Sports
Peeples’ court: hits 45 points
Christian Heritage girls basketball coach Heather Lowery needed only three words to describe Maggie Peeples’ performance Saturday afternoon on the final day of the Lions Christmas Classic.
“She played great,” Lowery said.
Peeples, a sophomore, scored a career-high 45 points and led the Lady Lions to a 63-58 victory over South Pittsburg (Tenn.), their third win in the classic without a loss.
“South Pittsburg was playing us man-to-man and we were having a lot of luck coming down in transition and taking it to the hole,” Lowery said. “Maggie took it to the hole a lot, got fouled a lot and did a great job at the free-throw line.”
Peeples made 20-of-21 free throws, knocked down three 3-pointers and had four assists as the Lady Lions won for the ninth time in 11 games.
She got off to a slow start with four points in the first quarter, but poured in 18 in the second. She added eight points in the third quarter but finished strong with 15 fourth-quarter points, including 8-of-9 free throws.
“It was pretty exciting,” Peeples said. “I actually thought I was in the 20s. The game was so close and intense I wasn’t paying attention. When they told me after the game I had scored 45 points, I was completely shocked.”
Saturday’s career-best effort gives Peeples 1,099 points in two-plus seasons — she was starting as an eighth grader — with the Lady Lions. She will be honored on Jan. 5 prior to the home game against Collegedale Academy for surpassing the 1,000-point barrier.
Christian Heritage trailed 42-29 at halftime, but the Lady Lions put a clamp on the Lady Pirates’ top two players — Kayla McMillan and Shea Jones — and held their opponents to 16 second-half points.
“We used a triangle on those two players and manned them with our other three girls,” Lowery said. “(South Pittsburg) didn’t score until three minutes were left in the third quarter. We stopped them and transitioned into some points at the other end. It was tough game because South Pittsburg is so physical.”
• Jackson County boys 64, Christian Heritage 43: Mason Hensley scored 14 points, Drew McMillan 13 and Jarrett Goad nine for Jackson County.
Will Clark led the Lions (5-6) with 24 points. Landon McClure and Michael McKinney each scored eight points.
“We came out sluggish,” Lions coach Chad Woodson said. “We were down 38-16 at halftime and could never fight our way back into the game.”
• Strong Rock girls 54, Chattanooga Patriots 17: Ansley Hughes had 20 points and Chandler Gregory 10 for Strong Rock. Michelle Cantarino and Holly Zorka each scored six points for the Lady Patriots.
• Chattanooga Patriots boys 72, Strong Rock 51: Andrew Malan had a game-high 25 points and Nate Eastwood added 17 for the Patriots. John Gaines led Strong Rock with 15 points and Jordin Godwin finished with eight.
Varsity wrestling
• Northwest Whitfield’s Russell Royal, wrestling for just the second time this season after recovering from a broken hand, went 5-0 and captured the 119-pound title in the prestigious McCallie Invitational in Chattanooga.
The Bruins were fifth with 113.5 points in a talented field of more than two dozen teams. Pope High won the tournament with 285 points and was followed by Tennessee teams Father Ryan (197.5), McCallie (187.5) and Baylor (128.0). Murray County finished 12th with 89 points.
“Russell did a great job,” Bruins coach Allen Tucker said. “And the whole team did great. We had one seeded kid, and that was Russell, and he beat a No. 1 seed getting to the finals. Pope is the No. 2 team in Class 5A in Georgia and considered one of the best. In the final standings, we were the next Georgia team. I couldn’t be prouder of the the guys.”
The Bruins’ Garrett Henderson (171) went 5-1 and finished third. Josh Lewis (152) was 3-2 and placed fourth and Dalin McClure (103) went 4-3 and finished sixth.
The Indians’ Dalton Lane (145) was 3-1 and placed second, David Thornbury (171) was 3-2 and in fifth place and Zac Dills (189) was 2-3 in sixth place. Zach Shoemaker (135) went 3-2 but did not place.
• Dalton’s Catamounts finished 10th in the Bradley Invitational in Cleveland, Tenn., with 88 points. Host Bradley Central captured the team title with 276 points.
The Cats had three placers in the tournament: Reinaldo Torres (140) took second place and Luis Juan (103) and Christian Washington (125) each finished fourth.
JV basketball
• Creekview girls 54, Northwest Whitfield 51: At the North Paulding junior varsity tournament, the Lady Grizzlies’ Hannah Hunter made 15 of 16 free throws en route to a game-high 20 points.
The Lady Bruins (3-1) were led by Brook Everett’s 18 points and Marissa Fraire’s 16 points and 12 rebounds.
• Creekview boys 60, Northwest Whitfield 52: Alex Heard led Northwest (3-1) with 13 points, Zach Wade had 12 and Tallon Trew 10 in the North Paulding tournament.
Bryce Bostic led the Grizzlies with 14 points.
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A keen work ethic
Misty Watson/ The Daily Citizen
This is Kolby Keener’s school year — athletically speaking — at Murray County High School: It’s softball in August, but before that season is barely cold in the books, it’s time for basketball. After the hardwood season concludes, it’s off to travel softball, which ends for her in late May.
Continued ...
Then, it’s time for a summer break.
Oh, wait. There’s no time for relaxation.
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