2025-26 Boys Basketball

Week 4 Review

Another week is in the books as middle school boys basketball moves past the halfway point of the season. Little Mill’s 7th-grade team and Vickery Creek’s 8th-grade squad remain the only undefeated teams in the league.

Little Mill continued its dominance in 7th grade with two more blowout victories in Week 4. The Mustangs now hold a two-game lead over second-place South Forsyth and Riverwatch and own the tiebreaker against both after defeating each earlier this season, further solidifying their grip on the top spot.

In 8th grade, Vickery Creek moved to the top of the standings with a road win at Hendricks on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Riverwatch delivered a statement victory by upsetting South Forsyth, handing the Eagles their first loss in nearly two years. That win pulled the Panthers back into a tie for second place with South Forsyth, tightening an already crowded race near the top.

7th Grade: Little Mill Separates Further from the Pack

With a 49-point victory over Hendricks and a 33-point win against Liberty, Little Mill has pushed its average margin of victory to an astounding +40.1 through seven games. The Mustangs are scoring 60.7 points per game while allowing just 20.6, both figures far ahead of the rest of the field. Riverwatch ranks next in scoring at 45.3 points per game, while Piney Grove sits second defensively at 28.7 points allowed per contest. What Little Mill has accomplished so far in the 2025–26 season has been nothing short of remarkable.

Behind the Mustangs, the race remains wide open. South Forsyth and Riverwatch are tied for second place at 5–2, followed by a logjam of five teams sitting at 3–3. With only the top five seeds earning a first-round bye in the postseason tournament, the battle for positioning is shaping up to be one of the most competitive stretches of the season.

8th Grade: League Remains Divided

Five teams have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the field, but the race at the top has become increasingly complex. Riverwatch’s win over South Forsyth reshuffled the standings, creating a chain of head-to-head results: Vickery Creek holds a victory over Riverwatch, while Riverwatch owns the tiebreaker over South Forsyth.

At the top, Vickery Creek stands alone at 6–0. Riverwatch and South Forsyth are locked in a tie for second place at 6–1, while Lakeside sits just behind them in fourth at 5–1 with only one loss as well. Hendricks rounds out the top five after falling to Vickery Creek last week, though the Hawks still hold a comfortable two-and-a-half–game cushion over sixth-place DeSana and Piney Grove.

Featured Matchup

8th Grade

Riverwatch (36) @ South Forsyth (32)

Riverwatch (6–1) moved back into a tie for second place on Thursday night with a hard-fought defensive win over last season’s champions and previously undefeated South Forsyth (6–1).

The opening quarter set the tone as a defensive battle, with the score tied 9–9 after one. Riverwatch connected on four field goals, while South Forsyth answered with three baskets and a free throw. Balance was on display early, as every field goal in the quarter was scored by a different player.

The second quarter followed a similar script, as both defenses tightened and points were harder to come by. The teams combined for just 12 points in the period, leaving Riverwatch and South Forsyth deadlocked at 15–15 at halftime. Yafeth Samuel accounted for all six of Riverwatch’s points in the quarter, while Adam Oche led the Eagles with four.

At the break, Samuel led all scorers with eight points. South Forsyth was paced by Oche and Mateo Giraldo, who had six points apiece.

Riverwatch found its rhythm in the third quarter, increasing the tempo and pulling away by outscoring South Forsyth 14–7. The surge, once again led by Yafeth Samuel, gave the Panthers a seven-point cushion and a 29–22 advantage heading into the final period.

South Forsyth turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter and made a late push to complete the comeback, but it wasn’t quite enough. The Eagles outscored Riverwatch 10–7 in the final period, yet the Panthers held on for a 36–32 upset victory on the road.

Scoring was limited and concentrated on both sides, with just five players finding the scorebook for each team — a contrast to many of their earlier games. Yafeth Samuel carried Riverwatch, scoring 18 points to account for exactly half of the Panthers’ total. Carter Smith was the next-highest scorer for Riverwatch with seven. For South Forsyth, Adam Oche poured in 17 points, also more than half of his team’s output, while Mateo Giraldo added nine, but the Eagles’ rally ultimately fell short.

Notable Contest

8th Grade

Vickery Creek (30) @ Hendricks (22)

Vickery Creek (6–0) picked up a huge road win over Hendricks (5–2) on Thursday night. Coupled with South Forsyth’s loss to Riverwatch, the victory allowed the Vipers to take sole possession of the top spot in the 8th-grade standings. Hendricks now sits one-and-a-half games behind Vickery Creek and two games back in the loss column.

The game got off to a slow start for Vickery Creek, as the Vipers fell behind 10–4 after the first quarter. However, being down early was familiar territory for the league leaders. Both teams combined for just five field goals — all two-point baskets — while Hendricks gained its edge at the free-throw line, led by Branam Carroll, who connected on four attempts.

Vickery Creek gained momentum in the second quarter, and by halftime, the Vipers had edged ahead by just two points, 13–11. The team’s defense shined, holding Hendricks to only one point in the period, but Vickery Creek’s offense struggled to pull away, scoring just nine points on four field goals and a free throw.

In the low-scoring half, Jackson Armbrust paced the Vipers with five points, while Ryder Horwege added four. For Hendricks, Colton Singer and Branam Carroll led the way with four points each.

Vickery Creek stretched its lead in the third quarter, posting its highest scoring output of the night. The Vipers doubled their halftime total to reach 26 points and limited Hendricks to eight in the period. Jackson Armbrust knocked down the first three-pointer of the game and led Vickery Creek with five points in the quarter. Once again, Hendricks stayed within striking distance at the free-throw line, this time with Colton Singer converting four attempts.

Both teams clamped down defensively in the final quarter, combining for just seven total points, with Vickery Creek holding a slim 4–3 edge. Each side managed only one field goal in the period, and the Vipers added one more free throw than the Hawks. Hendricks was unable to close the gap, as Vickery Creek sealed an eight-point victory.

Vickery Creek’s Jackson Armbrust was the only player to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points to lead all scorers. Ryder Horwege followed with seven points for the Vipers. Hendricks was paced by Colton Singer, who scored nine points, while Branam Carroll was next with four.