by CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio– CVCA sophomore point guard Darryn Peterson set a goal for himself heading into his freshman year of high school; to score 50 points in a game.
That milestone was reached Tuesday night as he scored a season-high and school-record 51 points behind an 82-27 win over Tuslaw.
“That was a goal of mine since last year so it’s a great feeling for me to finally get there when my team’s rooting for me,” Peterson said about the record-breaking performance.
It came one game after his team got back from playing Lutheran East in the Scholastic Play-By-Play Tournament in Columbus. It was an event that really helped unlock the team’s potential, according to head coach Matt Futch.
“Columbus was a great experience, it was a great platform for us to be on,” he said about the 62-51 loss to Lutheran East over the weekend. “I think once the game kind of went on, we found out that we belong here…We didn’t play well and I think not playing well and doing some of the things we needed to do and have done probably gave us some encouragement and opened our eyes a little bit watching film after the game.”
It didn’t take long for the Royals to come out and make a statement against Tuslaw. After the first quarter, the Royals held a 30-3 advantage, with Peterson scoring 20 of those points.
“I feel like I’m more aggressive on both sides of the ball,” Peterson said about the way he’s been able to ascend as a sophomore this season. “I kind of got better at rebounding…I’m getting better at every aspect of the game.”
He and senior Jackson Shelby headlined a dominating first half for the Royals, one where his team out-scored the Mustangs 59-11, including 39 points from the five-star sophomore.
“People look at it from the standpoint of five-star meaning talent,” Futch said. “He’s more than five-star as a talented basketball player. He’s a five-star person, just in terms of his character, and how he carries himself. He’s humble.”
Peterson had himself a number of highlight dunks, including a breakaway windmill dunk to close out the first half scoring for the Royals.
Woah 😯 @PetersonDarryn
He closes out the first half for the Royals in a big way, including scoring 39 points as CVCA holds a 59-11 lead.
He’s just a sophomore.@SportsKee1 @CVCAathletics pic.twitter.com/3gSTwDFDAN— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) December 21, 2022
He scored his 51st point Tuesday night on a layup in the closing minutes of the third quarter. No Royal player has ever scored 50 points in a game as he broke the old school record which was set at 44 points.
Darryn Peterson’s night might be over after scoring his 51st point of the night winding down the third quarter. @PetersonDarryn.
The Royals take a 75-20 lead heading into the 4th Q. @sportskee1 pic.twitter.com/ciNcUrUc1d— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) December 21, 2022
Peterson is not just a special talent on the court, as Futch explained. He’s a player that helps set the tone for his team and really brings out the best in everybody around him and that’s a big reason why the Royals are enjoying a lot of success early on.
“It’s a process, a maturation process,” Futch said. “I think in wins you can see it and enjoy it more and in losses it’s humbling.
“With this group, we did some team bonding stuff at the beginning of the year and I think that connection with this group is showing benefit right now,” he added.
The Royal lead continued to grow even after Peterson’s night ended in the third quarter. Players like Vell Sharpe and Shelby also made some big plays not just offensively, but defensively to push the Royals out in front for the entire game.
It starts and ends with Peterson leading the way, but Futch understands the roles of some of his other players around Peterson.
“Jackson has had the scoring potential when he was a freshman, he’s always thought he had to score the ball and so now with a player like Darryn and some shooters around him, he probably doesn’t feel that pressure and that’s helpful to him and his game,” Futch explained after Shelby scored 12 points during the win.
“He’s been able to take on the challenge of stepping up his game defensively and that’s what’s been keeping him on the floor,” Futch continued.
For the Mustangs, Nathan Frascone and Troy Harbeitner led the way with 10 and nine points, respectively, as they weren’t able to settle into the game much at all with the way Peterson and his teammates swarmed them defensively.
The potential is set high for Peterson and his team.
He understands that and is confident in the way his team is shaping up this season.
“Rings, I think that’s our potential, this year,” Peterson said with a smile on his face.
