White County Middle School Warriorettes are district champs

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Marsha Jackson’s White County Middle School Warriorettes entered the Upper Cumberland Middle School Basketball Tournament as the number one seed thanks to their play in the regular season.  Their hard work earned them a bye for the first round.  They would await the winner of DeKalb County and Algood.  The Lady Redskins of Algood would defeat the Lady Saints and faced off against the Warriorettes, on Jan. 17, at WCMS.

The Warriorettes would get off to a great start in the game behind strong play from Ashlyn Selby and Cassidy Reed.  The defense of the Warriorettes held the Lady Redskins to just 2 points in the first quarter. Kaylee Sanders hit her first of several 3s in the opening quarter, and the Warriorettes would lead 11-2 after one.

Sanders would continue her hot shooting in the second as she scored 8 of the Warriorettes’ 17 points in the quarter.  Selby showed grit and leadership as she dove on the court for loose balls and always seemed to be in the right spot.  Taegan Angel was a strong presence in the post and got several rebounds and a basket.  The Warriorettes stretched their lead to 28-8 at halftime.

The third quarter was a continuation of the dominance the Warriorettes showed in the first half.  Selby, Sanders, and Reed all had multiple baskets.  Rhaleigh Cloyd got on the board by draining a long 3-pointer.   The score ballooned to 45-14 after three quarters.  The fourth period saw the Warriorettes back off the pressure, as Jackson was able to empty the bench and get younger players in the game. The final score was 49-16.

Kaylee Sanders led the Warriorettes in scoring with 19 points.  Ashlyn Selby added 15 points.  Cassidy Reed had 6 points. Rhaleigh Cloyd had 3 points. Taegan Angel, Abby Alford, and Halie Floyd all had 2 points apiece.

The win against Algood set up a rematch with rival Prescott for the Warriorettes.  The Warriorettes and Lady Bulldogs did battle against each other in the championship game of the tournament in Roy Sewell Gymnasium, on Jan. 21. The word battle is a very appropriate word.  The game was not necessarily pretty, but it was played with an intensity and effort that made both fan bases proud of their team.

The Warriorettes started fairly strong with an inside bucket by Taegan Angel and an early 3-pointer by Miah Swindell. Both defenses pressured the ball and forced several turnovers.  At times the game looked more like roller derby than it did basketball.  After the first quarter buzzer sounded, the score was 7-5 in favor of the Warriorettes.  The teams went to their corners (or benches) and came out for the second round of the fight.

The Lady Bulldogs played up to their name, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  The Warriorettes were held to just 4 points in the quarter.  Ashlyn Selby had an old-fashioned 3-point play and Kaylee Sanders hit a free throw.  The halftime score of the defensive struggle was 13-11 in favor of the visiting Lady Bulldogs.

Pressure was the name of the game in the second half for both teams.  The game would be won by whoever could handle the pressure (both physical and mental) the best. The Warriorettes got two big buckets from Taegan Angel in the third quarter. Cassidy Reed and Ashlyn Selby both added scores.  The Lady Bulldogs carried a 1-point lead into the final quarter of play. The score was 19-18.

Kaylee Sanders and Miah Swindell did the bulk of the scoring in the fourth quarter, but the entire team played hard.  Prescott may have played like Bulldogs, but the hometown ladies played like Warriors.  They were determined to do whatever it took to win the game.  The Warriorettes were victorious 32-25.  They had won the golden trophy! The Warriorettes were tournament champs! It truly was a team effort, with six players scoring. Five players scored between 5 and 7 points.

Cassidy Reed, Miah Swindell, Taegan Angel, and Kaylee Sanders were all named to the All-Tournament Team.  Ashlyn Selby was named the tournament MVP.

The WCMS Warriorettes will begin regional play at 2 p.m., Jan. 28, against Macon County, at WCMS.

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