CULLMAN COUNTY – While many were focused on the presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, others divided their time for the first Tuesday of the 2016-17 high school basketball regular season.
Good Hope put together a great team performance, shooting down Susan Moore 75-51 in the Vinemont Tip-Off Tournament championship.
Drew Adams was the first new coach to win in his debut and now has his squad 2-0, waiting to deal with the next challenge in a game Friday at Danville.
Other coaches made their first appearance on the varsity hardwood Tuesday, but were denied the thrill of victory.
Josh Hembree took over the Cullman Lady Bearcats, but they could not maintain a halftime lead in Decatur and lost to the Lady Red Raiders 56-48.
Tiffany Hinkle-Pope was welcomed as the new leader for the St. Bernard Lady Saints at the Fazi-Richard Athletic Center. Her debut was spoiled by Athens Bible School claiming a 46-39 victory.
A team that was very successful last year, began this season in impressive fashion on the road.
The Fairview Lady Aggies came out ready and romped by Arab 64-42 in the third season of the Mary Hartline era. The Lady Aggies posted a school record 21 victories last season and have a squad that is very experienced and will be one to be reckoned with throughout the season.
The Vinemont Lady Eagles dropped to 0-2 after suffering a loss to Oneonta in the third-place game of their Tip-Off Tournament.
From the varsity side of the hardwood, St. Bernard was the only other team aside from Good Hope to get a victory.
The Saints outscored Athens Bible 71-68 on the home floor with Christian Peterson the lone starter back for Greg Boatright's squad after they won 22 games last season and reached the Class 1A Sub-Regional round of the state playoffs.
Cullman was turned away by Decatur 59-32 at Earl Morris Gymnasium while Fairview fell at Arab 74-55 and Vinemont lost to Winston County 58-49 in the third-place game of the Eagles' Tip-Off Tournament.
Three other schools will step on to the floor for the first time on Thursday night.
Hanceville gets the season underway visiting Fairview, West Point will head to Vinemont and Holly Pond has the longest trip of any school, traveling into Madison County to face New Hope.
The New Hope girls spent Monday and Tuesday in the county, finishing second in the Vinemont Tip-Off. The Lady Indians defeated Vinemont 54-33 in the semifinals and lost the title game to Winston County 45-36.
It will be the debut of Paige Parker-Adams on the sidelines for the Lady Broncos. This comes two days after her husband, Drew Adams, opened his varsity coaching career with two wins for Good Hope and a championship from the Vinemont Tip-Off Tournament.
St. Bernard will host Southeastern from Blount County Thursday on the day before Veterans Day will be celebrated across the area and country.
A very brief schedule of hoops is slated for Friday. Good Hope goes to Danville with Amanda Swann making her debut for the Lady Raiders, who for 16 years were under the command of Michael Oldacre.
Fairview plays at J.B. Pennington in Blountsville while the Hartselle-Cullman games were rescheduled to Nov. 28 due to the Tigers making it to the second round of the AHSAA football playoffs.
Plenty of games to enjoy across the county will take place next week with Vinemont at Cold Springs, Arab at Fairview, Cullman at Guntersville, West Point at Holly Pond and Dora visiting Hanceville next Tuesday.
Games on tap for next Friday (Nov. 18) include Lawrence County at Cullman, Hanceville at West Point, Vinemont at Good Hope and Fairview going to Cold Springs.
Copyright 2016 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
