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DAVID HUNTER
The Cannon Courier
The 2016 Cannon County Grammar School basketball season came to an end this past weekend with the annual tournament determining who is the best in the county.
This year Woodland swept both titles as the girls continued their winning ways, while boys snapped Westside long winning streak.
One of the biggest upsets in recent county history happened in the boys final when the Warriors knocked off the Eagles 35-32 to end the Westside's five season winning streak. While, the Lady Warriors kept rolling along with a narrow 32-28 victory over Woodbury Grammar.
"I am extremely proud of the whole team," Woodland boys head coach Tracy Hale said. "I feel like we did play as a team, and it was a team effort. Because of that is why we got the results we did. They have worked hard all season, and we prepared for this series since the beginning of the season. I am real proud of their hard work, and the effort they put into it."
All six county grammar school teams wanted one more opportunity to take home a championship and have area bragging rights for the next year. The tournament started on November 14 with the opening round with all the games at Robert A. Harris Gymnasium on the campus of Cannon County High School.
In the girls' tournament, Woodland was the top seed, and WGS had the number two seed with both teams getting an automatic bye into the semifinals on November 18. So, the opening round featured No. 3 (6-4) seed Auburn sending No. 6 Seed Eastside (0-10) home, 41-8, and No. 4 Seed Short Mountain (4-6) knocking off No. 5 seed (2-8) Westside, 23-19.
The semifinals featured No. 2 seed WGS (8-2), who had extra motivation this season after the untimely passing of their coach Camia Hayes before the regular season started. They wanted to win the tournament in her honor, but the Lady Cubs faced a stiff test from the Lady Knights of Auburn. It was another tight game, but WGS advanced to the finals, 32-28.
"It was really strong, and we tried our hardest, working hard as a team trying to do whatever we could," WGS guard Lauren Knox said.
WGS Lady Cubs head coach Felicia Walkup added after the semifinal win on Nov. 18, "I told the girls after our very first game of the season, that was our objective, and we got ourselves to that place."
The other semifinals featured the No. 1 seed and favorite, Woodland (10-0) against Short Mountain and the Lady Warriors earned another finals berth with a commanding 38-11 win over the Lady Bears as they were led by the trio of eighth graders, Bradi Mason, Cassie George and Shelby Smithson.
Mason said, "I feel like we did pretty good, and we played good team ball."
George added, "I thought it was great and we worked together and pulled out the win."
The Lady Cubs had their glass slipper break as the Lady Warriors brought home another girls county title, and they continued their impressive winning streak since losing in the semifinals of the 2016 Border War Tournament a few weeks ago.
Smithson said, "We just needed to step it up, and be determined and work together as a team."
The boys' tournament opened with No. 3 Seed Short Mountain (5-5) beating No. 6 Seed Auburn (1-9), 36-14, and No. 4 seed WGS (5-5) knocking out No. 5 Seed Eastside (2-8), 40-21. No. 1 seed Westside (10-0) and No. 2 Seed Woodland (7-3) received byes into the semifinals, which they both won to advance to the finals on Nov. 19.
"I thought it was awesome, and we executed a lot better," Westside forward Liam Allen said after their 44-18 semifinal win over WGS. "We made our shots and we passed well."
However, in the finals, the Warriors ended the Eagles five-year county winning streak, and the program won their first boys title in five years. It was also the first time in a long time, Woodland had swept both county titles in the same season.
"There has been a lot of people come congratulate us from our school and other schools," Hale said. "it has been awhile since both the boys and girls have won the championship. It has been five years since the Woodland boys have won the championship. Everybody has been very supportive, and we have gotten a lot of congratulations from people in our school, the community, and county."
Now the focus shifts to the new Cannon County Middle Grade basketball team, which brings the best players from the area and they are put on the same team. The season opens on December 1 at Franklin County North in Winchester with the tipoff at 6 p.m.
2016-17 Cannon County Middle Grades Basketball Schedule
(All games start at 6 p.m.)
