty of trouble for opponents. Throw in and four others over 6-3, then the Bobcats should have plenty of answers inside the paint.

The Bobcats do have three freshmen on the varsity roster and at least two of them will see some considerable playing time. P.J. Prioleau (5-10, guard) drew the job of covering one of Northside’s top players last week in scrimmage play, while Cam Cormany (5-11, guard) Rick’s son, could be the sharpshooter from the three-point arc this season.

Sophomore Jon Woods (6-4, center) could also provide some size off the bench.

Radford opens the season tonight against non-district Christiansburg.

Schedule

• Dec. 8 at Pulaski
• Dec. 13 versus Christiansburg
• Dec. 20 at Floyd
• Dec. 22 versus Pulaski
• Dec. 27-28 at Ft. Chiswell tournament
• Jan. 2 versus Alleghany
• Jan. 3 at Giles
• Jan. 6 at Floyd tournament
• Jan. 11 at James River
• Jan. 15 versus Carroll
• Jan. 17 versus Glenvar
• Jan. 19 at Alleghany
• Jan. 23 versus Giles
• Jan. 25 versus Floyd
• Jan. 29 at Blacksburg
• Jan. 31 versus James River
• Feb. 2 at Carroll
• Feb. 6 at Glenvar

Roster

• 2, Quinton Morton-Robertson, G, 5’6, Jr.
• 4, Braedan Moore, G, 5’8, Jr.
• 10, Davon Wood, G, 5’6, Jr.
• 12, P.J. Prioleau, G, 5’10, Fr.
• 14, Cam Cormany, G, 5’11, Fr.
• 20, Jeremy Chadwick, G, 5’6, Jr.
• 22, Trace Sheperd, G, 5’11, Jr.
• 24, Cam Edwards, F, 6’3, Jr.
• 30, Miles Jones, F, 6’6, Jr.
• 32, Jalen Phillips, F, 6’3, Jr.
• 34, Alex Kanipe, F, 6’3, Fr.
• 40, Jon Woods, C, 6’4, Soph.
• 42, Thor Sproule, C, 6’5, Jr.