Greenville the Class of the IMAC

[PTSportsWriter]

See the comments by Cocke County Coach.He is right. IMAC refs should not ref IMAC games in tournament.

 

  He is right. IMAC refs should not ref IMAC games in tournament.

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For more extensive quotes, check out CockeCountySports.NET

 

From there, check the Cocke County story "Lady Red Advances....."

 

This article will also appear in print on Tuesday.

[JKennedy250]

For more extensive quotes, check out CockeCountySports.NET

 

From there, check the Cocke County story "Lady Red Advances....."

 

This article will also appear in print on Tuesday.

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And here it is

 

Lady Red Advances; Determined Fighting Cocks Fall

By SETH BUTLER

CockeCountySports.NET

 

 

ROGERSVILLE - Some consider post-season prep basketball a wonderful place to grab shining moment to last a lifetime.

If that's the case, both the Cocke County Lady Red (8-20) and the Fighting Cocks (10-20) made their share of memories on Saturday in the opening round of the Inter-Mountain Athletic Conference tournament, as the Lady Chiefs pushed Cocke County to the limit, before the Lady Red prevailed 38-37. Meanwhile, the Big Red fought hard, yet fell to the Hurricanes of Morristown East 74-62.

 

Lindsey Leads Cocke County Past Cherokee

 

Cocke County's Megan Lindsey certainly grabbed her share of memories Saturday, thwarting a determined effort from the Cherokee Lady Chiefs.

 

With her team trailing 37-36 and the clock reading less than 20 seconds, Lindsey, the lone Cocke County senior, was determined not to see her high school career end on this day. While the 5-8 Lindsey did not yield a rod, she parted a contingent of Lady Chiefs, clad in red, on her way to the basket for a lay-up, giving her team a one-point lead with 12 seconds remaining in the contest.

 

"I was driving across the court and thought I would just pop and shoot a three, but the middle just kept opening up and so I drove it in and made it," said an elated Lindsey.

 

"I'm just so excited," continued the senior. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates, and with it being my senior year, I didn't want it to end right now."

 

Although, the season came close enough to ending for Lindsey and the Lady Red, as Cocke County struggled mightily on the offensive end.

 

A sluggish offensive effort amounted to only four first quarter points, yet the Lady Red roared back with a 21-10 halftime lead with a 17-point second period outburst.

 

However, a 2-3 zone limited Cocke County's offensive chances in the outset of the second-half, allowing Cherokee to creep their way back into the game, trailing by only four points entering the fourth quarter.

 

Missed lay-ups and Cherokee finally figuring out the full-court trap defense of the Lady Red saw the Lady Chiefs grab the lead behind two consecutive baskets by Ashlee Price midway through the period.

 

Cherokee had their chances leading inside the final minute of the contest, a minute that featured four lead changes. Price gave a determined effort scoring 12 fourth quarter points, including two more buckets to give her team the lead before Lindsey's heroics.

 

But even after the cross-court journey by Lindsey, Cherokee still had their opportunities. Lady Chiefs senior Sarah LaRoy was fouled by Shawna Ball to prevent a wide-open lay-in with six seconds to play. However, LaRoy missed both free-throws and Lindsey secured the rebound to give Cocke County the win.

 

With the win, Cocke County advances to Monday evening's semi-finals, with a date against the Associated Press eighth-ranked Lady Patriots of Jefferson County. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.

 

Price led Cherokee with a game-high 19 points, while Amber Anderson scored seven. LaRoy added six, Sarah Saunders three and Kayla Harrell two.

 

Cocke County was paced by Lindsey's 15 points, as the senior scored 11 of Cocke County's 21 first-half points. Shawna Ball, hampered by the 2-3 zone defense scored nine points, while Whitney Fox added eight. Whitney Crum contributed two huge second quarter baskets, and freshman Ashley Weeks scored two.

 

Hurricanes Charge To Victory

 

Lesser teams would've folded their tents and mailed-in the final 13 minutes of the season. But, the Fighting Cocks proved they weren't a lesser team as a gritty, determined effort forced third-seed Morristown East to the limit.

 

With 5:21 remaining in the third period, Cocke County's leading scorer, Korian Buckner picked up his fourth foul of the game on a player control foul. Frustrated at picking up his third offensive foul on the night, for a total of eight charging infractions on the Big Red compared to only one offensive foul on the Hurricanes. Buckner just as quickly was hit with a technical foul for showing his displeasure which resulted in his fifth foul, ending his night and career early.

 

"You just hate to see your best player go out like that," said Cocke County head coach David Whaley. "And the officials knows who the best players are. And I've always been a strong advocate, and right here proves it, I think we need to have officials we do not see all year, neutral officials from another association. And it would make it way better."

 

"I just feel like they see us all year, and are anticipating calls. I'm not accusing anyone of cheating, but I'd prefer them (officials) coming from a neutral association," the coach noted about the fact that District tournament officials come from within the District, while Regional and Sub-State referees come from associations that do not come from the regions of the involved teams.

 

Despite seeing a 35-26 deficit at the half grow to a 13-point hole at the time of Buckner fouling out, and eventually to a 16-point hole, Cocke County never gave up.

 

Already limited with a thin bench due to the dismissal of Kyle Birdsell from the team earlier in the week, a sophomore tandem of Blaine Hartsell and Wes Woods led the Big Red back into contention. A three-point play to close the third period by Wes Woods pulled Cocke County back to within 11. While Hartsell, playing as if he had something to prove, quickly scored 10 points, including a five-point play with 6:07 to play which brought Cocke County to within four points of the Hurricanes lead.

 

Unfortunately for Cocke County, Cory Shaw answered with a three-point basket for three of his 17 points, while Kent Basile excelled at the free-throw line, pushing the lead back out to 11. Another late Cocke County rally, propelled by a Jake Allen 3-pointer cut the lead to six, before seeing East pull away for the win.

 

East was led in scoring by Basile, the sophomore, with 26 points. Shaw added 17, while Daniel Deaderick has 13.

 

Allen had 18 points to lead Cocke County, while Buckner had 16 to finish the season with 631 points. Hartsell added 10 points, with Woods and Terry Dailey scoring six points each. Derrick Smith added four, with Darius Collins adding two.

 

With the loss, the Big Red season comes to an end, while East advances to Tuesday's semi-finals to take on Cherokee.