Basketball Rec League Roundup: Week One

The 2011 Pulaski County recreation league basketball season is now underway, and teams are starting to get their game faces on.  All together, there are 63 teams spread out over the several age divisions in the county, which means that there are over 500 young athletes currently involved.  Games are played through out the county at schools and other locations.

This past fall, the Southwest Times began a column that highlighted the weekly scores and statistics from our rec league football games.  Based on the response I got while out at the games after the first article, this was something that both the players and parents really enjoyed.  Our goal during basketball season is to provide coverage for as many of our county teams as possible, but as was the case with the football coverage in the fall, alot of that will depend on the support of the coaches.  Coaches are requested to send game information to cougardave23@comcast.net to be included in these weekly articles.

The Pulaski County Recreation Department offers a chance for kids to participate in basketball each year in several age groups.  First year players, age 5-6 and 7-8 are grouped in coed divisions with eight foot goals.  No score is kept in these divisions, and the primary focus is on teaching basic basketball skills and teamwork, while allowing players a chance to get some exercise. 

The next level up is somewhat different.  For boys, 8-10 year olds are grouped together in a league, while the girls are grouped into a 8-11 year old league.  This division does keep score, and a regulation basket is used.  Based on the number of players available, the rec league will break the older players into further groups.  Normally, boys have an 11-12 year old division and a 13-15 division, while the girls are grouped into a 12-15 year old division.  Both boys and girls then have the opportunity to play in the 15-18 year old division, as long as their are enough players to field the teams.

This year, the divisions are made up of the following teams.  In the 5-6 year old coed division the teams are the Snowville/Hiwassee Dunkers, Snowville/Hiwassee Panthers, Riverlawn Tar Heels, Riverlawn Rockets, Dublin Cubs, Dublin Dukes, Dublin Yellow Jackets Dublin Celtics, Dublin Hokies, Dublin Bandits, Pulaski Wolverines, Pulaski Little Mustangs, Pulaski Little Hoopsters, and the Pulaski Hokies.  In the 7-8 year old coed division, the teams are the Riverlawn Hokies, Riverlawn Thunder, Riverlawn Jaguars, Dublin Dragons, Dublin Heat, Dublin Highlanders, Dublin Bulls, Dublin Lakers, Pulaski Spartans, Pulaski All-Stars, Pulaski Dragos, Pulaski Raptors, Pulaski Wolverines, and the Snowville/Hiwassee Hokies. 

The boys 8-10 year old division is made up of the Snowville Longhorns, Snowville Suns, Riverlawn Fire, Riverlawn Magic, Dublin Lightning, Dublin Highlanders, Dublin Rockets, Dublin Suns, Dublin Blue Devils, Dublin Tar Heels, Dublin Globe Trotters, Pulaski Spurs, Pulaski Blue Devils, Pulaski Celtics, and the Pulaski Hokies.  The girls 8-11 division is made up of the Riverlawn Tigers, Riverlawn Huskies, Riverlawn Purple Pumas, Dublin Dynamite, Dublin Tar Heels, Dublin Firecrackers, Dublin Dream, Pulaski Wildcats, Pulaski Eagles, and the Pulaski Tar Heels.  The boys 11-12 year old division is made up of the Snowville/Hiwassee Bobcats, Riverlawn Volunteers, Dublin Heat, Dublin Wolverines, Dublin Celtics, Dublin Tar Heels, Pulaski B-Ballers, Pulaski Heat, and the Pulaski Tar Heels.
So far, I have received two reports on games.  Again, we can only run the information if we receive it, so parents and players please encourage your coaches to send it in to the email address listed above.  Good luck to all of our Pulaski County athletes!!

Snowville Pink Panthers Get First Win
The Snowville Pink Panthers  8-11 year old girls team got their first win of the season on January 24 over the Pulaski Tar Heels by a final score of 39-2.  Leah Lowe led the Panthers with 18 points.  Michelle Massie and Carly Hedge added 6 points each.  Emily Cox scored 3 points, while Katie Fox, Breanna Hollins, and Sammantha Webb added two points each.  Mackenzie Ratcliff's provided several blocks, as well as solid defense in the effort.

Dublin Heat Win Over Dublin Celtics
The Dublin Head defeated the Dublin Celtics by a final score of 34-16 on January 20.  The Heat, coached by Joe Blankenship, were led in scoring by Hunter Thomas who scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds.  Alex Akers added 10 points and 10 assists.  Adam Baber chipped in 5 points, and Trent Blankenship had three points.  For the Celtics, who are coached by John Thompson, Jacob Masse led the way with 8 points.  Justin Shatto added 6 points, and J.T. Thompson added two while also leading the team in rebounds.

