Stories from Thursday, December 8, 2011

Weiner and Brookland met in the finals of the girls' senior high division and the game went down to the buzzer. Brookland hit that final buzzer shot sending the Lady Bearcats to victory 62-60. Weiner's Kaci Mack led the Lady Cardinals in scoring with 25 points. Peyton Craft added 16 on the night. Mack buried a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter of Weiner's semi-final meeting with Westside Friday to send the game into overtime. Mack followed with four free throws in bonus play to seal the 55-52 win, finishing with 13 points on the night. Paige Craft had 11 for the Lady Cardinals. Peyton Craft and Katelyn Junyor added nine points each. In the third place game, Westside beat Bay 50-40. Courtney Francomano and Hannah Willard both scored 12 points for the Lady Yellowjackets. In the junior high third place game, Bay slipped by Trumann 32-29. Katie Furguson led Bay with 13 points as Kelcie Roland scored seven for Trumann.

Marked Tree's Lady Indians travelled to Marmaduke this past Monday for girls' basketball action. The hosts came away with 64-52 win. Poohnu Perry led Marked Tree in scoring with 18 points. Quanny Perry put in 12 points on the night. Marked Tree lost the junior high game, 41-21.

EPC used a big fourth quarter to pull away from the Valley View Lady Blazers and claimed the championship of the Gerald Jennings Holiday tournament with a 59-46 win in Jonesboro. Brittany Ball led three Lady Warriors in double figures on the night. She tossed in 18 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the win. Alicia Ross added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Whitney Hall scored 10.

Bay rallied from a five point deficit starting the final quarter to post a 64-58 victory over Hughes this past Monday in Hughes. Gunner Freeman led the Yellowjackets (12-3) with 24 points on the night. Tyson Oliver added 15. Bay also won the junior high game 35-25, as Tyler Pritchett scored 24 points for the Junior 'Jackets.

EPC travelled to Carlisle this past Friday for a rematch with the team that knocked them out of the state playoffs last year. The hosts once again got the better of the Warriors posting a 34-7 win in the semi-finals matchup of the Class 2A playoffs. Carlisle scored two first half touchdowns, one coming from the result of an EPC fumble, to take a 14-0 lead to halftime. EPC (11-1) did not get on the scoreboard until late in the third quarter. Carlisle added a score with 8:21 left in the third pushing the score to 20-0. Darius Barnes scored from three-yards out with 20 seconds remaining in the quarter. Blake Carter's point after kick cut the lead to 20-7. Carlisle tacked on two more scores in the final quarter to set the final score at 34-7. Barnes finished the game with 67 yards rushing to lead the Warriors. "They were the most physical team we played all year," said EPC Coach Brian Weathers after the game." "What a coincidence to meet Carlisle at home again, my hats off to them."

Farm Bureau has announced its finalists for the 2011 football season awards. Two area individuals have made those lists. EPC's Coach Brian Weathers and quarterback Darius Barnes. Senior Darius Barnes is one of three finalists nominated for Class 2A Offensive Player of the year. Coach Weathers is one of three finalists for Class 2A Coach of the Year. The Warriors were one of the top teams around this season, finishing 11-1 overall and reaching the Class 2A State Tournament semi-finals. Congratulations to Barnes, Coach Weahters and the entire Warrior team and its supporters for their many hard-earned accomplishments.

Trumann (4-0) got 22 points from Malcolm Washington as the Wildcats defeated Ridgefield Christian 76-53 in the opening round of the Pre-Holiday Tournament in Weiner. Washington added 10 rebounds and four block shots on the night. Lee Conatser added 17 points for the Wildcats as Matt Holt tossed in 14 and Nathan Maxwell added 10. With the win, Trumann advances to semi-finals to be played Friday. Harrisburg didn't fare as well losing to Westside, 52-18. In junior high action, Trumann defeated host Weiner 41-28 and Brookland downed Harrisburg 52-27. Trumann was led in scoring by Dalton Carter with 13 points. J.T. Schwarz and Grant Johnson each had 12 points for Weiner. Harrisburg's leading scorer on the night was Matt Walton with nine points. Rector Win The 'Cats cruised this past Friday in the Rector High School Sports Hall of Fame Classic, topping the hosting Rector Cougars, 72-49. Trumann went into the second half with a 37-24 lead, but put the game out of reach with a strong third quarter. Washington, who finished with a game-high 26 points for the visitors, scored 10 points in the third, as Rector had no answer for the powerful inside presence. Lee Conatser and Matt Holt contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, for the Wildcats. Mitchell Weber paced the Cougars with 17 points.

Junior Lady Wildcat Hannah Wood lines up a shot in Pre-Holiday Tournament action. (DT Photo/Anthony Cossey)