Oh, Brother

Creek Valley didn’t need much to outscore Hyannis on Friday night, just two brothers and teammates willing to battle around them.

Lane and Brett Godfrey combined for 41 points in the Storm’s 61-28 performance in the season opener. Seven other Creek Valley players scored, as well, while a defense led by Wyatt McMillen held the visitors to single digits in all but one quarter of play.

“We’ll take a win any day,” McMillen said. “We got to get experience.”

The Storm began the year with no true post up player and just one senior. But that senior—Lane Godfrey—drained two three pointers in the first 90 seconds. Before the Longhorns finally countered with points of their own, Creek Valley took advantage of a turnover, Colin Brott feeding Brett Godfrey for an easy lay up.

It was the first basket of the freshman’s varsity career.

“It was pretty intense,” Brett Godfrey said of the experience. “I was nervous coming into the game.”

Not that the anxiety showed. The younger brother tacked on three more points before the first period expired, swishing an eight foot jumper and adding one from the line. Lane Godfrey added another three, making it 14-4.

The brother barrage continued in the second. Lane engineered a steal and took the ball coast to coast. Brett scored on a finger roll and Lane followed with an open shot from inside the arc.

Roy Koech finally broke the Godfrey spell with 5:06 to go in the second, sinking a put back after a nifty move, keeping the Creek Valley run alive. Moments later, Lane Godfrey took the ball deep on the wing, walked up casually into position and drained his fourth of five first half treys, extending the Storm’s lead to 25-4.

“I was surprised they didn’t come out,” the senior Godfrey said of his open opportunities. “I expected them to go to a box and one.”

The Storm led 31-10 at the break and refused to back off physically in the second half.

A minute into the third quarter, McMillen dove toward a ball careening out of bounds under the net. He swatted it back into play, where Dane McConnell corralled it and rolled it in for two more points.

“My philosophy is you play until the whistle blows,” McMillen explained. “I was determined to get that ball.”

For much of the third quarter Creek Valley sought to slow the tempo. They scored on only five possessions, conceding 10 points to the Longhorns during the eight minute span—despite McMillen’s work in the paint, drawing several charging calls.

“I don’t know how hard my head is and I don’t want to find out,” he said, admitting that he hit the floor “a bunch” on opening night.

Creek Valley maintained a sizeable 42-20 advantage at the end of three and kicked back into high gear in the final period—to the tune of 19 points.

It started with a 9-1 run. McConnell drove the baseline for two. Lane Godfrey converted a put back. Maverick Widdowson sank a three and Brett Godfrey finished off a fast break initiated by Brott. Somewhere in between, Hyannis’ Jeremy Davis hit one from the line for the Longhorns’ lone point.

In the game’s waning moments, Hunter Hendrickson knocked down a short jumper to cap the offensive onslaught and secure the 61-28 victory.

“We definitely need to work on some things—we need to rebound better,” Lane Godfrey observed. “But it’s gonna be a good season.”

It will be the only season the brothers, senior and freshman, take the court together in Creek Valley green.

“A once in a lifetime experience,” Brett Godfrey called it.

Scoring v Hyannis

Lane Godfrey 21

Brett Godfrey 20

Dane McConnell 5

Maverick Widdowson 5

Colin Brott 2

Roy Koech 2

Hunter Hendrickson 2

Austin Rowley 2

Wyatt McMillan 2

Maxwell 56

Creek Valley 46

--Stephen McKay

The Storm dropped a non district game on Saturday 56-46 at Maxwell.

“It was a tough loss. We got down early and showed a lot of character to be only down seven at halftime,” said Storm Head Coach Roger Behrends. “We came out and played really well early in the third quarter. We were ahead by eight at one time.

 “Then their inside game took over in the fourth quarter,” Behrends concluded.

The Godfrey brothers, Lane and Brett, led the offensive charge for Creek Valley with 23 and 14 points respectively.

Dane McConnell and Lane Godfrey were strong on the boards with 7 rebounds each. The Godfrey brothers were also light fingered on defense, with Lane picking up 6 steals and Brett 5.

The Storm is off until Friday when they face the Potter-Dix Coyotes on the road.

Boys Basketball

Creek Valley 61

Hyannis 28