CULLMAN, Ala. – 2022 has come and gone and it was another year packed with great games all over Cullman County. Here I list some of the most memorable games I covered in 2022.
Jan. 4: Good Hope 37 – Fairview 32 (Varsity Girls)
Fairview couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game as five points by Sadie Smith and four points by Jayla Gorham helped them jump out to a quick 9-4 lead; they pushed it to 14-5 on a three by Emma Garcia and a layup by Morgan Lindsay. They would take a 14-6 lead into the second period, but Good Hope quickly cut into that deficit as back-to-back baskets by Charly Johnson, a layup by Rudi Derrick and a three by Kyndall Seal cut it to 16-15. Later on, a Heather Tetro trey gave the Lady Raiders a 20-17 lead and they would take a 20-19 lead into the half.
It was a defensive third quarter as a combined 11 points were scored in the period. Another Heather Tetro made three gave Good Hope a 23-19 lead, but the Lady Aggies got baskets from Lindsay, Garcia, and Smith as that gave them a 25-23 lead. Bailey Tetro’s layup tied the game up at 25 going into what would be an exciting final period. Seal broke the tie with a three as that gave the Lady Raiders a 28-25 lead; they would later hold a 32-29 lead before a layup by Gorham trimmed the deficit to just one at 32-31. Bailey Tetro made it a four-point game with a three and later on, Ivey Maddox helped seal the 37-32 win for Good Hope with a pair of free throws.
Jan. 7: Cold Springs 50 – Falkville 46 (Varsity Girls)
Cold Springs got off to a very slow start in their game against Falkville as they found themselves trailing, 13-2, after one period. The Lady Eagles quickly righted the ship in the second period as an Ella Bruer trey, a layup by Ciara Calvert, and an and-one by Paizley Whitlow trimmed the deficit to three at 13-10. Kenady Graves drilled a three to tie the game up at 13, but the Lady Blue Devils broke the tie with five straight points to take an 18-13 lead. Cold Springs tied things up at 18 on a pair of Calvert free throws, but Falkville would take a 24-20 lead into the locker room.
The Lady Blue Devils held a slim 27-24 lead in the third period and would later push their lead to 36-29 on a pair of treys. That’s when Cold Springs made their run as Malaya Taylor, Whitlow, and Calvert each hit a basket to cut it to 36-35, but Falkville added a late basket as that gave them a 38-35 lead going into the final period. Four straight points by Taylor gave the Lady Eagles a 39-38 lead, but Falkville quickly got the lead right back and ended up pushing their lead to 44-39. Big baskets by Calvert and Taylor tied the game up at 44 and Erin Bailey put in a huge basket down low to give Cold Springs a 46-44 lead. After a pair of Lady Blue Devil free throws tied things up at 46, Calvert and Bailey hit back-to-back enormous baskets as that gave Cold Springs the huge 50-46 comeback win.
Jan. 8: Vinemont 57 – Fairview 55 (Varsity Boys)
Fairview held a slim 6-3 lead early in the first quarter, but a run by Vinemont gave them an 11-8 lead. Ethan Fraiser hit back-to-back shots for Fairview as that gave them a 12-11 lead, but Toby Hill hit a basket down low, then a steal and fast-break layup by Kix Johnson gave the Eagles a 15-12 lead going into the second period. Behind five straight points from Ryan Stewart, Vinemont pushed their lead to 22-15 and later on, made it 27-17 on a Colby Miller made shot and a Stewart trey. The Aggies, though, finished the first half very strong as made shots by Austin Johnson, Cade Arnold, and Cylas Yarbrough made it a 27-25 game at the half.
