Jr. Bulldogs teams flex as they muscle past Tigers
Published 11:40 am Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hunter’s Clarissa Taylor looks downcourt for an open teammate.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hunter Elementary looks to get the crowd on its feet during the halftime show.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Head Over Heels – Hampton cheerleader Ryleigh McNeal shows off her tumbling skills.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hunter’s Chelsea Fuller goes baseline, looking to get her team on the board.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent A Lady Bulldog shows good form as she boxes out a Tiger defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Olivia Mills drives to the bucket, scoring two of her 12 points.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Olivia Mills grabs the rebound in second-period action.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hampton controls the tip as the game starts.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hunter’s Brayden Stines grabs a loose ball and moves past two Hampton defenders.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Tigers look to move the ball in the paint during first-period play.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jacob Carrier takes the one-handed layup for the Tigers.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Bulldogs point guard Bella Morgan looks to run as the third period ends.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Hampton Elementary hosted the Hunter Tigers in a Carter County clash Monday night as both the boys’ and girls’ teams served notice that they are going to have to be dealt with in the Little Watauga Conference.
Boys: Hampton 55, Hunter 16
The Jr. Bulldogs came out quick and never looked back, jumping out to a 24-2 lead in the first period as they cruised past Hunter in the final game of the night. Cooper Klemsmith and Rylen Jones both drilled 3-pointers in the final minutes, sending the Bulldogs into halftime up 38-10.
The second half saw Jr. Bulldogs assistant coach Parker Henry empty his bench and get his backups needed minutes.
“We’ve got a lot of depth on our bench; they all played well tonight. We have a way to go, but we are getting there,” Henry said.
The Tigers continued to battle but struggled to make much of a dent in Hampton’s lead. The Tigers were led by Brayden Stines, who finished the night with 11 points. Rylan Jones led the Jr. Bulldogs with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while Jackson Emerson and Memphis Nave scored 10 and 8, respectively.
Jr. Bulldog guard Rylen Jones discussed how his team is growing.
“We are missing one of our better players, and we are looking forward to getting him back in a couple of weeks. I thought we moved the ball well tonight and created open shots. We have to be confident to take those shots when we get them. I feel like we can be a really good team. We have a lot of potential; we just have to listen to our coaches,” Jones said.
Girls: Hampton 41, Hunter 25
The Hampton Jr. Lady Bulldogs methodically pulled away from a pesky Tigers team in the second half. Nursing a 12-7 second-period lead, Bella Morgan drained a 3-pointer, and the Lady Bulldogs pushed their lead to 21-7 going into the break.
It was a game in which the Jr. Lady Bulldogs had an advantage in rebounds and seemed to track down every loose-ball opportunity.
The Lady Tigers got the lead down to nine after Malina Pilkington grabbed an outlet pass and finished at the rim. However, the Lady Bulldogs seemed to have an answer for every big bucket the Tigers scored. Zoie Miller hit a 12-foot jumper at the 5:32 mark of the final period to push her team’s lead to 15, and from there, they held the Lady Tigers at bay for the rest of the contest.
The Tigers were led by Mackenzie Grindstaff with 7 points, while Clarissa Taylor added 6 points. The Lady Bulldogs were led by Lexi Potter, who finished with 14 points, while Morgan chipped in 12, and Olivia Mills added 10.
After the game, Jr. Lady Bulldogs head coach Kevin Harrison recognized his team’s hustle.
“We pressed well tonight, created some turnovers, and I thought we just played hard, came up with loose balls, and knocked down a few shots. I’m proud of their efforts tonight,” Harrison said.
