The middle school boys basketball teams played host to the St. James Knights on Tuesday in a rare triple header and the Cougars won all three games.
In the opener, the sixth-grade Cougars got 14 points and seven rebounds from Isaiah Poteet and they held off the scrappy Knights to win 33-29. The seventh-graders put two players into double figures as they beat the Knights 38-19. In the final game of the evening, the eighth-graders held the Knights scoreless in both the second and fourth quarters as they blew out the visitors 48-6.
SIXTH-GRADE GAME
The young Cougars appeared on their way to a runaway after they scored the game’s first eight points and led 10-2 at the 3:14 mark of the first period. But the Knights would not go that easily.
The Cougars led 12-7 heading into the second period, but the Knights scored the last seven points of the second quarter to take their first lead of the night, 17-16 at the break.
A Poteet rebound basket at the 3:45 mark of the third quarter capped a 6-0 Cougar run that saw them take a 22-17 lead. Grayson County led by four points, 25-21 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Knights’ Case Padgett hit 1-of-2 free throws with 2:16 remaining to be played that tied the score at 29-29. Poteet then hit a short jumper at the 1:12 mark to put the Cougars back in front to stay. Samuel Cleamons beat the final buzzer with a lay-up for the final four-point margin of victory.
Lucas Thompson led the Knights in scoring with 12 points. Houston Brooks scored eight points for the Cougars and added five rebounds. Dawson Childress scored four points and pulled down six rebounds.
Three players, Cleamons, Hayden Robinson, and Landon Haycraft each scored two points, and Robinson added five rebounds. Grayson Chaffins completed the scoring with one point.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
The Cougars never trailed in this game, though the Knights did tie the score once, 5-5 with 1:13 left in the first period. Taydon Logsdon then scored the final four points of the period and the Cougars took a 9-5 lad into the second period and were never caught again.
Logsdon scored all 15 of his game-high 15 points in the first half and the Cougars increased their lead to 10 points, 22-12 at the halftime break.
Grayson County held the Knights to just seven second-half points as they won going away.
Logsdon also led the Cougars on the glass, pulling down seven boards. Mason Cariel joined Logsdon in double figures with 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Jeren Vanmeter and Raidon Warf both finished with four points, Samuel Cleamons scored three and Landon Haycraft added two to round out the scoring.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
This game was never close as the Cougars dominated despite having their regular starters play only about one quarter of the game in total.
The Cougars led by 12 points, 16-4 after one period of play, then held the Knights scoreless in the second period to lead 28-4 at the half. The Knights then managed to score just two points in the second half as the Cougars rolled to a rout.
Jerron Salazar led all scorers with 13 points, 11 of which were scored in the second half. Nolan Hornback scored eight points, while Camden Brothers had seven. Braydon Renfrow scored five points, Braydon Childress and Michael Wood both scored four points, while Lucas Pierce had three. River Blanton and Dillon Horn both had two points to complete the Cougar scoring.
Eli Watson did not score in the game, but he shared the lead in rebounding with Pierce with six boards apiece.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
