Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

By Jason Fite/Sports writer

The 4th Grade Lewis County Lady Panthers traveled to Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Monday, March 6 for the semifinal round of the 2023 Tennessee Valley Basketball Association Tournament Final Four. The Lady Panthers' semifinal opponent was the Brooks (AL) Lady Tigers.

The game was scoreless over the first five minutes of action before Brooks connected on a field goal to take the first lead at 2-0. Moments later Lewis County got on the board with a three-point basket from Jazlynn Baugh to give the Lady panthers their first lead. The Lady tigers would answer and score 5 straight before Jacelyn Anthony cut the Brooks lead to 9-4 with a free-throw. Lewis County would add a Jayda Baugh basket before the half and went in at halftime down 9-6. Jazlynn Baugh would score the first four points of the second half and Lewis County would retake the lead at 10-9, and the teams would exchange the lead three times over a seven-minute span. Late in the second half Brooks would take a 15-12 lead, but Jacelyn Anthony and Jayda Baugh would outscore the Lady Tigers 6-1 over the final three minutes and Lewis County took the final 18-16. Jacelyn Anthony and Jazlynn Baugh each had 7 points in the big win, and Jayda Baugh added 2.

With the win the Lady Panthers moved on to the TVBA Championship game at Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Friday, March 10. Lewis County would square off with the Moulton (AL) Lady Devils.

The two teams played back and forth over the opening twelve minutes of play. After Moulton took an early lead at 2-0, consecutive baskets by Jazlynn Baugh and Addisen Staggs gave the Lady Panthers their first lead midway through the first half at 4-2. With the game tied with just over five minutes to go before halftime, Jacelyn Anthony scored to reclaim the lead for Lewis County at 6-4. The Lady Devils would close out the first half on a 9-0 run to take a 13-6 lead in at halftime. The Lady Devils would control the second half, continuing their scoring run they ended the first half on as they score the first 10 points of the second half before a late bucket by Anthony accounted for the only points scored by Lewis County in the second half. The Lady Panthers would fall in the Championship Game by a score of 23-8. Jacelyn Anthony led the Lady Panthers with 4 points, Jazlynn Baugh and Addisen Staggs each had 2.

The runner-up Lady Panthers had 3 members of the All-Tournament team: Jacelyn Anthony, Jazlynn Baugh, and Jayda Baugh.

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The 4th Grade Lewis County Panthers traveled to Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Saturday, March 11 for the semifinal round of the 2023 Tennessee Valley Basketball Association Tournament Final Four. The Panthers' semifinal opponent was the West Morgan (AL) Rebels.

After West Morgan scored the first point of the game with a freethrow Kanon McDonald's basket gave the Panthers their first lead at 2-1 early. West Morgan would secure a 5-2 lead before baskets from Hunter Carroll and McDonald pulled the Panthers back up 5-4. The two teams would go back and forth with the lead over the rest of the half and Carroll would knock down a shot late in the period to tie the game before the halftime break. After a Kayden O'Neal freethrow gave the Panthers a one-point lead in the early moments of the second half, the Rebels went on a 9 point run to pull out to a 25-17 lead. A pair of Cooper Johnston buckets would pull the Panthers to within four, but Lewis County would never be able to make up more ground as the Rebels kept them at bay. West Morgan would defeat Lewis County in the semifinal round 39-25. Kanon McDonald would lead Lewis County with 10 points, Hunter Carroll added 8 points, Cooper Johnston 4 points, and Kayden O'Neal 3 points.

Lewis County was represented by one member on the All-Tournament team, Kanon McDonald.

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The 3rd Grade Lewis County Panthers traveled to Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Monday, March 6 for the semifinal round of the 2023 Tennessee Valley Basketball Association Tournament Final Four. The Panthers' semifinal opponent was the Deshler (AL) Tigers.

The Panthers took control of the Semifinal game early in the first half. A strong 9-point run to open the action with baskets from Landyn Everson and Kendel Mathis fueled a dominant first half by the Panthers. The Tigers would break the scoring run of the Panthers with a basket, but Lewis County would end the opening half on a 7-3 run and took a big 16-5 lead in at the half. The second half was much like the first as the Panthers limited opportunities for the Deshler team as Lewis County continued to add to their double-digit lead. Lewis County would outpace Deshler 11-6 over the final fifteen minutes of action to take the semifinal win 27-11 and advance to the TVBA Championship Game. Landyn Everson and Kendel Mathis each had 7 points to lead the Panthers in the win. A.J. Davis added 6 points, Braison Sullivan, Cash Creasy, and Cruz Hallman each added 2 points, and Carter Creasy had 1 point.

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Tennessee Valley Basketball Association fourth grade girls team played in the Final Four Semifinal on March 6, 2023. The girls team were middle class Runner ups in the semifinals. Pictured, front, from left, Jada Baugh, Addi Bastin, Briley Dodson, Jacelyn Anthony, Gracie Staggs, and Payton Weatherly; back, Assistant Coach Miles Staggs and Jake White, Landree White, Addison Staggs, Delani Hull, Jazlyn Baugh, and Head Coach Delicia Hull.

The 4th Grade Lewis County Panthers returned to Muscle Shoals High School in Muscle Shoals, Alabama on Tuesday, March 7 for the championship game of the 2023 Tennessee Valley Basketball Association Tournament Final Four. The Panthers' championship game opponent was the Brooks (AL) Tigers.

After falling behind in the opening minutes of the Championship Game, the Panthers began to chip away and closed out the first half on a 9-1 run to take the lead just before the half 10-8. The second half saw Brooks pull out to a 20-11 lead but the Panthers would respond. Lewis County would go on a 10-0 run, their second big run of the game, fueled by a pair of three pointers from Carter Creasy and the game was tied at 21-21. Brooks would drop a freethrow late to take a 1-point lead, and the Panthers had one final chance to win the game but a last-second shot fell off the rim and the Panthers fell to the Tigers in the Championship game by a score of 21-20. Carter Creay led the Panthers in the loss with 10 points, and Camden Greene, Keldel Mathis, and Cash Creasy each finished with 2 points each.

The Panthers finished as TVBA runners-up with Carter and Cash Creasy each earning All-Tournament.