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Pictures courtesy of Doug Strong.

For more details see the January 19, 2011 issue of the Dale Hollow Horizon newspaper.

Dawgs hand RBS 25-point loss as tempers flare after the game

No CCHS players involved in melee

By THOMAS P. WEAVER

HORIZON Editor

CELINA-All the talk has been about what occurred after the game here with rival Red Boiling Springs last Friday night, but what happened during should be the main topic of discussion.

The Clay County Bulldogs got revenge for an early-season demise handed to them by RBS well over a month ago behind a 23-point fourth quarter to come away with an impressive win over their adjoining-county foe by a 60-35 score.

Balanced scoring, led by 15 from sophomore guard Corey Hamilton, and dominating defense put the game away for Clay County.

Red Boiling’s leader Wes Grace was held to a total of 10 points, thanks to Hamilton’s defensive effort, and none of his teammates were able to make up the difference as he was the only RBS player to reach the double-digit mark.

Clay County jumped out to a 13-6 first-quarter lead as Hamilton scored the first six Dawg points, but RBS woke up in the second stanza almost matching CCHS basket for basket to head into the break down by nine.

Red Boiling had cut the lead to five at the end of the third, but the home-standing Bulldogs’ final-period push, compared to only three points scored by RBS, led to the lop-sided final score.

Hamilton’s night, paired with 11 from Jordan Strong, 10 points scored by Dylan Birdwell, and nine more put up by Trent Boles accounted for the majority of Clay County’s 60 points.

Senior John Smith added five, Matt Copeland and Jacob Marcom had three, and Dusty Birdwell and Jake Edwards had a basket each, adding to the big final margin.

Postgame skirmish

The 25-point romp may have been responsible for bringing visiting tempers to a boiling point, because part of the Red Boiling squad reportedly became confrontational with the home crowd leading to an exchange of punches after the final buzzer sounded, but head coach Rob Edwards said Monday  “no CCHS players were involved”  in the melee that ensued.

“It was an unfortunate incident and we’re thankful nobody was badly hurt,” Edwards said.  “I’m glad our players kept their heads and didn’t get involved.

“We’re looking to put this behind us and continue on with our season.”

Fans attending the game said the incident occurred after referees had left the court, which leaves consequences stemming from the brawl in the hands of civil authorities, not Tennessee Secondary School Athletics Association (TSSAA) officials.

“I haven’t heard anything from them (TSSAA),” Edwards said, “but they may still look into it.”

Clay County Sheriff Brandon Boone, who was in attendance at the game and helped control the situation, told the HORIZON his office was reviewing security camera footage of the incident and would be making a decision on whether or not any charges would be filed.

“I don’t foresee any charges coming out of this,” Boone said.  “It’s sad that it happened, but sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of people.”

Boone also commended Clay County fans for their efforts in helping to diffuse the potentially disastrous situation.

“Everybody kept their calm and pretty much had everything under control by the time we got over there,” he said.  “That says a lot about our fans.”

Big week

GAINESBORO-The Clay County Bulldogs were scheduled to take their 14-4 record into action here with District 7-A rival Jackson County Tuesday night to battle for the lead in the conference.

Heading into the game, the Dawgs were 2-1 in the district beating both Monterey and Clarkrange, with their only conference defeat coming from Pickett County.

Jackson County carried an undefeated 3-0 district mark into the game and would become the undisputed leader with the win, but Clay County was looking to knot things up at the top with a victory over the Blue Devils.

After the in-conference battle, Clay County will host Friendship Christian Friday night in their second match-up of the season with the Commanders.

The Bulldogs beat them by 10 earlier in the year, but topping them twice could be a challenge.

See next week’s HORIZON for results from these games and any future developments from the Red Boiling Springs incident.