hoop fans! Let’s have a natter about Hendersonville’s own CJ Landrum and Malachi Simpson, the basketball whizzes that everyone in Western North Carolina can’t stop yapping about. Last year, they tore up the court with a smashing 25-4 record and pranced right into the third round of the playoffs—proper impressive, right? Well, hold on to your hats, folks, because they’re diving back in, and the buzz is they’re aiming even higher.
I had a chinwag with Coach Marvin Featherstone, and I swear the bloke’s smile was as wide as the River Avon. He’s dead chuffed about the lads having another crack at the Mountain Foothills 7 Conference title and getting even further into the playoff madness. And who’s leading the charge? You guessed it, our boys Landrum and Simpson.
So what’s the lowdown on these fellas? Simpson’s the junior forward who’s stretching the tape at a strapping 6-foot-6, tipping the scale at a lean 175lbs. His track record from last season is nothing short of brill—racking up a hefty 20 points a game, bagging 7.7 rebounds, and swiping his fair share of steals. Not to be outdone, Landrum’s a powerhouse too; the 6-foot-3, 225-pound lad charges through defenses, banking 13 points and scarfing down 8.4 rebounds each game.
Coach Featherstone’s over the moon, saying something like, “Having a couple of belters in your team is enough to make any coach grin.” It’s bang on, too. These two are the perfect match—with CJ charging around like a bull in a china shop, scoring, rebounding, and diving after every ball, and Malachi bringing all the pizzazz with show-stopping moves and boundless energy.
The coach, though, he’s a hungry one, and he’s been on Simpson’s case to ramp up his game on rebounds and defense. His pearl of wisdom? “If you want those university scouts all over you, you’ve gotta be bossing it at both ends of the pitch,” he reckons.
Simpson’s all ears, he’s gagging to up his defense game and wants to reign supreme on the offence too—dominating inside, hitting those mid-range shots, and sinking treys left, right, and centre. He’s been polishing his dribbling and shooting like nobody’s business, aiming to skyrocket his 3-pointer numbers.
And Landrum? He’s eyeing a double-double every game—double figures in points and rebounds, that’s the ticket. His off-season’s been chock-a-block with training, partly due to his time clashing on the football field. Yep, the dude’s not just nifty with a basketball, he’s a proper force in football too—bagging sacks, pinching interceptions, and slamming home touchdowns.
All that grit from the gridiron? It’s a cracking bonus to his basketball game—giving him that physical edge and some serious leapin’ prowess.
Now, don’t get me started on their gutting playoff exit last season. It was a tough lesson, for sure: you’re not going anywhere if your shots are going AWOL. They’re absolutely set on not having another nightmare of 25% shooting.
But Simpson’s not dwelling on the past, he’s a glass-half-full kind of guy. He reckons with their squad’s knack for knocking down 15 points one evening and locking down on defense the next, they’ve got versatility like nobody’s business. So batten down the hatches, ’cause Hendersonville’s all set to throw down this season and stir up a proper racket in the playoffs.