Wildcats, Tigers capture district crowns

Wilson Central corrals Bison for 9-AAA crown

From staff reports

GALLATIN — Wilson Central's boys captured the District 9-AAA championship Tuesday night with a 66-54 win over Station Camp on the Bison's floor.

Tournament most valuable player Jacob Williams poured in 25 points, including four three-pointers, as the Wildcats climbed to 21-8 for the season with their second district tournament championship.

Central will play host to Rossview at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Region 5-AAA first-round satellite game. The winner will advance to semifinal action at Beech next Tuesday. Station Camp will remain at home for a Saturday visit from Henry County.

"Our kids played really hard," said Central coach Troy Bond, whose Wildcats opened the tournament as the No. 3 seed after losing two games the final week of the regular season. "We did a great job on the glass. We did a good job of containing their players who can hurt you.

"We got that chemistry back over the last three or four days we really needed."

Station Camp led early before Central pulled even at 18-18 following the first quarter and surged in front 32-24 by halftime. The Bison thundered back with a 21-15 third quarter to cut the margin to 47-45 and tied the score early in the fourth. Central came back with a 6-0 spurt and closed out with a 19-9 fourth.

Matthew Hall had 12 points from Central's backcourt while Deante Miller and Ben Palmer each added eight, Blake Huffman six, Jon Rosshirt five and A.J. Franklin two. Huffman and Palmer joined Williams on the all-tournament team.

Trae Hatcher hit four three-pointers in leading Station Camp with 17 points while Kyle Anderton finished with 15 from inside as the Bison slipped to 19-12.

Watertown boys kings of 8-A jungle with OT triumph

HARTSVILLE — Watertown's boys repeated as District 8-A champions Tuesday night with a 66-61 overtime victory over Gordonsville at Trousdale County.

It was the second overtime meeting of the three meetings between the Tiger rivals, all three won by Watertown, which hadn't captured a district crown since 1935 before breaking through last  year.

Ethan Moss' three-pointer snapped a 56-56 tie in overtime and Macieo Gaines followed with a jumper for a five-point lead, Watertown's largest, and the Purple Tigers salted away their 26th triumph of the season [against three losses] from the free-throw line.

"Super proud of our guys," Watertown coach Matt Bradshaw said. "It was a great team effort."

Watertown will play at home at 7 p.m. Saturday against Pickett County in the Region 4-A tournament satellite game with the winner playing in the semifinals next Tuesday as the remainder of the tournament comes to WHS. Gordonsville [11-16] will play host to Clarkrange.

Gordonsville shot out to an early lead as Watertown was plagued by several of its 16 turnovers. The Tigers were up by eight points before the Purple Tigers pulled to within 19-15 at the first-quarter break.

"They hit the basket early," Bradshaw said of Gordonsville. "We did a good job of battling back.

"They're long and they get a lot of deflections on our passes that caused turnovers. We give them trouble with our pressure. It's kind of an equal balance."

Watertown finally caught Gordonsville at 19-19 on a Gaines basket. A field goal by center Ben Bain and two free throws by wing Ty Jobe accounted for two more deadlocks before the Tigers went back up 33-29 by halftime.

Gordonsville appeared ready to put the game away when the Tigers opened an 11-point lead during the third quarter. But Bradshaw brought out a 1-1-2-1 press which ignited a 12-0 run as The Purple Tigers and trimmed the margin to 48-46 going into the fourth.

"I held on to it as long as I could," Bradshaw said of unleashing the press.

Bain's basket off a Josiah Smith steal gave the Purple Tigers their first lead of the night 50-48, and the score was never separated by more than two points the remainder of regulation. Both teams missed the front end of a one-and-one in the final 1:06 which would have snapped a 54-54 tie. Watertown's miss came with just 2.7 seconds left.

Smith's putback put the Purple Tigers in front 56-54 in the overtime before Hunter Woodard tied the score 56-56 with a basket.

Jobe's 15 points paced the Purple Tigers while Gaines finished with 14 and Smith 10. George Theragood scored seven while Bain, Moss and Nick Sackman each supplied six and Zach Edwards two.

Woodard hit two three-pointers in leading Gordonsville with 20 points while Kaleb Bush finished with 14 and Colt Nokes 11.

Now Watertown will prepare for a Pickett County team which finished fourth in District 7 but handed the Purple Tigers one of their three losses and had a big lead at WHS in the regular season-finale before the home team staged a huge rally in the fourth quarter.

"It will be a very good test on Saturday," Bradshaw said. "I didn't feel we've played good either time we've played them.

"Credit them. They're doing something that makes us play ugly."

Commanders conquer Trousdale, claim 8-A third place

HARTSVILLE — After a pair of dramatic comebacks by each team in a regular-season series split, Friendship Christian won a comparatively uneventful 46-35 decision over host Trousdale County in the District 8-A consolation contest Tuesday night.

The Commanders, who coughed up a late lead to lose at home to the Yellow Jackets before rallying to stun Trousdale in Hartsville, led 11-5 following the first quarter, 25-10 at halftime and 34-19 through three as last year's state champions climbed to 10-14 for the year.

Friendship will travel to Jackson County at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Region 4-A opener with the winner advancing to next Tuesday's semifinal at Watertown. Trousdale County will go to District 7 champion Clay County.

Forward Allen Heaston led Friendship with 18 points, hitting 8 of 9 free throws. Guard Anthony Williams tossed in 12 while Zac Anderson and Andrew Wood each scored six and Colton Gaines and Hayden White two apiece.

Point guard Cody Sircy and center Dylan Hurst each had 12 points for Trousdale County, which dropped to 10-18. Christian Lauderdale, the Yellow Jackets' top three-point shooter, was targeted by Friendship's diamond-and-one defense and was held to a pair of free throws.

Hendersonville drops Bears to 9-AAA fourth place

GALLATIN — After falling into the District 9-AAA consolation contest, top-seeded Hendersonville hammered Mt. Juliet 80-43 Tuesday night at Station Camp.

The Commandos charged in front 18-13 in the first quarter, 40-26 at halftime and 58-34 going into the fourth as they climbed to 20-6.

David Sheehan tossed in 22 points and John Davis dropped in 11 for Hendersonville.

Reagan Johnson's 16 points led Mt. Juliet inside while John Mark Bell rang up nine, Austin Brown six, James Womack five, Christian Bell three and Nolan Chowbay and Thomas Sharpe two each as the Golden Bears fell to 17-12.

Mt. Juliet will travel to District 10 champion Dickson County at 7 p.m. Saturday in Region 5-AAA action.