The Fannin County Middle School seventh grade basketball team took the court Thursday, November 7, against White County.
A slow start plagued the Rebels, but great defensive pressure and explosive offense turned the tide in Fannin’s favor and gave the seventh grade team a 45-35 win.
The Rebels struggled in the first quarter, only scoring two points to White County’s 14. The second quarter was a different story as the Rebels buckled down on defense.
The defensive stand was started by Brody Angel and Colton Gray as they were able to get their hands on several of White County’s passes, either stealing them or knocking them out of play.
Their intensity led to some easy baskets and fast breaks that every Rebel fed off.
Fannin held White County to only three points in the second quarter while Jordan Richerson led the Rebels with six points out of the Rebels 14 point quarter. At halftime the game was tied 17-17.
Fannin started the third quarter the way they ended the second “on fire.”
Matthew Ponton drained a three pointer from the wing and a runner in the lane to start the quarter and finished with eight third quarter points. Jamie Russell was cleaning up the glass and put in three, two-point buckets. Fannin outscored White County 16-5 and was in control going into the fourth. White county turned up their defensive pressure in the fourth and started creating turnovers, but Fannin’s Gray was still on a defensive hunt and stole the ball several times to put in six points and secure the victory for Fannin.
Ponton and Richerson led Fannin with 10 a piece. Gray and Russell finished the day with eight points. Baylor Twiggs netted five points, while Eli Newberry scored two points and Angel one.
After the seventh grade Rebels played, the eighth graders took the court. They used great team defense and balanced scoring to hold off a determined White county team for a 33-29 victory.
At the end of the first quarter Fannin and White were tied at 9-9. Fannin’s offesnive output slowed in the second as they were outscored 8-4 to give White County a 17-13 lead at the half..
The Rebels came out in the third quarter and found new life, playing with White County as both teams scored nine points to give White County a 26-22 lead at the end of three. In the fourth quarter Fannin clicked defensively. Benjamin Bloch led the Rebels and seemed to be everywhere creating havoc.
Fannin used this momentum to shut down White County and out score them 11-3 in the quarter, to give the Rebels a 33-29 victory.
Gavin Mowery was the leading scorer for Fannin with 12 points and a remarkable job down low, cleaning the glass. Luke Davenport put in eight, while Will Jones dropped in four points along with numerous rebounds and steals. Cole Stevenson and Cole Gribble each had two points and Bloch had one.