FAIRVIEW, Ala. – Fairview High School’s Joe Shults Gymnasium was packed with local fans Saturday for the conclusion of this year’s county middle school basketball tournament. We got things started with the girls’ game between Fairview and Cold Springs and after a tight first half, the Lady Aggies were able to pull away in the second half and claim the county title with a 38-27 win. In the boys’ game, Cold Springs went into the locker room with a 17-12 lead at halftime, but West Point outscored the Eagles 29-10 in the second half to come from behind and win the county championship 41-27.
Fairview 38 – Cold Springs 27 (Girls)
Emma Cobbs turned a steal into an easy basket to give Fairview a 2-0 lead and after Jiselle Creel hit a free throw on the other end, Arleigh Harris laid one in to put the Aggies ahead 4-1. Haley Anderson scored inside and hit a pair of free throws to give Cold Springs a 5-4 lead and Lorelei Bruer added a free throw to make it 6-4. However, Emma Bryan knocked down five of her next six attempts from the free throw line to retake a 9-6 lead for Fairview. Baskets by Kynzlie Myrex and Kallaway McKinnon put the Eagles back in front 10-9 with just under two minutes remaining in the period but Makaylee Lotero laid one in, and Olivia Daniel sank a free throw in the final seconds of the first to give Fairview a 12-10 lead at the start of the second.
Cobbs buried a three from the corner to make it a 15-10 game and her next basket put the Aggies in front 17-10. Murphee Perdue scored on the other end to cut the lead to 17-12. Addie Stacy answered with a basket of her own to put Fairview back up by 7 but Perdue added another bucket in the final seconds of the quarter to trim the lead to 19-14 at halftime.
After Creel laid one in to make it a 3-point game, back to back Arleigh Harris baskets extended Fairview’s lead to 23-16. Anderson laid one in, and Creel drilled a three to cut the lead to 23-21 midway through the third but the Aggies were able to move out in front 27-23 by the start of the fourth quarter.
Harris scored the first six points of the fourth to stretch Fairview’s lead to 33-23 and all but put the game out of reach for Cold Springs. Analeigh Randolph laid one in to make it 35-23 with less than three minutes to play and the Aggies cruised the rest of the way to a 38-27 win and a county tournament championship.
Harris led the way for Fairview with 14 points in the win, followed by Cobbs with 10 and Bryan with five. Anderson led the Eagles with 12 points in the loss and Creel added six.
2024 Girls All-County Team
Arleigh Harris, Fairview
Emma Bryan, Fairview
Emma Cobbs, Fairview
Jiselle Creel, Cold Springs
Kallaway McKinnon, Cold Springs
Jodi Williams, Cold Springs
Gracie Gray, Good Hope
Gracie Bates, Good Hope
Riley Lansford, Good Hope
Anna Richter, Parkside
Lily Allbright, Holly Pond
Kynleigh Wood, Holly Pond
Harper Jones, West Point
Mylee Echols, West Point
Sara Rodgers, Vinemont
Ayjah Hickman, Hanceville
West Point 41 – Cold Springs 27 (Boys)
Tripp Dingler drove to the rim and scored to give the Warriors a 2-0 start but baskets by Brandon Chasteen and Brooks Belcher on the other end put the Eagles in front 4-2. Belcher and Chasteen each scored again to make it an 8-2 game and Chasteen tacked on a free throw just before the end of the first to make it 9-2 at the start of the second.
Tyce Thompson knocked down a jumper to trim the lead to 9-4 at the start of the second quarter but after Belcher split a pair of free throws, Chasteen laid another one in to give Cold Springs a 12-4 lead. Jordan Garmon buried a three to extend the lead to 15-4. Kimbril scored inside and hit a pair of fire throws to cut the lead to 17-8 with two minutes remaining in the second quarter and after Dingler laid one in, Gauge Riggs sank a pair of free throws to make it a 17-12 game at halftime.
Emmett Franks knocked down a three and Belcher scored inside to stretch the Eagles’ lead to 22-12 early in the third quarter. However, the Warriors responded in a big way after falling behind by 10. Leelan Ortiz scored inside, and Riggs drilled a three to make it 22-17. After Riggs laid one in to make it a 3-point game, a pair of Dingler baskets gave the Warriors a 23-22 lead and Kimbril scored in the final seconds of the third to put West Point in front 25-22 at the start of the fourth.
Ortiz and Dingler scored the first eight points of the quarter to give the Warriors an 11-point lead. Jaxon Smith laid one in and Garmon hit another three to cut the lead to 33-27 but West Point finished the game with an 8-0 scoring run to secure a 41-27 win and this year’s county championship.
Dingler led the Warriors with 15 points in the win, followed by Kimbril and Riggs with eight. Belcher posted nine points for Cold Springs and Chasteen added seven.
2024 Boys All-County Team
Colton Kimbril, West Point
Tripp Dingler, West Point
Leelan Ortiz, West Point
Tyce Thompson, West Point
Brandon Chasteen, Cold Springs
Brooks Belcher, Cold Springs
Houston Gardner, Fairview
Jake Pearson, Fairview
Travis Speer, Vinemont
Kaleb Speegle, Vinemont
Crimson Fowler, Parkside
Rowan Ibrahim, Parkside
Jonathon Hamby, Holly Pond
Mason Wright, Hanceville
Memphis Johnson, Good Hope
Carsyn Boorsma, Good Hope
Jaxson Richter, Good Hope
Copyright 2024 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
