Games for the Week of October 29.
Middle school coaches can submit scores to: chattsports@comcast.net.
You can also send a one or two paragraph summary of your game. We need scores, names and stats from both teams.
Photo Gallery: CSAS Boys Basketball
Hixson Holds Off Red Bank 49-45
The Red Bank Lions traveled to Hixson Thursday night for an HCAC battle for first place. Hixson entered the game 2-0 in league play and Red Bank was 1-0 after coming off a big win at Orchard Knob.
The Lions knew Hixson was athletic and ready. The key word for Red Bank's pregame talk was ASSUME. Coach Carter emphasized that they had to play all out and not assume they would have an easy game. Both teams were ready and the atmosphere was electric as the Hixson fans and students have been waiting years for a great basketball team.
Coach Reid Daniels and his staff have put in countless hours this summer and fall to bring quality basketball to Hixson. Chattanooga Christian's Coach K and several of his players came out to see the action. Daniels played for Coach K. Red Bank's Carter and Coach K are close friends and support each other's programs when they can.
The game was uptempo from the start as Hixson jumped to an early 8-2 lead as Jeremy Simpson hurt the Lions in the paint. Coach Carter and his staff chose not to call a timeout as they wanted the team to play through the Hixson onslaught as a way to learn to handle adversity. Kelvin Clay III and Derrick Ashley each drained a three pointer that quickly got the Lions back in the game and they took a 9-8 lead. The pressure defense by Red Bank forced the tempo, but posts Simpson and Randy Boyd were too strong to handle.
Simpson scored eight and Boyd six in the quarter. Red Bank posts Iziah Rutledge and Curtis Stallings both had baskets and Red Bank led 16-15 at the close of the quarter.
The second quarter was an offensive struggle as a result of solid man to man defense from both teams. Simpson and Boyd each scored a basket for Hixson. Ashley hit another three and Clay had a bucket and free throw.
Halftime score. Red Bank 22 Hixson 19
Both teams caught their breath at the half and once again played at a frantic pace to start the second half. Ashley and Clay responded for the Lions. Derrick hit another three pointer, his fifteenth in four games, to go along with a pair of two point baskets. Clay attacked the basket and had six points for the quarter. Defensively, Red Bank employed a full court zone trap to go along with its man to man pressure. The Lions extended their lead to 33-26, at which time Coach Daniels called a timeout. Red Bank had slowed down the quick and strong Boyd. Simpson, however, was another story. Daniels set up a three for Simpson and he drained it from the wing. On the next possession, Simpson again struck with a baseline jumper to cut the lead to 33-32. The game was on and the Wildcats were not going to fold.
The fourth quarter was as good as it gets. The Lions finally slowed down Simpson. Kedrick Barnette took up the slack with two key baskets down the stretch. Red Bank spread the floor so Clay could read the defense and penetrate. He scored seven in the quarter and Gather Anderson hit a three pointer from the baseline. Coach Daniels went with his instincts and changed defenses, going to a half court zone trap which rattled the veteran and experienced Lions. Coach Carter called timeout and urged his team to work the high post and look for back door cuts. The opportunites were there, but it wasn't to be on this night. A basket by Daniel Petway and some clutch free throws by the talented Boyd in the closing minute of the game sealed the victory for the Wildcats. The final score.
Hixson 49 Red Bank 45
After the game, Coach Carter told Daniels, "The guys worked hard all summer and got better and better. You all deserve this win."
Red Bank was led by Kelvin Clay III with 21 points and Derrick Ashley had 15 points. Gathen Anderson had five points and Stallings and Rutledge each added two points.
Hixson was led by Jeremy Simpson with 22 points and Randy Boyd had 17. Kedrick Barnette contributed with eight points and Daniel Pettway had two points.
Red Bank 65-48 Over Orchard Knob
Red Bank traveled to Orchard Knob on Halloween night for an HCAC league game. The Lions were eager for action as they hadn't played a game in over a week. The layoff was used to work on pressure defense and three point shooting. Red Bank was hot from outside at the outset of the game as Derrick Ashley, Kevin Day, and Kelvin Clay III all made three pointers in the first quarter.
The pressure defense helped the Lions jump to a quick 13-3 lead. Orchard Knob scored two baskets late in the quarter to cut the lead to 13-7. Travis Jones scored five points for Orchard Knob in the first.
The pace of play in the second quarter was frantic on both ends. Orchard Knob employed a two-two-one full court press and Red Bank continued with their full court man to man press. Red Bank coaches Kevin Croft and Don Hunt made numerous defensive changes that sparked a 23 point quarter. The Lions spread the floor offensively to open up the driving lanes for Clay. He responded with 10 points off dribble penetration and dropped a three from the right wing. Rodney Dozier added a trey and Iziah Rutledge scored four points inside. Chris Ellis came off the bench and dished out two assists as the Lions took a commanding 36-21 halftime lead.
Orchard Knob's defense held sharp shooting Derrick Ashley to three points in the half. Derrick had to sit out the final two minutes of the quarter with three fouls. He took it in stride as Coach Carter reminded him of a game this summer at Tennessee Tech in which Derrick was held scoreless in the first quarter and exploded with seven three pointers the rest of the game. Coach Hunt told Derrick to be patient and the points would come.
The Lions had the ball first in the third quarter and ran a play to get Derrick started. Rodney Dozier set a great screen and Kelvin delivered Derrick a perfect skip pass for a wide open three from 22 feet. Derrick converted on two more long range shots and finished the quarter with 11 points. Clay continued to read the defense to score 10 points in the third. Four different defenses were used by Red Bank in the quarter and they extended their lead to 51-25 before finishing the game in a two-one-two zone. However, none of the defenses stopped Travis Jones as he ripped through the Lions defense and scored 10 points.
The pace of the game slowed considerably in the final period as Red Bank ran offensive sets. Derrick continued with the hot hand by draining another three along with a pair of two point baskets. Gathen Anderson pitched in with two assists and played solid defense. Malachi Moore scored four points for Orchard Knob in the period.
The final score. Red Bank 65 Orchard Knob 48.
Red Bank was led by Kelvin Clay III with 30 points and 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He also had five steals and four assists. Ashley finished with 21 points on 5 of 7 shooting behind the arc. As a team, Red Bank made 10 three pointers for the game. Curtis Stallings continued to rebound well with eight. Orchard Knob was led by Travis Jones with 20 points.
Red Bank travels to unbeaten Hixson Thursday night.
Red Bank:
Anderson (2pts.) Ashley (21pts.) Clay (30pts.) Day (3pts.) Dozier (3pts.) Rutledge (4pts.) Stallings (2pts.)
Orchard Knob:
Cosey (4pts.) Hubbard (6pts.) Jones (20pts.) Mason (4pts.) Phinizey (1pt.) Pullum (6pts.) Thomas (3pts.) Moore (4pts.)