As quick as a flash, though, Vinemont created some distance from them, and Fairview as Isaac Moody drilled a long-range shot and Miller added another shot down low to make it 36-29. Baskets by Hill and Moody pushed the Eagle lead to 41-31 and would take a 43-34 lead into the final period. Vinemont continued to add onto their lead in the final quarter as a pair of baskets by Hill and a floater by Miller gave them a 49-36 lead and would later hold a 53-40 advantage. That’s when Fairview made their push as Landon Tweedie hit a basket, then four straight points by Kobe Payne and a layup by Fraiser made it 54-48. A Payne trey cut it to 56-53, but a late free throw by Johnson helped seal the 57-55 win for Vinemont.
Jan. 14: West Point 66 – Russellville 64 (Varsity Boys)
The first quarter was a big one by West Point’s Kolten Perry. Russellville held a slim 11-8 lead almost midway through the period and later made it 16-11 on a three, but six straight points by Perry gave West Point a 17-16 lead. He later added another basket to give the Warriors a 20-18 lead, but the Golden Tigers hit a late basket to tie the game up at 20 going into the second period. A big run by Russellville gave them a 32-23 lead, but baskets by Jay Lamar and Sam Wheeler cut it to five and an Andrew Lynn trey made it a 37-31 game. A pair of Wheeler free throws cut it to 39-33 at the half.
For the second time in the game, the Golden Tigers went on a huge run as they scored the first eight points of the third quarter to push their lead to 47-33. A Lamar trey made it a 51-41 game, but the Golden Tigers increased their lead to 55-43 late in the quarter. A huge three by Cade Simmons, then a technical foul was called on a Russellville player and Lynn made a pair of free throws to make it a 55-48 game going into the final period.
Wheeler knocked in a shot and Lynn hit a trey to cut it to 57-53, then four free throws by Perry tied things up at 57. After the Warriors got the lead on a pair of Lamar free throws, the Golden Tigers got the lead right back as a basket down low gave them a 62-59 lead. Free throws by Lynn and Perry gave the Warriors a 64-62 lead. Russellville tied the game at 64 on a layup, but later on, with 1.7 seconds left to go in the contest, Wheeler got fouled and he calmly hit what would be the game-winning free throws as West Point ended up winning the game 66-64.
Jan. 21: Good Hope 51 – Cold Springs 46 (Varsity Boys)
Cold Springs got baskets from Cody Bales and Tanner Kilgo early on in the game as they jumped out to an 8-4 lead. Seth Williams drilled a long-range shot to push the Eagle lead to 11-4, but Good Hope cut into the deficit to end the quarter as a layup by Noah Barnette and a made shot by Jacob Haynes cut it to 11-8 going into the second period. A Tanner Malin three tied the game up at 11, but Brody Peppers and Williams each hit a basket to give Cold Springs a 15-11 lead. Another Peppers basket made it 18-13, but Charlie O’Neil hit a long-range shot to make it a two-point game. Peppers and Bales each hit a basket down low as the Eagles would take a 24-18 lead into the locker room.
Malin hit a pair of baskets to cut it to 26-22 early on in the third period, but a Williams trey and a Peppers shot in the paint pushed the Eagle lead to 31-22. Colton Lindsey and O’Neil each hit a basket to make it a 31-26 game, but Peppers added a pair of shots down low as the Eagles increased their lead to 36-26 going into the final period. The Raiders got off to a very strong start to the final quarter as Haynes knocked down a floater, then shots down low by Lindsey and Malin cut it to 36-32. Lindsey knocked down a long-range shot to make it a one-point game, but a three-point play by Peppers pushed the Cold Springs lead to 39-35.
Threes by K’mal Bell and Barnette cut it to 42-41, and Bell nailed two more shots from deep to give Good Hope a 47-44 lead. A Kilgo made layup cut it to one, but a layup by Barnette made it 49-46. A pair of Bell free throws would help seal the deal for Good Hope as they came back from 10 down to knock off the Eagles 51-46.
