Yellow Jackets begin 2024 with wins over South Pitt, Forrest

Sam Parson and Nate Roberts led GCHS to the seven-point defeat of South Pittsburg. The two combined to score 32 points with Parson leading the way with 18 and Roberts following up with 14.

Parson hit two of his three 3-pointers, and Roberts hit a triple and two free throws to give Grundy an 18-16 at the end of the first quarter. Both Parson and Brady Everett each hit 3-pointers and two free throws in the second as the Yellow Jackets held onto a narrow 33-32 advantage at the half.

Roberts led the scoring in the third with four points while the GCHS defense limited SPHS to just eight points to widen its lead to four, 44-40. The Pirates added nine points in the fourth, but a balanced Grundy offense posted 12 in the frame to claim the win. 

Five Yellow Jackets scored in the fourth. Both Roberts and Garrick Easterly hit buckets from beyond the arc, and Parson, Everett and Reece Strong each knocked down field goals put to the game out of reach. 

Grundy was 13-for-15 from the free-throw line. Roberts went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, and Parson followed with a 5-for-6 clip. With seven 3-pointers, 21 of the Yellow Jackets points came from downtown.

GCHS earned a come-from-behind win over Forrest High School two nights later. Parson dropped 25 points on the Rockets in the District 9-2A opener. 

Forrest led 13-11 at the end of the first, but the Jackets stormed back with 23 points in the second to take a 34-28 lead into the half. Parson led the offensive outburst with 11 points, and Roberts sank three treys to put Grundy ahead.

The Rockets pulled within three points of the Jackets in the third, but Grundy’s defense held the home team to just seven fourth-quarter points. GCHS deposited 10 points in the final frame to come away with the six-point win.

The pair of wins helped Grundy County secure the fourth spot in the most recent Associated Press 2A poll. The Yellow Jackets were ranked second in last week’s poll, and the only teams currently ahead of them are Douglass, Gatlinburg-Pittman and Kingston.

The 13-1 start for GCHS is its best since going 13-1 through its first 14 games of the 2020-21 season. Grundy finished that season 20-2 with its second loss coming in the region tournament to end the year.

Grundy’s contest against Cannon County on Tuesday was postponed due to inclement weather. A makeup date has yet to be announced. The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to return to the court Friday to host Cascade at 6 p.m. GCHS will visit Van Buren County on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m.