Senior night set for next Tuesday versus Jackson County

CLARKRANGE-As they took the court here Tuesday night after HORIZON press time, the Clay County High School basketball teams headed down the home stretch of the regular season, with their trip to Clarkrange being one of just four games left on the schedule prior to the postseason.

The matchup to begin the week, along with a home game against Gordonsville Friday, will wrap up both the Lady Dawgs’ and Dawgs’ conference schedule, while the teams will step outside of district play in their final week of the regular season.

They will host Jackson County next Tuesday for a Senior Night contest, before traveling to Jellico the following Friday for their regular-season finale.

The Bulldogs were 14-5 overall and tied for third in District 7-A with the Buffaloes prior to their league battle to start the week, as both teams had a 3-3 conference mark entering the crucial contest.

League leader Pickett County (17-5) was a perfect 5-0, while Gordonsville (14-8) sat in second place at 4-2 and Red Boiling Springs (0-19) rounded out the district standings at 0-7.

The Lady Bulldogs entered the week at 9-12 on the season and tied for third place in the conference with Gordonsville (9-11) at 3-3.

Pickett County (19-3) was in first place with a 5-0 district record, while Clarkrange (17-7) had a second-place league mark of 4-2 and Red Boiling Springs (4-18) sat at the bottom of the standings at 0-7.

The squads from Byrdstown handed the Clay County teams their third district losses last week, as the Lady Bobcats held off a solid Lady Bulldog challenge to remain perfect in the conference and the Bulldogs suffered another lop-sided loss to the Bobcats.

The CCHS teams then rebounded with dominant wins over Monterey Friday night, as the Clay County girls and boys handily defeated the Wildcat teams.

All of Clay County’s remaining games will be carried live by the Horizon Sports Network, with a video live-stream available on the Dale Hollow Horizon Facebook page and audio-only coverage online at www.dalehollowhorizon.com/listen.

Lady Dawgs…….….39

Pickett Co.….………51

The Lady Dawgs gave the Lady Bobcats all they wanted, but couldn’t fend off the defending State Champion Pickett County girls, who stayed perfect in District 7-A with a 51-39 victory in Celina last week.

Senior Laci Wix got Clay County off to a fast start, as she scored all eight of her points in the first quarter to surge her team ahead 11-5 heading into the second stanza.

There Ella Eads, who led the Lady Dawgs with 15 points in the contest, scored the only three for Clay County in the period and Pickett County rallied to tie the game at 14 at the break.

The contest then stayed tight throughout the third quarter, before it ended with the Lady Bobcats ahead 29-28, before they doubled up the Lady Dawgs 22-11 in the final frame to claim the 12-point victory.

LADY DAWGS (39)-Eads 15, Wix 8, Baylor Walden 7, Natalie Smith 6, Haylen Garrison 3.

Dawgs……………….31

Pickett Co.….………59

Pickett County handed Clay County a 59-31 defeat in the boys game, where the Bobcats dominated the Bulldogs from start to finish for the second time this season.

They led 17-7 at the end of the first quarter and outscored the Dawgs 21-7 in the second to go up by 24 points at halftime, before they cruised to the blowout victory.

Nate Adams was the only Bulldog to reach the double-digit mark in the contest with 11 points, as Clay County shot just over 25% from the field en route to producing their lowest point total of the season.

DAWGS (31)-Nate Adams 11, Nolan Adams 8, Lance Burchett 3, Caden Copeland 3, Warner Melton 2, Jake Copeland 2, Cole Eads 1, Isaiah Burnette 1.

Lady Dawgs…….….50

Monterey…….………25

The Lady Dawgs dominated Monterey 50-25 in a non-conference contest last Friday night behind a team-high 12 points from Ella Eads, who was joined in double figures by Kaleah Crawford with 10 points.

Natale Smith and Jenna Thompson also each added nine points in the victory, where Clay County led 15-6 at the end of the first quarter, 25-10 at halftime, and went on to win by 25 points.

LADY DAWGS (50)-Eads 12, Crawford 10, Smith 9, Thompson 9, Walden 4, Brooklyn Scott 3, Lila Birdwell 2, Kailey Brown 1.

Dawgs………..….….73

Monterey…….……..49

Nolan Adams dropped a career-high 29 points to pace Clay County over Monterey by a score of 73-49 in the boys game, while Cole Eads also added double-digit scoring with 12 points.

Adams scored 23 of his total in the first half to help his team lead 19-8 at the end of the first period and 44-21 at halftime, before the Dawgs maintained control in the second half to take the 24-point victory.

DAWGS (73)-Nolan Adams 29, Eads 12, Burchett 9, Nate Adams 8, Melton 7, Caden Copeland 4, Hayden Adams 2, Ramzy Hayes 2.