Feb. 15: Aliceville 53 – Cold Springs 50 (Varsity Boys)
Both teams struggled to put up points to start out the game, but Brody Peppers broke a five-all tie with a layup and Seth Williams hit a pair of free throws to give Cold Springs a 9-6 lead going into the second period. Aliceville, though, turned up the heat defensively as they forced numerous Eagle turnovers and turned them into points as they grabbed a 14-9 lead. They would later push their lead to 22-13 on a pair of threes, but a Williams layup cut it to 22-16. The Yellow Jackets hit a pair of late baskets to increase their lead to 26-16 at the half.
Aliceville pushed their lead to 30-18 in the third period, but baskets by John Mark Smith, Peppers, Kilgo, and Bales made it a 32-26 game. A late basket by the Yellow Jackets made it an eight-point game going into the final period. They quickly pushed their lead to 38-28 on a pair of shots in the paint, but the Eagles made things very interesting after that. A Williams three and a pair of Peppers free throws made it a 38-33 game. Peppers made a basket to make it a 40-35 game and Bales drilled a huge trey to cut it to two. The Yellow Jackets quickly pushed their lead to 46-38. Cold Springs looked for one last run to get back in the game as threes by Bales and Smith made it a 51-48 game. Unfortunately, though, they wouldn’t get any closer after that as they dropped a heartbreaker to Aliceville, 53-50.
Feb. 24: West Point 3 – Sardis 2 (Baseball)
After a scoreless first inning, West Point got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Caiden Rodgers led off the inning with a single, then moved to second on a wild pitch. A single by Colton McCoy moved runners up to second and third after the throw-in, then a dropped third strike allowed Taylor Curtis to cross the plate. Sardis tied the game on an RBI single in the top of the third inning, then in the fifth inning, another RBI single by the Lions gave them a 2-1 lead. Sardis got a rally started in the top of the sixth, but reliever Aidan Maddox got a huge strikeout to end the inning.
The score stayed the same until the bottom of the seventh as the Warriors cooked up a late rally. Rodgers hit a leadoff single, then he advanced to second on a wild pitch. McCoy reached on an error and that allowed Rodgers to advance to third. After Isaac Hoffpauir got hit by the pitch, a passed ball allowed Rodgers to score to tie the game up at two. On the next pitch, Cade Simmons quickly ended the game as his RBI single gave West Point the 3-2 comeback win.
Feb. 28: Cold Springs 7 – Fairview 6 (Softball)
Cold Springs got on the scoreboard first as a Maddie Pearl RBI single gave them a 1-0 lead after two innings. The Lady Eagles added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as a sacrifice fly by Journee Swann and an RBI single by Brooklyn Ingram gave them a 3-0 lead. Ciara Calvert scored on a dropped third strike to make it 4-0 going into the top of the sixth inning, but Fairview quickly got back in the game in the top of the sixth inning. Four straight singles, including an RBI single by Ayda Payne, put Fairview on the scoreboard. A throwing error allowed Kylie Kovar and Kaitlyn Benson to cross the plate, then Payne scored on a wild pitch to tie the game up at four. Neither team could break the tie after that, so the game would be decided in extra innings.
Benson reached on an infield single, then Emma Roberts lined a two-run home run over the center field fence to give the Lady Aggies a 6-4 lead. Cold Springs, though, looked to counter in their half. Anna Rollo hit a leadoff single, then Ingram got hit by the pitch. A pair of stolen bases allowed both runners to move up to second and third, then Rollo scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 6-5. A passed ball allowed Ingram to cross the plate as that tied the game up at six, then one out later, Heidi Nichols promptly ended the game as her RBI single gave the Lady Eagles the 7-6 win.
March 4: Hanceville 14 – Locust Fork 13 (Baseball)
Hanceville quickly fell behind the eight-ball early in their game against Locust Fork as the Hornets jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. The Bulldogs would get on the scoreboard in their half as a Jake Cornelius RBI single. Jackson Cleveland drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 5-2 game, but Locust Fork kept adding onto their lead as they scored three more runs in the top of the second inning to make it 8-2. An RBI groundout by Drew Campbell, another RBI single by Cornelius, and during the throw-in, Adam Cooper crossed the plate to make it a three-run game.
