Jr. Bulldogs take care of Rogersville, will play for state berth Saturday
Published 11:31 am Friday, February 7, 2025
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Gabe Vines elevates over the defender for a long jumper.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent After driving through the paint, Ian Foutch scores on a layup for two of his eight points in the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Weaving through a crowd, Rylan Jones finds a bit of open space as he looks for a teammate.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Memphis Nave boxes out the defender while looking for an offensive rebound.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Hampton Jr. Bulldogs build on their lead in the third period against Rogersville.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Gabe Vines shoots a mid-range jumper over a crowd. He finished the game as the high scorer with 15 points.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Hampton Jr. Bulldogs cheerleaders get the crowd to their feet during the halftime break.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jordan Cosey fires up a 3-pointer from the left arc.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Hampton Jr. Bulldogs coach Leon Tolley looks to slow things down in the fourth period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Rylan Jones won’t let two Rogersville defenders stop him as he scores in the first period.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Sometimes you will see teams come out, and they just look like they will not take no for an answer. Such was the case Thursday night as the Hampton Jr. Bulldogs came out with a high level of determination and cruised past the Chiefs in a game the Jr. Bulldogs controlled from buzzer to buzzer.
This was a Rogersville team the Jr. Bulldogs lost to by eight points earlier in the season, but tonight would be different. With the win, they will now play Saturday in the sectional championship game with a trip to Rutherford County and a state berth up for grabs.
Bulldogs point guard Rylan Jones got his team on the board first when he pulled up and hit from long distance for a 3-pointer. Later in the first period, Gabe Vines connected with Ian Foutch on a backdoor pass for an easy score to put the Jr. Bulldogs up 7-2. Jones’ speed caused issues for the Chiefs in transition all night as he sprinted past a defender and displayed his euro-step for a bucket and a 9-2 lead as the first period wound down.
Not to be outdone, Vines—the big man with quick feet—hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds, and the Jr. Bulldogs took a 12-5 lead.
It was a period in which the Jr. Bulldogs contested every rebound and loose ball, but their hustle and effort were just a precursor of the play to come.
The second period started quickly, as Vines hit a 12-foot jumper and then grabbed a missed free throw for a putback, pushing the Jr. Bulldogs out to an 11-point lead. Jordan Cosey knocked down another 3-pointer before the halftime break, and the Jr. Bulldogs went up 24-11 heading into the locker room.
The Bulldogs continued to build their lead in the third period. Vines drew enough attention that teammates often popped open, as did Cosey, who hit a 3-pointer to extend the Jr. Bulldogs’ lead to 15. The Chiefs threatened to cut the lead to single digits, but each time they made a short run, the Jr. Bulldogs answered with a run of their own.
The final period remained scoreless until the 3:58 mark when the Chiefs’ Cade Putnal hit a short jumper. However, the Jr. Bulldogs connected on enough free throws to keep the Chiefs at a comfortable distance, and Jones dribbled out the last 38 seconds for the 37-21 win.
Vines led all scorers with 15, while Foutch and Jones chipped in 8 and 7 points, respectively. The Jr. Bulldogs outrebounded their opponents 39-20.
After the game, Coach Leon Tolley praised his team’s effort.
“We did a good job with our pregame prep. Coach Parker had them ready. That might be the best effort all the boys gave all year—it came at the right time of the year. We have moments when we are not always tough, but we told them when you get to this level, it’s all about toughness and physicality, and we defended their hind end!” Tolley proudly exclaimed.
