DMS takes county title
FLORETTE – Danville Middle stayed perfect on the road to a county championship.
The Lady Hawks limited West Morgan to 11 points in the first half and cruised to a 41-30 victory over the Lady Rebels in the 2011 Morgan County Junior High Tournament Saturday at Brewer High School.
Danville Middle won the 2011 Morgan County Junior High championship. Team members are (Front, L-R) Kara McLemore, Gracie George, Breann Tuck, Cheyenne Czajkowski, Kira Hopper, Connor Lindsey, Jada Harris, Tabetha Hutto; (Back, L-R) Head coach Gary Walker, Tess McAbee, Ashley Hampton, Kellee Stiles, Macy-Beth Lee, Erin Cleghorn, Sydni Shelton, Jesse Oliver, Charlee Anderson, Jade Atchley and Tara Tuck.
Danville wrapped up its season with a 22-0 record after winning three games in the tournament.
“I think there is more pressure on yourself when you are undefeated,” said Danville Middle School head coach Gary Walker. “You put so much pressure on yourself. We just had to relax and play.”
Jesse Oliver led Danville with 17 points, while Kira Hopper chipped in with 12 points. Kellee Stiles and Sydni Shelton finished with six and four points respectively.
West Morgan’s Annie Homan scored a team-high 12 points for the Lady Rebels. Kristyn Chambers added 10 points and Sydney Sanders finished with seven points.
Danville opened the game with a 14-8 run in the first five minutes with six points from Oliver.
The Lady Hawks limited West Morgan to just three points in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 23-11.
“We just wanted to spread it out and we took it to the basket when the pressure came,” Walker said.
Danville came into the tournament as the top seed, but the Lady Hawks had to battle to a two-point victory over Eva in the semifinals to earn the shot at the county title.
The Lady Hawks beat Falkville in the second round of the tournament.
Danville’s Shelton, Hopper and Oliver were named to the all-county team.
Chambers, Sanders and Annie Homan represented West Morgan on the all-county team.
Also earning all-county honors were Cotaco’s Genie Leeth and Tamera Chapman; Decatur Heritage’s Savanna Naylor; Malerie Drinkard and Presley Craft of Eva; Falkville’s Autumn Eddy and Heather Owens; Lacey’s Spring’s Jessica Dews and Morgan Thomas; McKenzie Parker of Priceville; and Union Hill’s Brooke Childers and Caity Jett.
West Morgan wins
West Morgan held off Priceville 39-37 in overtime to win the boys’ junior high county championship.
Priceville used a stroing second half to tie the game at 33-33 when Luke Mason came up with a steal and hit two free throws after getting fouled with 11 seconds left in regulation.
But West Morgan made five of 11 free throws in overtime to take the win.
Drew Mullican led West Morgan with 18 points, while Grant Workman added 15 points for the Rebels.
Mason finished with 14 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Marc McLendon chipped in seven points, while Kaleb Barker and Levi Dotson both scored five points.
West Morgan’s Caleb Hazen, Workman, Mullican and R.J. Young were selected to the all-county team.
Mason and Barker represented Priceville and were joined by Cotaco’s Kolton Bramlett, Nick Humphries and Hunter Griffin; Danville’s Jason Haynes and Andreas Cordova; Decatur Heritage’s Spencer Parker; Eva’s Chandler Brown; Hunter Swafford of Lacey’s Spring; Ryan’s Tamaz Guzman; Charlie Shaw of Sparkman; and Union Hill’s Tristan Cobb and Austin Crouch.
