Williamston (4-5) vs Chelsea (3-3)

7 PM – January 3, 2023

The Hornets host Chelsea in their first game of 2024. Williamston is currently on a 3 game losing streak after falling to Pewamo-Westphalia in a 59-43 defeat at home on December 29th. Led by seniors Zach Cribbs and Ben Smith, the Hornets look to start the new year with what would be a huge win over a tough Chelsea Bulldogs squad. A win at home against Chelsea would be the momentum shift the Hornets need to catapult them into a winning season.

Just two seasons after their 27-0 Division 2 State Championship run, Williamston has struggled to find their way back to a winning record. Chelsea is led by seniors Joey Cabana and Jake Stephens who are playing their third consecutive season on varsity together. Struggling to stay above .500 themselves, the Bulldogs have something to prove as well. With one of the toughest schedules in Division 2, Chelsea has lost some tough battles to a couple of the best teams in the state. 

Williamston lost a lot of talent after their championship run, and are in a complete overhaul phase. Their roots are deep and they have a lot of potential. As the underdogs going into their matchup against the Bulldogs, the Hornets can prove a lot walking away with a win. In order to defeat Chelsea, Williamston is going to have to find a way to contain Cabana. Cabana is a 6’3” combo guard who can stay in the air in an unnatural way and loves to take and make threes from both sides of the baseline. In addition to Cabana, they will also need to shut down ℅ 2024 Jake Stephens who doesn’t know quit and will scrap for every last put back and loose ball. 

Williamston has their work cut out for them with the Bulldogs and desperately needs a win to avoid their 4th consecutive loss. 517 Hoops would love to be wrong and see the Hornets pull of a win vs Chelsea, but after watching both teams play this season, we project a double digit win for the Bulldogs on the road.