Hanceville wasn’t done yet, though, as after back-to-back walks, Les Fischer hit an RBI double and Cooper tied the game up at eight on a two-run double. Cooper and Dylan Twilley crossed the plate later in the inning as that gave Hanceville a 10-8 lead. But the fifth inning saw Locust Fork score three runs to take an 11-10 lead. Hanceville took the lead right back in their half of the fifth as Fischer reached on an infield single and Cooper crushed the first pitch he saw over the right-center field wall to give them a 12-11 lead.
Cornelius would later add his third RBI single of the night and Gabe Ognilla hit an RBI infield single to make it a 14-11 lead for the Bulldogs. The Hornets cut it to 14-13 on an RBI infield single and a passed ball in the sixth inning, but Ognilla struck out the side on 12 pitches as Hanceville picked up a wild 14-13 win at home over Locust Fork.
March 5: West Point 10 – Scottsboro 9 (Baseball)
Scottsboro jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the third inning, but West Point made a huge statement in their half of the third. Eli Folds drove in Andrew Putman with an RBI single, then the Warriors loaded the bases with just one out. A hit by pitch, a walk, and another pitch later, and the Wildcat lead was trimmed to one at 5-4. An RBI fielder’s choice by Bryson Phillips tied the game up at five.
Scottsboro, though, quickly broke the tie in the top of the fourth as they loaded the bases with one out. An RBI single gave them a 6-5 lead, then a sacrifice fly and a pair of RBI singles pushed their lead to 9-5, but once again, the Warriors got a rally started in their half. A hit by pitch, a walk, and a Wildcat error loaded the bases with nobody out, then a run came in on a double-play ball to cut it to 9-6. Brody Freeman hit an RBI double, then Putman and Rodgers each hit an RBI single to tie the game up at nine. West Point had a chance to win the game in dramatic fashion yet again. Putman reached on a two-out error and five pitches later, Folds ended the game as his RBI double gave the Warriors a 10-9 win.
March 10: West Point 6 – Lawrence County 5 (Softball)
Lawrence County struck first to start out the game as an RBI single gave them the early 1-0 lead. Macayla Wilkins reached on a one-out error and Carlie Wilkins drilled a two-run home run over the center field wall to give the Lady Warriors a 2-1 lead. The Lady Red Devils grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout, but West Point got the lead right back in their half. Bethany Minck reached on a dropped third strike, then Macayla Wilkins’ sacrifice bunt moved her over to second. For the second time in the game, Carlie Wilkins played long ball as her two-run home run over the center field wall gave the Lady Warriors a 4-3 lead.
Sidney Burks hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to give West Point a 5-3 lead, but Lawrence County loaded the bases with two outs and a two-run single tied the game up at five in the top of the fifth. The next two innings saw the Lady Red Devils load the bases and both times, new pitcher Braelee Quinn got West Point out of both jams unscathed. The game would be decided in extra innings and Burks quickly ended the game as her game-winning home run off the center field wall gave the Lady Warriors a 6-5 win.
Aug. 19: Good Hope 6 – West Point 0 (Football)
Neither team could find the end zone in regulation thanks to two very stout defenses. Three punts gave the ball back to West Point, but Tyler Cone picked off a Hunter Hensley pass and returned it to the 37-yard line. The Warrior defense, though, stuffed Kaleb Jones on fourth down to get the ball right back. Hensley found Parker Marks for a 44-yard gain, then later on, Noah Laney ripped off a 24-yard run to put West Point at the 32. The Warriors were later faced with fourth down from the seven, and Good Hope’s defense stuffed Hensley for no gain to keep the game scoreless at the half.
