Yellow Jackets basketball goes 2-1 in return to court

GCHS downed Forrest 65-49 in its Homecoming matchup at Ricky Richards Gym. Junior Sam Parson totaled 28 points, and Brady Everett and Dylan Sanders added 12 and 11, respectively, in the 16-point win over the Rockets.

FHS jumped out to a 9-7 lead in the first quarter. Bray McCown hit a 3-pointer and was 2-for-2 from the free-throw line to help the Rockets to the early advantage, but the Grundy defense locked Forrest down in the second for just two points. Kelley Toombs managed the visitors’ only basket in the second period, while Everett scored five for the Jackets in their seven-point quarter. Grundy led 14-11 at the half.

Both offenses came to life in the third with Grundy edging out the Rockets 24-22 to hold a 38-33 lead going into the final period. Parson scored 15 of the Jackets’ 24 points on three field goals, two 3-pointers and a 3-for-3 clip from the line.

Sanders led GCHS in scoring in the fourth with eight, and Parson added another six points to help put the contest out of reach. Grundy scored 26 in the final eight minutes while holding Forrest to just 16 points.

The following night, the Yellow Jackets routed 1A Whitwell 81-34. The Tigers were without their starting post, Jace Wooden, and Grundy’s bench had the opportunity to play significant minutes in the Senior Night victory.

GCHS starters Parson, Sanders and Everett each registered double-digit points despite playing just the first half. Parson paced the Jackets with 14 points, while Sanders and Everett each scored 10. Nate Roberts contributed five in the first half before sitting the final 16 minutes.

Grundy led 32-7 after the first and 58-21 at the half. Parson and Everett combined for 19 points in the opening eight minutes with Everett netting 10. Whitwell’s Asher Yell accounted for nine of the Tigers’ 21 first-half points.

In the second half, nearly every Jackets’ bench player checked into the game. Landon Parson added five points in the third to bring his total for the night to 11, and Dylan Garcia tacked on a pair of free throws to end with 11. Bryce Harwell finished with six, and Carson Magouirk, Warren Langley and AJ Frisbee each tallied four points.

Grundy’s defense limited Whitwell to just 13 points in the second half.

The Yellow Jackets had just one day to prepare for first-place Cannon County on Monday. Despite an exciting Yellow Jackets comeback, the Lions remained undefeated in the district with a 65-60 road win.

CCHS jumped out to a commanding 19-7 lead in the first. Its stout defense held Parson to seven points on one bucket and four field goals, but GCHS rallied back in the second with a 20-point frame. The balanced attack saw Parson lead the way with eight, Roberts and Harwell with four each, and Sanders and Reece Strong each threw in a bucket. Cannon was limited to 17 as Grundy pulled to within five of the lead at the half.

The third and fourth quarters were stalemates, leading to the eventual five-point victory for Cannon. Both GCHS and CCHS scored 15 and 18 in the second half’s stanzas. Despite a 31-point performance from Parson, which included 17 second-half points, Cannon County’s Demaurion Licke and Theo Winters stepped up to secure the win for the Lions. Locke and Winters combined for 20 points in the closing half to help CCHS hold onto the lead in both the game and the district standings.

Grundy hosted 1A Van Buren County on Tuesday, but results were not available at press time.

With four district games to play, including a rematch with Cannon County in Woodbury on Friday, Grundy sits in second in the district with a 2-2 record. The Lions lead the standings at 3-0.

The Yellow Jackets visit Cascade on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and Community on Thursday, Feb. 8. Tip for both games is set for 6 p.m. Grundy wraps up the regular season Friday, Feb. 9 at home against Community at 6 p.m.