Matthew Gorry | The Elkin Tribune
Elkin’s Courtney Beals pressures a North Surry ball-carrier Tuesday night in the Lady Elks’ season opener.
Matthew Gorry | The Elkin Tribune
Elkin’s Makayla Dimmette drives past a North Surry defender Tuesday night in the Lady Elks’ season opener.
Matthew Gorry | The Elkin Tribune
Elkin’s Ashlen Rector dribbles past a North Surry defender Tuesday night in the Lady Elks’ season opener.
ELKIN - A young and depleted Lady Elks showed promise against one of the top 2A squads Tuesday night in the season opener.
Playing against last season’s Elite 8 qualifier North Surry, Elkin hung tough before falling 48-30 in the first game of the year for both clubs.
“I’m pleased. The girls played hard,” head coach Derek Carter explained. “We’re a little short on numbers this year, so we really haven’t had a scrimmage at practice this year, so that was the first time they played together. We’re very young, I only have on senior, but I saw some promise there.
“We did some good things, but we still have some things to work on. We played a really good team,” he continued. “We were out-sized obviously, but we kept fighting. We set a goal to get every loose ball. I think we got every loose ball except two. So I hope they’re proud.”
A scrappy and pesky Elkin side forced three-straight North turnovers to open the game and six in the first quarter alone. But recently crowned volleyball state champs Malaya Johnson and Kristina Rumplasch began to use their size to assert themselves.
Rumplasch scored seven points in the opening quarter as the Lady Hounds grabbed a 13-4 lead after the first quarter of play.
Elkin hung around but never got closer than 10 points at 17-7 early in the second quarter as the advantage grew to as much as 25 at 44-19.
Carrie Brown, Courtney Beals and the Lady Elks battled and forced 17 turnovers on the night but were unable to overcome the hole, falling 48-30.
“Overall, I’m pleased,” Carter said. “Tonight was really the first time they all played together, so I’m tickled. If you play hard, good things will happen.”
Brown recorded a team-high 10 points on the night, while Beals added nine. Makayla Dimmette pitched in seven.
“Carrie played a good game. Courtney played big today, I’m looking for her to be more aggressive. She’s a little too much of a time player sometimes, but she went after it tonight,” he added.
The Lady Elks will join the boys time at the Mt. Airy post-Thanksgiving tournament this weekend. Elkin takes on the Lady Bears Friday night at 5:30 p.m. before tipping off against East Surry Saturday at 2 p.m.
Reaech Matthew Gorry at 835-1513 or mgorry@heartlandpublications.com.
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