The second half saw West Point move the ball on the ground behind Garit Roberson and Hensley as Hensley picked up a pair of first downs on fourth down but were later forced to turn the ball over on downs. Good Hope would try a fake punt and Cone’s pass got picked off by Marks. The Warriors were having another successful drive as their running game was wearing down the Raider defense, but Good Hope stepped up when they needed to as Eli Clements sacked Hensley on fourth down. Good Hope got the ball back but were forced to punt. Riley Wayne blocked the punt and Daniel Dean recovered it at the 29, but their drive quickly ended once again on fourth down as Landon Bagwell sacked Hensley.
The game was to be decided in overtime and Good Hope was the first team to find the end zone in the game as Jones found paydirt from a yard out. The Raider defense kept the Warrior offense out of the end zone one last time as they picked up a 6-0 win over West Point in what was truly a defensive battle.
Sept. 30: Good Hope 26 – Hanceville 20 (Football)
The game started with Good Hope quickly getting behind the chains and were later forced to turn the ball over on downs. Hanceville’s first series saw them find the end zone on a 13-yard pass from Zach Campbell to LJ Smith as that gave them a 7-0 lead. Another Good Hope punt gave the ball back to Hanceville, but the Raider defense forced a turnover on downs. Good Hope faced fourth down from the 10-yard line and Colten Whatley found Kaleb Jones for a 10-yard score to cut it to 7-6. Hank Hudson picked off a Campbell pass on the next defensive series. A few plays later, Whatley found Tucker Malin for a 16-yard score to give the Raiders a 12-7 lead. Both teams traded punts and Campbell found Konnor Helms over the middle for a 23-yard touchdown play to give Hanceville a 14-12 lead and that would be the score at the half.
Hanceville started the second half with a trick play as Campbell pitched it to Braxton Broad, who proceeded to find Smith for a 28-yard pass play. The running game helped the Bulldogs get to the six-yard line, but the Raider defense once again stood tall as they stopped Campbell just inches short of a first down on fourth down. The Raiders started their drive from the one-yard line, and they would put up one of their most impressive drives of the season as Whatley found K’mal Bell (15 and 24 yards) and Malin (38 yards) during the series as those passes helped Good Hope get to the six. Bell scored on a 1-yard run to give the Raiders a 20-14 lead. Another Hanceville punt gave the ball back to Good Hope and they found the end zone once again as Whatley found Eli Clements in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard score to push the Raider lead to 26-14.
Behind the legs and arm of Campbell, the Bulldogs moved the ball down the field. A 29-yard pass play by Campbell helped Hanceville get to the three-yard line and Brosnan Ward found the end zone on the next play to cut it to 26-20. The Bulldogs had a chance to win the game after forcing a Raider punt, and they picked up some huge first downs during the drive, including converting on fourth down. They were faced with first down from the four-yard line and were able to get to the one-yard line after third down. The play of the game would come on fourth down as the Good Hope defense stuffed Campbell for no gain to seal the 26-20 win at home.
Oct. 20: Good Hope 26 – West Point 20 (Middle School Football Championship)
Big runs by West Point’s Titan Thornton, JJ Mink, and Caleb Dauksza had them at the seven-yard line, but Good Hope’s defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs. The Warriors quickly got the ball back on a Raider fumble and Mink found the end zone on a 1-yard run to give them a 6-0 lead. The Raiders quickly responded on its next series as Parker Johnson found a wide-open Cooper Johnson for a 59-yard score to tie the game up at six. West Point quickly broke the tie on an 11-yard run by Mink to give them a 12-6 lead, but Parker Johnson found Michael Lee for a 14-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 12.
Good Hope got the ball back after a Warrior punt and a couple of big passes from Parker Johnson to Cooper Johnson (36 yards) and Cayden Adamson (30 yards) quickly had them at the nine-yard line. Hunter Miller found the end zone on the next play to give the Raiders a 20-12 lead. The Raiders recovered the kickoff, but Mink picked off a Johnson pass. Good Hope would take a 20-12 lead into the locker room. Huge runs by Miller and Parker Johnson quickly had Good Hope in business to start the second half and the drive would end with Johnson finding Lee for a 16-yard score as the Raider lead was now 26-14.
