HUNTER COOKSTON
Writer
The Whitwell Tigers boys basketball team is a young group that knew coming into the season that growing pains would be part of the process. Before the Christmas and New Year’s break, the Tigers took Grundy County all the way down to the wire—something no Whitwell team has done in quite a while. Even though it was a loss, it gave Whitwell confidence that they can compete with anyone. Last Tuesday, in their first game back from the break, they welcomed Sale Creek into the district with a 68-51 victory.
The Tigers came out with energy right from the start. In the first quarter, the shots weren’t falling for Whitwell, but they still managed to score 12 points. Colin Beason opened the scoring with a three from the corner. Senior Tyson Brashears followed with a drive to the rack for an easy deuce. Brashears and Beason both connected on a pair of free throws, and Jordan Powell rounded out the scoring with a triple of his own. Despite their efforts, the Tigers trailed the Panthers 15-12 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the guard duo of Powell and Brashears came alive, combining for 22 points. Brashears led the way with 12, knocking down two three-pointers, while Powell added two triples of his own. Brody Harvey contributed three points, and Ryder Burns and Beason added a basket each. With 29 points in the quarter, Whitwell built a 17-point lead.
Harvey added three more points in back-to-back quarters, and sophomore Bennett Gofort connected on a free throw. Powell had a standout half, scoring 14 points after halftime. The highlight came with a halfcourt buzzer-beater that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers focused on running down the clock to prevent any chance of a Sale Creek comeback. As a result, Whitwell only scored nine points in the quarter. Burns and Brashears contributed two points each, while Powell added five, capping a 32-point performance for the sophomore.
Whitwell was eager to return from the break and back to playing. They demonstrated that with their first district win in four years.
The Tigers are back in action on Friday at CSLA. JV Boys play at 4 p.m., Varsity Girls at 5 p.m., and Varsity Boys at 6:30 p.m.