Chesnee’s basketball players arrived at Landrum on Tuesday, Jan. 9 with a full head of steam, and lots of skill, but they left quietly, after a 100-61 loss to Landrum’s Cardinals.

That gave the Cardinals an 11-3 record overall, and a 1-0 region mark, after their region opener against Chesnee’s Eagles. It was a good game, said Landrum head coach Lyn Smith. Indeed, his two All-State players, Trey Smith and Foster Bridges, scored 36 and 30 points, respectively.

“We played four quarters hard,” a pleased Smith added. I thought we moved the ball around (effectively). We want to win the region.”

Maybe the first test for that will come this Friday, Jan. 12 when the Cards host St. Joseph’s Catholic, last season’s region champion.

St. Joe’s plays a slower brand of ball than do the Cardinals, though the latter can control the ball and pass it around, and then score, about as effectively as anyone.

“They (St. Joseph’s) are going to try to slow it down,” Smith predicted. “We’re going to try to speed it up.”

Though the Eagles started hot on Monday, the Cardinals’ defense (including defensive rebounding) largely kept the Eagles from lighting up the scoreboard. Early in the first quarter, Landrum soared over the Eagles, 10-2. The Cardinals never looked back, leading by just over 40 points near game’s end.

After that furious first quarter, the Cardinals held a 24-6 lead. At the half, they led by 54-28. The crowd roared when Marcus Quinn scored points 99 and 100 on a field goal, late in the game.