Back-to-back turnover on downs gave the ball back to West Point and Mink broke a couple of big runs during the drive; he would later finish off the series with a 1-yard run to cut it to 26-20. A huge fumble recovery late in the game gave the Warriors a chance to win the game. A huge penalty moved them back to the 45, but a huge 25-yard pass from Mink looked to have the Warriors back in business. The Raider defense, though, had other plans as Isaiah Owen sacked Mink and then two plays later, Parker Johnson picked off a Mink pass to help seal the 26-20 county championship win for Good Hope.
Nov. 3: Vinemont 64 – Elkmont 61 (Varsity Girls)
Vinemont got off to a fast start to the game as Whitney Quick and Reagan Robinson scored the first 10 points of the game for the Lady Eagles to give them a 10-2 lead. A Carley Stephens made a shot down low to make it 14-4, but Elkmont made a late run as they knocked down a trio of long-range shots to cut it to 16-14. A layup by Raylee Quick gave Vinemont a 19-14 lead going into the second period. Elkmont made another three to tie the game up at 23, but a Robinson trey and a Stephens made shot gave the Lady Eagles a 29-25 lead. Stephens converted on her and-one opportunity and Maggie Burks drilled a pair of free throws to end the first half as the Lady Eagles took a 36-30 lead into the locker room.
Whitney Quick knocked down a three and Robinson added a free throw to give Vinemont a 40-30 lead early in the third quarter, but the three-point shot quickly got the Lady Red Devils back in the game as they ended up tying the game up at 40. A Caroline Miller three pushed the Lady Eagle lead to 48-43, but four free throws by Elkmont cut it to 50-47 going into the fourth quarter. The Lady Red Devils tied the game up at 53 on a pair of free throws, but Burks knocked down a trey to break the tie and give Vinemont a 56-53 lead. A pair of Whitney Quick free throws increased the Lady Eagle lead to 63-57, but the Lady Red Devils quickly cut the deficit to just three at 64-61. A last-second heave fell just short as Vinemont would go on to win the game 64-61.
Nov. 5: East Lawrence 41 – Vinemont 39 (Varsity Girls)
East Lawrence got off to a very quick start to the game as they jumped out to an 11-3 lead; they would later push their lead to 16-4. Morgan Flanagan knocked down a shot down low and Reagan Robinson hit a shot just before the buzzer to cut the Vinemont deficit to just 10 at 18-8 going into the second period. Raylee Quick scored four quick points and Robinson drilled a three to cut it to 18-15, then a layup by Carley Stephens and a pair of Robinson free throws gave the Lady Eagles a 19-18 lead. Each team traded a basket just before the half ended as both teams went into the locker room tied up at 21.
Robinson knocked down another long-range shot to give Vinemont a 26-25 lead; she would later knock down a shot down low to give the Lady Eagles a 30-27 lead. East Lawrence hit a pair of shots down low as they took a 31-30 lead into the fourth quarter. Maggie Burks hit a shot down low and Flanagan knocked down a three to push Vinemont’s lead to 35-31. Flanagan and Robinson each hit a shot to push their lead to 39-31, but East Lawrence went on a furious rally as they ended up tying the game up at 39. A fast-break layup gave East Lawrence a 41-39 lead, and a last-second shot attempt by Miller was off as Vinemont fell in a heartbreaker to East Lawrence 41-39.
Nov. 11: Pickens County 44 – Meek 36 (Football)
Both defenses kept the game scoreless going into the second period. Justin Freeman picked off a Pickens County pass and returned it to the 25, then Blake Miller scored from five yards out to put Meek on the scoreboard first. The Tiger defense forced another turnover as Miller picked off another Tornado pass and Meek would take an 8-0 lead into the locker room. A great kickoff return by Ory Frith to the 36-yard line had the Tigers in good field position and Cameron Deaver found the end zone on the first play of the series to give them a 14-0 lead. A six-yard run by Pickens County cut it to 14-8, but the fireworks were just starting for both teams as Deaver scored on a nine-yard run to give the Tigers a 20-8 lead.
