District 9-A start tough for Broncos

District 9-A action Friday night between the Boyd Broncos and Forrest saw both teams put up double digits in the first period. But the Rockets had the Broncos out numbered as they ran the floor on their way to a 76-40 win over Boyd Christian. The Broncos dropped to 1-4 on the season and are 0-1 in district action.

Forrest came out shooting from long range as Ryan Ezell hit a 3-pointer to open the game. Forrest went strong to the boards and quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Down 14-6 with 2:19 left in the first period Tyler Hillis nailed a 3-pointer and two more by Benny Jones , and one by Mitchell Young, pulled Boyd within six points with :35 left in the quarter. Boyd got the ball and worked it to mid-court as Jones launched one from half-court to tie the game at 20-20.

Turnovers proved to be costly in the second period for the Broncos as Boyd managed just four points in the period. Forrest ran off 10 straight points before Young hit a pair from the line with 2:06 left, but the Rockets closed out the first half with five points, including a 3-pointer from Chase Beaulieu for a 39-24 lead at the break.

In the third quarter the Rockets once again scored first with a jumper in the paint by Corey Shankle and a 3-pointer by Chandler Gentry. All four of the Broncos points would come from the foul line as Hillis and Curtis combined to hit four-of-six. By the end of the third Forrest had added 20 points to the board for a 59-28 lead.

The Broncos managed to slow down the Rockets offense in the fourth period, but Forrest still hand the hot hand from three-point land. Matthew Hancock drove the paint midway through the fourth as he hit for four points. The Broncos went to the charity stripe, hitting six-of-eight. But Forrest closed out the game with a pair of basket with one minute to play securing the victory.

Jones had 10 points for Boyd with Hillis adding nine. Hancock hit for six, Curtis and Young had five points each. James Dunlap and Cameron Smith added two points each and Henry Hall had one point.

Corey Shankle led all score with 14 points for the Rockets. Ezell hit for 12 and Gentry added 10, Nick Schnapp hit for eight, Beaulieu and Kendall Knight had seven each. Brian Whitley, Colin Henson and Tony Evans added four points each. Chase Balitmore, Buck Bennett and Devin O’Brein added two points each.