ROCKINGHAM — Jamarion Wall, a sophomore basketball player, has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
The Raiders went 1-1 last week in Sandhills Athletic Conference play, and Wall’s work from the perimeter helped the Raiders stay in a tie for first place in the standings.
A two-year varsity player, and one of the many pieces of a talented Richmond team, Wall has earned his first career recognition.
Athletic Profile
Age: 16
Birthday: Sept. 22, 2005
Year: Sophomore
Winter Sport: Basketball
Position: Shooting Guard
Height & Weight: 6-0, 152 pounds
Years on Varsity: 2 years
Experience: 7 years
“ON THE PERIMETER” WITH JAMARION WALL
The Raiders saw their historic start of 15 consecutive wins to start the season snapped in last Wednesday’s game at Pinecrest High School. But Richmond responded with a double-digit victory at home over Hoke County on Friday.
In both games, sophomore shooting guard Paul McNeil missed significant time due to an injury and foul trouble. Wall was tasked with stepping up and filling the scoring void.
In the 80-76 loss to the Patriots, Wall scored a season-high 18 points and shot 50% from the field. He also added one rebound and two assists, and connected for a team-high four three-pointers.
With 38 seconds left in the first quarter, Wall hit a triple from the right corner to give Richmond a 14-13 lead. He added three field goals in the third quarter for six more points.
In the fourth quarter, Wall notched the first of his three triples on the opening possession from the right side to make it a five-point deficit. His next three came from the left wing and his final basket of the game rattled in from the left corner with just over a minute to play.
Against Hoke County two nights later, Wall dropped 17 points in a 76-64 win. The Raiders netted a season-high 12 three-pointers as a team and Wall was responsible for four of them, second to Deshon Watson’s six three-balls.
Wall opened the game with six points in the first quarter to lead the team, including a three-pointer from the left corner. Fouled on the shot, he made the subsequent and-one opportunity.
Going into halftime with 8 points, Wall netted a pair of triples in the third quarter. Both coming in the final two minutes, he hit shots from opposite sides of the floor. His second three in the period gave the Raiders a 17-point lead.
Finishing the game shooting 45% from the field, Wall netted one more three-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth.
Richmond (16-1, 6-1 SAC) will play the first of its three games this week at home on Tuesday against Union Pines High School.
Jamarion Wall (15) connects on one of his four three-pointers in Friday’s win over Hoke County. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
RAPID RESPONSES WITH JAMARION WALL
ROSports: You had your two highest point totals this season last week, and shot the three-pointer well. What allowed you to be successful and step up in the absence of Paul McNeil?
Wall: “The extra work in the gym after practice, being consistent and having the right mindset all helped me. I feel like I have to want my shots to fall. I wasn’t clicking early in the season, but when I was quarantined I thought about how much I love basketball and I’ve been knocking everything down since.
“When Paul went down, whether he was injured or in foul trouble, I knew we could make it happen. We always have Jalen David on our minds and the state championship, so when a player falls down, it’s our job to help them back up whether that’s scoring, getting rebounds or doing whatever we have to do.”
ROSports: How do you think the games against Pinecrest and Hoke County made the team stronger? How is the loss to Pinecrest a motivation for the team?
Wall: “We wanted to have an undefeated season, but that one loss opened our eyes to let us see we have more work to do. We still need to improve to get where we want to be. Friday’s win was good and let us see that we can rebound and win.
“We didn’t want to lose to Pinecrest, but it motivates us to get better and put ourselves in the position to win.”
ROSports: What are some of the team’s goals down the final stretch of the season? And what type of mindset do the Raiders have right now?
Wall: “Now we’re pushing forward and we want to go out and dominate. That’s what we did against Hoke and it worked. Our goal is to win out and win a conference championship and we want it all this year, too.
“In the locker room and on the court, it’s all about defense being able to put us over the top. We can score at will, but defense is the difference maker. We think about Jalen a lot and we can feel his presence. We want to give it all we’ve got for him and for our team.”
The Richmond Observer will publish two more Official Athletes of the Week next week.
