Playing a double-header at home against visiting Cloverport Thursday night, the middle school Cougars seized a pair of wins from the Aces.
In the first game of this series, played at Cloverport, the seventh-graders trumped the Aces 54-15. This time around the Aces put up a little more fight, but in the end, the Cougars prevailed 44-26.
The eighth-grade Aces, who are essentially the 7th-grade team with a few add-ons, were ripped apart once again by the Cougars, 59-18.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
As they had done in the earlier matchup between these two, the Cougars raced out to an early big lead. They scored the game’s first 12 points before the Aces began to fight back.
When the Aces’ Cole Weatherholt buried a three-ball with 20 seconds left in the opening period, the Aces trailed by 10 points, 17-7. When they opened the second period by scoring the first five points, they trailed by only seven, 19-12, and that margin is what it was at the half, 24-17.
Though they had played better than they had the first time around, the Aces stilled trailed, and when the Cougars opened the third quarter with seven straight, they trailed by 14 and the outcome seemed sealed in the Cougars’ favor. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Cougars had built their lead to 18 points, 38-20.
Nolan Hornbeck led the Cougars with 11 points and five rebounds. Dillon Horn and Brayden Renfrow scored seven points apiece. Horn added three rebounds, while Renfrow led the team with five steals. Eli Watson scored six and pulled down four rebounds.
Two Cougars, River Blanton and Brayden Childress had four apiece, and Blanton added four boards. Jerron Salazar and Tayden Logsdon scored two each, and Camden Brothers had one to complete the Cougar scoring.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
Grayson County opened the game by scoring the first 21 points, and any hopes Cloverport might have had about competing in this game flew out the window. The Cougars led 27-2 after the first quarter and 38-6 at the half.
When Hunter Tomes hit a lay-up at the 5:16 mark of the third quarter, the Cougars led by more than 35 points, allowing the clock to run continuously. They led by 38 heading into the final period of play.
Grayson County put two player into double figures, led by Chase Richardson’s 11 points. Tomes had 10 and narrowly missed a double-double night when he pulled down nine rebounds.
Zeb Bratcher had nine points, and Timmy Hanover added six. Keegan Sharp scored five points and added five rebounds and two assists. Chandler McCrady and Nolan Hornbeck had four points each, and McCrady added four rebounds.
Jaylen Smith and Owen Bratcher each scored three points, with Bratcher adding four rebounds. River Blanton had two points to round out the scoring.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
Brayden Childress goes in for two
of his four points in the 7th-grade win.
Nolan Hornbeck had four points and
five rebounds in the 7th-grade Cougars’ 44-26 win.
River Blanton scored on a lay-in
in the first quarter for the Cougars.
Timmy Hanover shot a short jumper for
two of his six points in the 8th-grade win.
