The Lenoir City girls basketball team secured District 5-3A’s runner up title Monday after falling to Heritage Lady Mountaineers 61-42 inside Guy F. Talent Gymnasium.
Despite coming up short in the championship, Lenoir City proved they belong and showcased glimpses of what is to come in the Regional Tournament and beyond.
kAm“x E9@F89E 7@C 23@FE ac >:?FE6D H6 A=2J65[ ;FDE H:D9 H6 4@F=5 86E E@ 86E 6:89E >:?FE6D 324< 2?5 >2<6 2 76H >@C6 7C66 E9C@HD 3642FD6 H6 >:DD65 2 =@E @7 7C66 E9C@HD 2?5 x 5@?’E E9:?< E96J >:DD65 2?J[” {rw$ 9625 4@249 $96==6J r@==:6C D2:5] “x H2D C62==J AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J E92E @FC E62> 7@F89E 2?5 x C62==J 76=E =:<6 E96J >256 E96 4:EJ AC@F5] p?5 C62==J 76=E =:<6 E96J 42>6 @FE 2?5 E96J 925 E96 C:89E >6?E2=:EJ E92E x 2D<65 E96> E@ 92G6] %96J 5:5?’E 324< 5@H?[ E96J EC:65 E96:C 92C56DE E@ 5@ 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E H6 2D<65 E96> E@ 5@ 2D 72C 2D @FC 82>6 A=2? 2?5 2D 2 4@249 x’> ;FDE D@ AC@F5 @7 E96>]k^Am
kAm“(6 8@E D@>6 A6@A=6’D 2EE6?E:@? E@?:89E[ 3642FD6 H6 A=2J65 2?5 E92E’D 2 E@F89 E62>]” D96 25565] “%96J 362E FD F?>6C4:7F==J E96 7:CDE EH@ E:>6D D@ x 76=E =:<6 H6 4@>A6E65 282:?DE E96> 2?5 H6 8@E 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 C6DA64E] (6 8@E E@ DE2J :? E96 7:89E] (6 8@E E@ C63@F?5 2?5 4@>6 324< @FE 96C6 uC:52J 2?5 4@>A6E6 2?5 H:? 2?5 92G6 2 492?46 E@ A@DD:3=J 6G6? A=2J E96> 282:? :? E96 #68:@? r92>A:@?D9:A]”k^Am
kAm%96 {25J !2?E96C’D E@FC?2>6?E CF? DE2CE65 @77 uC:52J 282:?DE $@FE9 s@J=6 w:89 $49@@= {25J r96C@<66D] {@@<:?8 324< @? E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ :E’D 2 E62> {6?@:C r:EJ 925 DECF88=65 E@ E2<6 5@H? E9:D D62D@?k^Am
kAm%96 D6>:7:?2= H2D 2 D4@C6=6DD 2772:C 7@C E96 @A6?:?8 EH@ >:?FE6D H:E9 E96:C 5676?D6 E2<:?8 46?E6C DE286]k^Am
kAmxE H2D?’E F?E:= E96 {25J r96C@<66D 4@??64E65 H:E9 2 b\A@:?E6C 2E E96 did_ >2C< 367@C6 E9:?8D DE2CE65 E@ C2>A FA]k^Am
kAm$@A9@>@C6 z2C2 vC6D92> 4@>>2?565 E96 7=@@C 2?5 4@??64E65 H:E9 EH@ =2JFAD 2?5 H6?E 2 A6C764E EH@\7@C\EH@ 2E E96 7C66 E9C@H =:?6] qJ E96 6?5 @7 E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C {6?@:C r:EJ 96=5 2 D=:89E `a\`` =625]k^Am
kAm%96 32EE=6 4@?E:?F65 E9C@F89 E96 D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 BF2CE6CD H:E9 {6?@:C r:EJ AF==:?8 29625 D=:89E=J ;FDE E@ 92G6 $@FE9 s@J=6 C6>2:? @? E96:C 966=D] qJ E96 6?5 @7 E96 E9:C5[ E96 {25J !2?E96CD =65 3J 2 D=:> >2C8:? FA ae\a`]k^Am
kAms6E6C>:?65 E@ 25G2?46[ E96 {25J !2?E96CD 7@4FD65 @? @?6 A=2J 2E 2 E:>6 2?5 DE2CE65 E@ A=2J D>2CE6C @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 32==]k^Am
kAm(:E9 `i`h =67E @? E96 4=@4< E:>6@FE H2D 42==65 @? E96 7=@@C H:E9 E96 D4@C6 36:?8 bd\b_[ {6?@:C r:EJ] %9C@F89 D966C 56E6C>:?2E:@?[ 4=FE49 C63@F?5D 2?5 2 76H <6J 5676?D:G6 DE@AD {6?@:C r:EJ 96=5 @? 2?5 36DE65 E96 {25J r96C@<66D bh\bb]k^Am