Dec. 1 at Franklin County North
Dec. 8 vs. Coffee County
Dec. 12 vs. Franklin County North
Dec. 16 at White County
Dec. 19 at Avery Trace
Jan. 5 vs. Covenant Academy
Jan. 6 vs. Forrest
Jan. 9 at Coffee County
Jan. 12 vs. Avery Trace
Jan. 16 vs. White County
Jan. 19 Forrest Tournament TBA
Jan. 21 Forrest Tournament TBA
2016 Cannon County Grammar School County Tournament Results
Girls Quarterfinals
Auburn 41, Eastside 8- Auburn (Shelby Parker 10, Katelyn Duggin 9, Caitlyn Crook 6, Olivia Robbins 4, Baliegh Fulkerson 3, Leighanne Dodd 2, Madison Edmiston 2, Mattea Thomas 2, Kiley Hughes 2, Sarah Wheeler 1.
Eastside (Layla O'Sullivan 6, Steva Brown 2)
Short Mountain 23, Westside 19- Short Mountain ( Haley Glenn 12, Chloe Hill 7, Katie Waycaster 2, Alli Lawson 2).
Westside 19 (Charlee Nichols 9, Ivy Travis 7, Addie King 3).
Girls Semifinals
Woodbury 32, Auburn 28- Woodbury (Lauren Knox 11, Rudy DeArmond 8, Ashlee Hill 6, Abbey Smith 4, Addison Todd 3)
Auburn (Katelyn Duggin 16, Shelby Parker 4, Baleigh Fulkerson 4, Sarah Wheeler 2, Caitlyn Crook 2).
Woodland 38, Short Mountain 11- Woodland (Shelby Smithson 10, Bradi Mason 10, Cassie George 7, Maleah Sissom 3, Kaylee Armstrong 2, Madison Arnold 2, Jenna Bush 2, Maci Sellars 2)
Short Mountain (Chloe Hill 6, Haley Glenn 5).
Girls Consolation
Auburn 36, Short Mountain 23- Auburn (Katelyn Duggin 17, Shelby Parker 8, Hannah Junker 4, Caitlyn Crook 4, Sarah Wheeler 2).
Short Mountain (Katie Waycaster 9, Chloe Hill 5, Alli Lawson 4, Lilly Ellis 3, Isabelle Pelham 2).
Girls Finals
Woodland 32, Woodbury 28- Woodland (Maleigh Sissom 10, Bradi Mason 9, Cassie George 7, Jalin Fann 2, Emma Grace Hughes 2, Shelby Smithson 2).
Boys Quarterfinals
Short Mountain 36, Auburn 14- Short Mountain ( Jesse Self 14, Jordan Timmons 10, Kyler Bryson 7, Eddie Hill 2, Will Byford 2, Antonio Botello 1).
Auburn (Brenden Reed 10, Steffen Smith 4).
Woodbury 40, Eastside 21- Woodbury (Lavell Rogers 15, Conner Tucker 12, Junior Ferrell 6, Bradley Passenger 3, Mason Trammel 2, Hagan Fann 2).
Eastside (Eli Cantrell 13, Dallas Rouer 3, Braxten Alexander 3, Caden Duke 2).
Boys Semifinals
Woodland 44, Short Mountain 19- Woodland (Zach Basham 19, Brady Bryson 9, Dalton Hale 4, Jack Davis 4, Austin Ferrell 4, Ethan Powell 2, DJ Moore 2)
Short Mountain (Eddie Hill 5, Kyler Bryson 4, Jesse Self 4, Jordan Timmons 3, Will Byford 2, Antonio Botello 1).
Westside 44, Woodbury 20- Westside (Gus Davenport 29, Liam Allen 8, Branden Emberton 5, James Vassar 2).
Woodbury (Conner Tucker 6, Hagan Fann 4, Bradley Passenger 3, Daylen Dearry 3, Junior Ferrell 2, Lavell Rogers 2).
Boys Consolation
Short Mountain 29, Woodbury 26- Short Mountain (Jesse Self 9, Jordan Timmons 8, Eddie Hill 8, Kyler Bryson 3, T. Wayne Williams 2).
Woodbury (Conner Tucker 14, Lavell Rogers 8, J.R. Ferrell 2, Bradley Passenger 2).
Boys Finals
Woodland 35, Westside 32- Woodland (Brady Bryson 17, Dalton Hale 7, Zach Basham 4, Ethan Powell 3).
Westside (Gus Davenport 22, Braden Emberton 7, Liam Allen 3).
