WCHS roughs up Raiders: Pioneers begin 2004 with big win

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

Warren County’s Brandon Adcock (42) and Kyle Thompson (45) move in on Coffee County’s Micah Williams during the first half of Tuesday night’s game at WCHS. Adcock had a double-double in the Pioneers’ win. (Rob Nunley photo)

The holiday break seemed to agree with the Pioneer basketball team, as their first outing of 2004 went down as one of their most solid efforts of the season.

Led by a double-double night from sophomore Brandon Adcock, coach Chris Turner’s squad spread the wealth offensively on the way to a 79-57 victory over visiting Coffee County.

With the win, the Pioneers improved to 6-6 heading into tonight’s District 7-AAA matchup at Blackman.

“I’m very pleased,” Turner said of the Pioneers’ efforts Tuesday night. “This was a good way for us to enter the new year, and hopefully we’ve finally gotten to the point where we’re playing well together and this will continue.

“We got big games out of a few people that hadn’t been playing as well as we’d initially expected, and we had more assists as a team than we’ve had all year, so that was good to see.”

Adcock, who came on early in the first quarter and saw his most significant playing time of the season, finished with 17 points and hauled in 11 rebounds while battling Red Raider big men Jerry Green and J.J. Webster.

Adcock and Kyle Thompson worked in the paint for four points each in the first quarter, while Brooks Majors had the hot hand from the perimeter, nailing three 3-pointers to give WCHS an early 17-14 lead.

Coffee County turned to Green in the second, and the senior responded with eight of his eventual 21 points. Adcock came through to close out the first half, however, converting a three-point play and scoring just before the horn to give the Pioneers a 31-26 halftime lead.

Momentum stayed with the host squad throughout the second half, as they quickly built a 10-point advantage and led 50-39 by the end of the third quarter, then pulled steadily away through the fourth to take the 22-point victory.

In addition to Adcock’s double-double, the Pioneers got 12 points — all on 3-pointers — from Majors, while Todd Gilley had nine. Thompson, Josh Nunley, Ross Marlowe and Reese Bishop each finished with eight points, while Jeremiah Hodges had four. Jordan Underhill and Warren Swann chipped in two each, while Shay Glenn had one.

“Hopefully we’re finally developing some chemistry,” Turner said. “The way we played tonight, it looks like maybe we’re beginning to play together, and learning to move the ball around.”

Coffee County was led by Green’s 21, while Micah Williams had 17.

The Pioneers will be going for their first district win of the season tonight, when they take on Blackman in Murfreesboro.