A 13-yard touchdown pass by the Tornadoes cut it to 20-14, but a pair of huge runs by Deaver saw Meek nearing the end zone once again and he would end up finding the end zone for the third time in the game as his four-yard run pushed the Meek lead to 26-14. After a 57-yard touchdown pass made it 26-22, Deaver scored once again as his 22-yard run gave the Tigers a 36-22 lead. But the Tornadoes scored on a four-yard run and a 21-yard touchdown pass as that gave them a 38-36 lead. The Tigers had one final shot to win the game as Deaver found Jarrett Benson for a 32-yard gain, but later on, Deaver’s pass got picked off and returned for the touchdown as the Tigers lost in stunning fashion to Pickens County 44-36.
Nov. 22: Holly Pond 66 – Decatur 64 (Varsity Boys)
Decatur held onto a slim 10-7 lead in the first quarter and later pushed their lead to 15-9. Kollin Brown hit a layup and Blake Rickard hit three free throws to cut it to 15-14, but the Red Raiders went on a 9-2 run to end the period as they would take a 24-16 lead into the second quarter. The Broncos quickly cut into the deficit to start the period as Sawyer Olinger converted on his and-one opportunity, and Rickard and Levi Farr each hit a basket to cut it to 26-23. Decatur pushed their lead to 31-25 and would later make it 39-31, but a pair of Brown free throws would cut it to 39-33 and Holly Pond would find themselves down, 40-33, at the half.
A Christian Couch made shot and an and-one by Rickard cut it to 40-38, but the Red Raiders quickly increased their lead to 46-38. A basket by Farr and another and-one by Rickard cut it to 48-45 and the Broncos trailed, 52-48, going into the final period. An and-one by Diego Garcia made it a 53-51 game, but the Red Raiders increased their lead to 59-52. That’s when the Broncos would start their comeback as Jayden Holloway’s huge three from the left corner, cut it to 59-56, then Brown knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game. Rickard’s layup kept it a one-point game at 63-62, and later on, a driving layup by Olinger tied the game up at 64. Holly Pond forced a Decatur turnover and they had a shot to win the game. Rickard got fouled and wound up hitting what would be the game-winning free throws and Holly Pond ended up winning the game 66-64.
Dec. 2: J.B. Pennington 57 – Vinemont 54 (Varsity Boys)
J.B. Pennington couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game as they jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and would later push their lead to 15-6. Vinemont saw themselves down, 17-8, going into the second period. A steal and layup by Chayce Sandlin cut it to 17-10 and later on, Isiah Jones converted on his and-one opportunity to make it 20-13. A layup by Connor Gibbs made it a 27-19 game, but the Tigers finished the first half strong as a 9-2 run pushed their lead to 36-21 going into the locker room.
The Tigers made it 38-21 early in the third quarter, but Vinemont went on a huge run to get back into the game. Isaac Moody hit a pair of long-range shots and Jaxon Holcombe hit one of his own to help make it a 38-34 game, then Sandlin and Holcombe each hit a layup to tie it up at 38. Dawson Wilhite hit a shot to tie the game up at 40, then Ryan Stewart hit a three to give Vinemont a 43-40 lead. The Eagles would take a 43-42 lead into the final period.
A three by Holcombe and a layup by Gibbs gave the Eagles a 48-44 lead, but the Tigers went on a 9-0 run to grab a 53-48 lead. Free throws by Holcombe, Moody, and Gibbs cut it to 55-52, then Jones made a short jumper to make it a one-point game. J.B. Pennington made a pair of free throws to make it 57-54, then multiple times at tying the game fell just short for Vinemont as they ended up falling to the Tigers 57-54.
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