David vs. Goliath
For Henderson Collegiate and the Royal Knights travel ball team, it's a 'we over me' mentality and this NCHSAA 1A Charter School in Henderson, North Carolina has embellished and embraced the attitude, 'we will play anyone, anywhere attitude.' For Coach George Marshall and his side kick Stanley Yarborough, they simply get the big picture. Coach Yarborough coaches the local travel ball organization Royal Knights and the two has formed a true bond of working together at the high school and travel ball level. They support each other because to put it mildly, they are about and for the kids.
First of all, Henderson Collegiate has stepped up to the plate wanting to play the toughest teams in the state. In their game at the Carmel Christian Tip Off Classic, they had to play in what many people are saying is the best team in the state, Moravian Prep. Moravian Prep is absolutely loaded with talent. They feature Five Star senior Josh Hall, Shakeel Moore, Darius Davis, Luke Davis and Jaharmi Harvey along with a balance of D1 prospects. On paper, they were clearly outmatched and only went with a six-man rotation. Henderson Collegiate tallest player is 6'4 Queens University commit Kaleb Matthews. With the exception of Shakeel Moore, no one that gets major minutes is under 6'4.
While Henderson Collegiate lost 85-81, they can use this as a 'moral victory.' Henderson Collegiate is a team that cherishes the opportunity to play on the big stage against the best teams and the game against Moravian Prep is just a prime example of the heart, intestinal fortitude, spunk, and grittiness not often seen. Both teams shot approximately 50% for the game and the rebounds were fairly even, 34-32 in favor of Moravian. While this David vs. Goliath battle ended up with a Goliath win on the scoreboard, David can walk away with his head held high. One thing is for certain, you can't teach or coach heart.