Eastside edges Pioneers to win championship

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Two local teams battled Saturday night for the championship title in the Warren Lodge Elementary Tournament.

Eastside had their hands full with Warren County Middle School’s eighth-grade team, but the Bulldogs held on and took the tournament title with a 54-52 win.

Eastside established its inside game early with Michael Jones and Ethan Womack combining for eight of the Bulldogs’ 14 points in the period. WCMS had trouble on the offensive glass, but still hit for nine points in the first quarter.

In the second Cody Nabors worked the boards for WCMS and kept the game close as the Pioneers hit for 10 points. Eastside stayed with its game plan, however, and continued to work the ball in the paint for 12 points on the way to a 26-19 lead at the break.

In the third Josh Gibbs gave the Pioneers a spark as he hit from the outside and wove his way through the middle for 12 of WCMS’s 16 points in the period. Eastside hit the boards hard late in the quarter and tried to move the ball quickly down court. Guards Jared Vanatta and Derrin Rogers handled the pressure defense by WCMS and by the end of the period Eastside had poured in 14 points and still held the lead at 40-35.

In the final period WCMS outscored the Bulldogs 17-14. Dexter Hillis had a big quarter with six of his eight points coming in the fourth. Eastside relied on Rogers, Jones and Womack to provided 14 points in the quarter and take the narrow victory.

Leading all scorers was Womack with 17 points for Eastside. Rogers had 15 points and Jones hit for 12. Vanatta had four points, Kenny Roberts three, Zach Seamons two and Tyler Hillis one point.

For the middle school, Gibbs had 15 points and Chase Basham hit for nine points. Saul Simpson and Hillis had eight points each. Cody Nabors and Erick Stuart had four each, Andrew Brock and Brett Simmons hit for two points each.

PHOTO INFO:
The Eastside Bulldogs pose together with their championship trophy after downing Warren County Middle School’s eighth-grade boys in Saturday’s finals of the Warren Lodge Tournament. Pictured are, front row, from left, Zach Seamons, Mitchell Young and Tyler Hillis. Back row, Ethan Womack, Derrin Rogers, Kenny Roberts, Jacob Bost, Jared Vanatta and Michael Jones. (Photo provided)