Johnson 3, MC signees
Sports
Lady Hawks learn from Alcoa classic experience
HARDIN VALLEY — Learning lessons from a pair of losses in a classic format at Alcoa High School, Jennifer Galloway’s Hardin Valley Academy Lady Hawks took care of business against district rival Lenoir City at HVA Thursday, Nov. 30.
After losses to Alcoa and Sevier County, “We were able to make some adjustments,” said coach Galloway, as her team’s win last week improved Hardin Valley’s record to 3-2 entering the week. “They’re really, really good teams.”
As a result, “We focused on being more physical in practice,” she added.
Against the LCHS Lady Panthers, “We played really well; we’re able to finish the ball. … and we did really well on defense,” Galloway said. “We’ve been able to execute some of the things that we worked on from Thanksgiving until that game, so I was real proud of our execution on both ends of the floor.”
Pair of perfect Bearden hoops records to begin the week: Girls
Lady Bulldogs 48 | Morristown West 36
BEARDEN — It was one scoring streak after another Friday, Dec. 1, when Morristown West’s girls basketball team visited Bearden High School.
Fortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, most of the streaks went their way. The result was a 48-36 win that improved their record to a perfect 5-0.
“Streaky game,” BHS head coach Justin Underwood said. “That’s a good team. We still have some stuff to work on. We’ve got great kids and they work hard.”
With 2:25 left in the first period, Bearden led 6-0 and Morristown West had hardly gotten off a shot. The Lady Trojans finally got a pair of free throws and a lay-up and trailed 8-4 after one.
Aubrie Messer’s floater with 3:50 left in the half brought West to within one, 12-11. But BHS finished the half on a 9-2 run and led 21-13.
Pair of perfect Bearden hoops records to begin the week: boys
Bearden boys 72 | Morristown West 38
BEARDEN — After Bearden High School’s boys’ basketball game at home Friday night, Dec. 1, Bulldogs’ sophomore point-guard Justin Nordin said the team’s goal was to hold Morristown West to under 50 points.
Mission accomplished — and pretty easily.
BHS scored the final nine points of the first quarter to lead 17-6 after one and never looked back. It was a resounding 72-38 Dawgs win that kept their record a perfect 8-0.
“We scrapped pretty hard when we were pushed and challenged,” Bearden head coach Jeremy Parrott said. “Kinda sloppy at times. I felt like we answered the bell on the physical end of it.”
After the 11-point difference at the end of one quarter, the closest West would get the rest of the game would be 21-16 with 2:44 left in the half.
The Dawgs promptly answered with nine straight points over two-and-a-half minutes to make it 30-16. Two free throws by West put the halftime score at 30-18.
If Morristown West had any hopes of staying in the game, they were gone midway through the third. An 8-1 Bearden run — six by Nordin — to open the period made it 39-19, and the rout was on.
Lady Admirals look to bounce back from loss
COOKEVILLE — Going up against a Division I-Class AAA team that has reached the state tournament “final four” the past two seasons, Farragut Lady Admirals head coach Jason Mayfield knew it would be a tough challenge.
Losing 41-24 while scoring just eight points in the first half of this Friday night, Dec. 1, game at CHS, “We obviously didn’t do what we had hoped to do offensively,” said Mayfield, whose team sported a 4-3 record entering this week.
“We actually had cut (the lead) to nine a couple of times in the fourth quarter. We just had too many turnovers.”