kAm“%96J 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ H:?[” r@==:6C D2:5] “(6 ;FDE DECF88=65 E@ D4@C6 @776?D:G6=J 2?5 8@E 6G6CJ D9@E H6 H2?E65 3FE E96J ;FDE H6C6?’E 72==:?8 2?5 E92E’D 366? @FC DE@CJ] (6 5:5?’E =6E @FC @776?D6 5:4E2E6 @FC 5676?D6 2?5 H6 8@E 324< 2?5 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ H6 25;FDE65[ H6 A=2J65[ H6 >:I65 FA @FC 5676?D6D 2?5 x 76=E =:<6 E96 <:5D C62==J A=2J65 92C5 2?5 C6DA@?565 — ?@E E@ >6?E:@? H6 5:5 2 8C62E ;@3 @? E96 3@2C5D]”k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 3:886DE E9:?8D E92E 96=A65 {6?@:C r:EJ E@ G:4E@CJ H2D E96:C 5676?D:G6 677@CE] r@==:6C D2:5 E92E 96C A=2J6CD 8@:?8 27E6C d_\d_ 32==D 2?5 AFEE:?8 E96:C 3@5J @? E96 =:?6 7@C C63@F?5D H2D E96 5:776C6?46 >2<6C]k^Am
kAm“s676?D6 H:?D 82>6D[ C63@F?5D H:? 492>A:@?D9:AD[” r@==:6C D2:5] “ p?5 E92E’D H92E H6 92G6 @FC D:89ED @?] (6 8@E E@ EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 A=2J @?6 @7 E96 36DE E62>D :? E96 2C62 282:?DE w6C:E286 2?5 E96J’C6 8@@5[ 3FE H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 :E @FC 2== 2?5 8@ @FE 2?5 32EE=6]”k^Am
kAmx? E96 s:DEC:4E r92>A:@?D9:A 282:?DE E96 {25J |@F?E2:?66CD {6?@:C r:EJ’D J@F?8 286 H2D C6G62=65]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 :E H2D 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 2772:C 62C=J @?[ w6C:E286 DE2CE65 D6A2C2E:?8 E96>D6=G6D 5@H? E96 DEC6E49] (:E9 6G6CJ {6?@:C r:EJ 32D<6E >256[ D66>:?8=J EH@ w6C:E286 32D<6ED 42>6 :? C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 6?5 @7 E96 E9:C5[ w6C:E286 925 8C@H? :ED =625 E@ cd\af] %96 {25J !2?E96CD 4@?E:?F65 E@ 7:89E 324< 56DA:E6 E96 567:4:E @? E96 D4@C63@2C5 2?5 5:5?’E D9@H D:8?D @7 D=@H:?8 5@H?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 6?5 2 4@>6324< H2D AFD965 ;FDE @FE @7 C6249 2?5 w6C:E286 E@@< E96 4@?E6DE e`\ca]k^Am
kAm{625:?8 :? E96 =@DD H2D D@A9@>@C6 zJ>32= (:==:2>D H9@ 925 `b A@:?ED 7@==@H65 FA 3J 7C6D9>2? #J=66 q@==:?8 H:E9 ?:?6]k^Am
kAm%9C66 {25J !2?E96CD H6C6 D6=64E65 E@ E96 p==\%@FC?2>6?E %62>] {6?@:C r:EJ H2D C6AC6D6?E65 3J ;F?:@C w252DD29 #:EE6?9@FD6[ $@A9@>@C6 z2C2 vC6D92> 2?5 7C6D9>2? #J=66 q@==:?8]k^Am
kAmr@==:6C D2:5 E92E 36:?8 ?2>65 5:DEC:4E CF??6C FA :D ;FDE E96 DE2CE 7@C {6?@:C r:EJ’D J@F?8 DBF25]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 ?@E 7:?:D965] (6’C6 ;FDE DE2CE:?8 E@ D4C2E49 E96 DFC7246[” r@==:6C D2:5] “p?5 x H2D =:<6 x D2:5[ x’> C62==J AC@F5 @7 @FC 6?E:C6 8C@FA] #J=66 … @3G:@FD=J 2 7C6D9>2? 2?5 2 8C62E E2=6?E D96’D 8@E >@C6 :? 96Cj z2C2 … D96’D 2 D@A9@>@C6 2?5 D96’D DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ =62C? H92E @FC A@:?E 8F2C5 5@6D[ 2?5 H6 H2?E 96C E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 2?5 $96’D 5@:?8 E9@D6 E9:?8D] p?5 w252DD29 … D96’D ;FDE 2 D@=:5 C@4< 7@C FD] $96’D 2 ;F?:@C[ D96’D @?6 @7 @FC =6256CD]k^Am
kAm“p== E9C66 56D6CG6 H92E E96J 8@E E@?:89E 3FE[ 282:?[ :E E2<6D 2 E@E2= E62> E@ H:? E96 492>A:@?D9:A[” r@==:6C 25565] “%92E’D H92E H6’C6 H@C<:?8 E@H2C5] (6’C6 H@C<:?8 @? H:??:?8 492>A:@?D9:AD]”k^Am