While the Statesboro High basketball team travels to Glynn Academy tonight, future members will be on display at the Devil’s Den as Langston Chapel Middle School and William James Middle School square off.
    The girls squads will tip off at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, with the boys following immediately after.
    The players on the court might be a bit smaller and younger than the SHS crowd is used to seeing, but the level of success that the middle school Devils and Knights are enjoying should be right at home on the high school floor.
    “I think this is a fun thing that we’re going to be able to do,” LCMS coach Matt Kuykendall said. “We appreciate (SHS athletic director) Chad Prosser allowing our boys and girls to have this experience. It should be exciting and a different type of atmosphere for everyone.”
    A new venue and a bigger crowd won’t be the only storylines as the boys game will feature a showdown with first place on the line between the Knights (12-0, 6-0 Coastal Empire Region) and Devils (9-3, 5-1).
    A win for Langston Chapel will shake up the standings in the final weeks of the season while a William James victory will be the next step on the Knights’ quest for a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
    “I’m very proud of how our guys have worked,” WJMS coach Brian Hall said. “We played a bunch of games throughout the summer since a lot of this year’s players didn’t have to contribute as much last season.
    “Everyone shows up each day willing to practice hard and learn. I think that’s a big reason that we’re still seeing a lot of success.”
    Intra-county matchups are nothing new to Bulloch this season.
    At the high school level, Portal and Statesboro have combined to provide fans with two of the most entertaining games of the winter.
    Talented players have a lot to do with intriguing matchups, but so does the familiarity of opponents. That was the case in the previous varsity games and tonight’s middle school tilts promise more of the same.
    “A lot of these kids know each other well,” Kuykendall said. “When school isn’t in session, these guys are playing against each other in the streets. We definitely don’t need to hype them up for this game. There’s plenty of talking and pride on the line.”
    The girls game will be just as hotly contested, and could have some lasting repercussions for all four teams at the end of the season.
    When the region tournament begins later this month, the school housing the regular season girls champions will receive hosting duties. With the Langston Chapel Lady Devils currently tied with South Effingham and Screven for the top spot, there is a chance that all four teams involved in tonight’s games could stay close to home in the postseason.
   
    Mike Anthony may be reached at (912) 489-9408.