BLOUNTVILLE — In the wide-open race that is Big 5 Conference basketball, the David Crockett boys and the West Ridge girls both took big, early-season steps Friday night at the Evelyn Rafalowski Athletic Complex.
Crockett’s boys pounded it inside and overcame a slow start to knock off the homestanding Wolves 68-63, after the West Ridge girls led from start to finish to take out the Lady Pioneers by a 52-47 count.
kAm!:@?66C 3@JD 4@249 r@5J r@??6== F?56CDE2?5D E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 @A6?:?8 E96 q:8 d 42>A2:8? H:E9 2 A2:C @7 C@25 H:?D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 G:4E@CJ @G6C $4:6?46 w:==]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E9C66 DEC2:89E C@25 82>6D E@ DE2CE 4@?76C6?46 A=2J[” rC@4<6EE’D 7@FCE9\J62C 3@DD D2:5] “x? >J @A:?:@? E92E’D 92C5 2D 2 A=2J6C[ 3FE 2D 2 4@249 x’5 C2E96C 86E E9@D6 @FE @7 E96 H2J[ 6DA64:2==J :7 J@F 42? 86E EH@ 3:8 H:?D 2E $4:6?46 w:== 2?5 96C6 E@?:89E 282:?DE (6DE #:586]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D 3:8 E:>6 4@>:?8 324< E@ @FC A=246 W=2E6C :? E96 D62D@?X 2?5 :E 8:G6D FD 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 >@>6?EF>] (6 8@ E@ s@3J?D\q6??6EE @? %F6D52J 2?5 E92E H:== 36 2 3:8 82>6 7@C FD] x’> 6I4:E65 23@FE >J 8FJD]”k^Am
kAm%96 !:@?66CD W`_\`_[ a\_X 5@>:?2E65 E96 :?E6C:@C E@ 4=2:> E9:D G:4E@CJ[ H:E9 e\7@@E\d #6282? r2D9 2?5 e\b[ a`d\A@F?5 r@=:? q62D@? 3C:?8:?8 >@C6 E92? E96 (@=G6D W``\g[ `\aX 2?5 E96:C a\b K@?6 4@F=5 92?5=6]k^Am
kAmq62D@?[ 2 ;F?:@C[ 2=D@ 56>@?DEC2E65 2 DH66E D9@@E:?8 E@F49 3J <?@4<:?8 5@H? E9C66 b\A@:?E ;F>A6CD @? 9:D H2J E@ 2 a`\A@:?E ?:89E] r2D9[ ;FDE 2 D@A9@>@C6[ 7:?:D965 H:E9 `h A@:?ED 2?5 :>AC6DD:G6=J J2?<65 5@H? `e C63@F?5D]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“%92E’D 9@H H6’G6 A=2J65 2== J62C =@?8[” r@??6== D2:5] “(6 92G6 2? :?D:56\@FE 82>6 3642FD6 H6’G6 8@E D@ >2?J 8FJD H9@ 42? 92?5=6 :E :?D:56 2?5 E96J’G6 8@E 8C62E >@G6D 2?5 DEC@?8 92?5D[ 2?5 :7 J@F 5@F3=6 5@H? @C 96=A 5@H?[ H6 92G6 <:5D @? E96 @FED:56 H9@ 42? D9@@E :E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“(6’G6 8@E E9C66 @C 7@FC 3:8 8FJD E92E H6 C@E2E6 :? E96C6 2?5 2D 2 8C@FA E96J’G6 C62==J 366? A96?@>6?2=[ =:<6 E@?:89E] #6282? 2?5 r@=:? H6C6 3@E9 9F86 E@?:89E] %9@D6 EH@ 2C6 DEC@?8 2?5 A9JD:42= 2?5 3@E9 92G6 2 8C62E E@F49 2C@F?5 E96 C:>]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmw@E\D9@@E:?8 (256 (:E496C AFD965 (6DE #:586 @FE E@ 2? 62C=J 25G2?E286 E92E 8C6H E@ 2D >F49 2D ae\`b H:E9 ei_h =67E :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C[ 3FE rC@4<6EE 5:5 ?@E A2?:4 2?5 H@C<65 :ED H2J 324< :? 2 ?F>36C @7 H2JD]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 86EE:?8 E96 32== 5@H? E96 =@H 3=@4<[ sC2<6 $9:?8=6\564<6C 2?5 y24@3 pC?@=5 3@E9 D4@C65 :? EC2?D:E:@?[ H9:=6 qC25=6J v@F86[ qC@5J |4vF:C6 2?5 q62D@? 6249 3FC:65 b\A@:?E 3@>3D 2D E96 !:@?66CD C64@G6C65 E@ E2<6 2 bd\bb =625 :?E@ E96 3C62< kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm2E 92=7E:>6k^DA2?m]k^Am
