The second annual Middle School All-Star Basketball Game held at Trinity Christian Academy happened on Saturday.
Teams made of eighth-graders from across West Tennessee were drafted by coaches, and they were split into teams representing the North and South areas of the region.
Both games were close in the end, coming down to the final possession before the fourth quarter ended both times.
The North won the girls’ game 45-42, and the South won the boys’ game 56-53.
“It was a really good night of basketball to see some of the best players coming up in West Tennessee high school basketball,” said Dexter Williams, the boys’ basketball coach and athletic director at TCA and coordinator of the games. “We had a couple of good games to watch, so it was a fun night.”
In the girls’ game, the North had the lead with less than five seconds remaining with the South trying to get down the court for a try at a basket to tie.
A called offensive foul with a second remaining gave the North the ball and the opportunity to throw the ball to the other end of the court, giving the South virtually no chance of trying to tie.
The North team was led by Hannah McCurry from Jackson Central-Merry Middle and Amear’a Cook from North Parkway Middle with nine points apiece.
On the South side, Emma Wright from South Side Elementary was the top scorer with 19, and Shealeigh Greene from Savannah Christian Academy had 12.
In the end of the boys’ game, the South had the lead, and the North’s tries at tying or even cutting into the lead were unsuccessful, allowing the South to run the clock out for the win.
The South was led to the win by Elijah Lowe from Fayette West Middle with 20. Brighton Middle’s Junior Johnson was right behind him with 18 points.
For the North, Jamarrion Grimes from Northeast Middle finished with 18, and Danny McNeal from JCM had 15.
Leading scorers were via Stan Gerard from his livestream of the games on the West Tennessee Sports Facebook page.
Madison County players who represented the North team in the girls’ game in addition to McCurry and Cook were Jacquelin Mize (Northeast), Adriana Brown (Jackson Careers and Technology), Mycal Meshel Ragland (West Bemis), Ma’Kayla Bates (North Parkway), Dajia Fizer (JCM), Ri’Kiya Mitchell (JCT), Kate Parsons (Northeast), Isabella Carter (Rose Hill) and Braniya Green (St. Mary’s).
Madison Countians on the North team in the boys’ game in addition to Grimes and McNeal were Austin Willett (St. Mary’s), Grant Rickman (St. Mary’s), Marcus Hunt (Rose Hill), Sam Keyl (University School of Jackson), Braydin Jones (USJ), Jaydon Simpson (JCM), Chris Kemp (West Bemis), Landon Braswel (Northeast), Jayland Eckford (Northeast), Jayden Wilkes (JCT), Campbell Vailes (TCA), A’Mauri McKinnie (North Parkway) and Gage Dillon (St. Mary’s).
Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news