kAmpD rC@4<6EE E@@< 4@?EC@= kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm@7 E96 82>6k^DA2?m @? E96 :?E6C:@C[ E96 !:@?66CD DE6AA65 :E FA 5676?D:G6=J 2?5 D=@H65 (:E496C 4@?D:56C23=J]k^Am
kAm(:E496C 7:?:D965 H:E9 a` A@:?ED[ 3FE `f @7 E9@D6 42>6 :? E96 7:CDE 92=7]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“p== @FC 8FJD A=2J65 8C62E 5676?D:G6=J[” r@??6== D2:5] “x E9@F89E sC2<6 $9:?8=6564<6C 2?5 qC25=6J v@F86 A=2J65 8C62E 5676?D6 282:?DE (256 2?5 @7 4@FCD6 E92E H2D 9F86 7@C FD]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm(:E496C H2D 324<65 3J E96 `c\A@:?E @FE:?8D @7 s2HD@? pC?@=5 2?5 pG6CJ w@C?6]k^Am
k9bm{ps* (~{'t$ vt% x% s~}tk^9bm
kAm(6DE #:586 ;F>A65 @FE E@ 2 3:8 =625 27E6C @?6 BF2CE6C 2?5 9F?8 @? E@ 362E E96 5676?5:?8 q:8 d 492>A:@?D :? 2 <6J[ 62C=J\D62D@? =628F6 82>6]k^Am
kAm%96 {25J (@=G6D W`_\`_[ a\`X =65 `c\e 27E6C 6:89E >:?FE6D 2?5 96=5 E96 6586 E9C@F89@FE[ 2=E9@F89 rC@4<6EE W`d\c[ `\`X 5:5 4FE 2 `b\A@:?E[ 7@FCE9\BF2CE6C 567:4:E E@ d_\cf :? E96 7:?2= >:?FE6 @7 A=2J]k^Am
kAm%H@ 7C66 E9C@HD 3J u2==@? %2J=@C H:E9 `_ D64@?5D E@ A=2J AC@G:565 E96 7:?2= 7:G6\A@:?E >2C8:?]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm2?5 6?@F89 4FD9:@? E@ 96=A (6DE #:586 4@249 zC:DE: (2==:?8 C6=2Ik^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“(6 7:?2==J 5:5 H92E H6’G6 366? AC24E:4:?8 @?[” (2==:?8 D2:5] ]]] “x 766= =:<6 H6 =6E @?6 D=:A 2H2J 2E q@@?6 W62C=:6C :? E96 H66<X :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C 2D H6 <6AE EFC?:?8 E96 32== @G6C] xE H2D =:<6 2 EH@\A@:?E 82>6 2?5 H6 =@DE 3J a_ 3642FD6 H6 =@DE @FC >:?5D :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“p== H6 AC24E:465 @? J6DE6C52J H2D AC6DD 3C62<D[ <66A:?8 @FC 4@>A@DFC6[ EFC? 2?5 7246[ 32== DH66A[ :?DE625 @7 ;FDE D=:?8:?8 :E 2?5 A2?:4<:?8] x 766= =:<6 @FC <:5D C62==J DE6AA65 FA 2?5 D9@H65 2 =@E >@C6 4@>A@DFC6 E@?:89E]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm~776?D:G6=J[ (6DE #:586 C@56 E96 @FEDE2?5:?8 82>6 @7 p==:6 #6:==J[ 2 D@A9@>@C6 H9@ ?2:=65 7@FC b\A@:?E ;F>A6CD 2?5 7:?:D965 H:E9 2 82>6\9:89 `h A@:?ED] %62>>2E6 p=6I:D w@@5 AC@G:565 8@@5 :?E6C:@C DFAA@CE H:E9 `` A@:?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 {25J !:@?66CD[ H9@ >256 ?:?6 b\A@:?E6CD[ H6C6 =65 3J E96 `f\A@:?E @FE:?8 @7 7C6D9>2? qCJ=66 %F==@4<]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmrC@4<6EE EC2:=65 bf\bc 9625:?8 :?E@ E96 7:?2= 7C2>6 367@C6 (6DE #:586 @A6?65 E96 7:?2= A6C:@5 H:E9 2 <6J DAFCE E92E =67E E96 (@=G6D =625:?8 3J `b A@:?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am