For more information of Pulaski County recreation league basketball, or other Pulaski County recreation league sports, visit their website at www.pulaskicounty.org/pcrec.

Lady Dukes Continue Winning Ways

The Dublin Middle School Lady Dukes came out flat on Wednesday evening, and quickly found themselves in the hole against a scrappy and aggressive Carroll County team that came to Dublin looking to take home a win.  The Lady Dukes were able to pull things together by halftime, however, and after a taking a commanding lead in the third quarter they were able to hold on against a fourth quarter rally to beat the Lady Cavaliers 36-30.  The win moves the Lady Dukes record to 14-3 on the season.

At the end of the first quarter, the Lady Dukes trailed 9-4, but that changed quickly when Chelsea Golden hit a three pointer at the start of the second quarter.  Dublin immediately began to pressure the Carroll County offense, denying them a good look at the basket and keeping the ball on the Dublin side of the court.  The Lady Dukes also found their rhythm shooting the ball and quickly took the lead and began to build on it.  Carroll County was held to only seven points in the second quarter, while Dublin added 17 to move the halftime score to 21-16 in favor of the Lady Dukes.

"We came out slow in the first quarter, which is something we don't normally do" said Dublin Head Coach Buddy Farris.  "I didn't like the fact that we came out like that, but I was happy with the way we fought back.  The girls showed alot of heart out there tonight.  Carroll County has a good team, and they never gave up.  Our girls did a good job of finishing the game out though."

The Dublin defense stepped up even more in the third quarter, allowing on two points by the Lady Cavs while Dublin added eleven more points to their total, including another Golden three pointer.  The third quarter ended with the Lady Dukes seeming to have the game well under control, leading 32-18, but somebody forgot to tell the Lady Cavs to throw in the towel. 

Carroll County started hitting shots, and it seemed like someone had suddenly put a lid on the Dublin basket.  While the Lady Dukes took plenty of shots, they just couldn't get the ball to drop and were held to only four points in the fourth quarter.  Carroll County slowly began to move back within range of a win, but in the end poor free throw shooting cost them a chance to take the win.   Dublin had a 34-30 lead, and rebounded the ball with just over a minute and thirty second left in the game.  After getting the ball down the court, the Lady Dukes were able to move the ball around the Lady Cavs defense effectively for over half of that time before allowing the Carroll County defense to foul them.   In the end, the Carroll County Lady Cavs ran out of time in the comeback efforts, and Dublin took the 36-30 win.

Chelsea Golden led the scoring for the Lady Dukes with 16 points.  Meredith Mitchell added eight points and a strong defensive effort, while Hannah Hancock chipped in four points.  Carlie Perry, Moriah Hinton, Alyson Gilbert, and Alexis Hurst added two points each to round out the scoring.

The Lady Dukes will finish out their season this Friday as they host the Auburn Eagles.

Dukes Dominate Cavaliers

Sometimes you need something positive to happen to get things going in the right direction.  Apparently that was the case for the Dublin Dukes on Wednesday evening, as they used the momentum of their big win over Pulaski last week to defeat Carroll County by a final score of 44-25.

Jake Callahan goes up for two of his
nine points Thursday night.

"I wish we could start the season over today" said Dukes Head Coach Richard Lewis.  "We were close so many times this season, but couldn't get where we wanted to be.  Now, these young men seem to be starting to get it.  We came out strong tonight and never looked back.  We finally have some confidence and look like the team I thought we could be at the start of the season."

The Dukes came out shooting in the first quarter, but the shots didn't seem to want to fall.  Fortunately for Dublin, their defense did an excellent job of keeping the ball out of the Cavaliers hands, allowing them to take enough shots to overcome those missed shots.  The first quarter ended with Dublin comfortably ahead 13-2, but the Cavaliers finally found a way to break through Dublin's pressure defense in the second quarter.  The Dukes continued to have trouble getting their shots to fall, and Coach Lewis also took the opportunity to get some fresh players into the game while they had the lead.  The half ended with Dublin still in the lead, but the margin had been cut to 19-10.

The starters came back on the floor for the third quarter, and it greatly resembled the first quarter as the Dukes built the lead back up with pressure on both sides of the court.  Defensively the Dukes didn't allow Carroll County much more than a quick glance at the basket through out the third, allowing only three points.  The third quarter ended with the Dukes again up big, 36-13.  Coach Lewis began to clear the bench, and while the Dukes did allow twelve fourth quarter points by the Cavs, they also continued to put the ball up themselves and added a final eight to put the final score at 44-25.

Jake Callahan lead the Dukes in scoring in the game with nine points.  Darian Brown continued to add to his season total with seven points, while Elliot Brewster and Jesse "Air" Draper added six points each.  Levi Clark had a strong night under the basket rebounding, and added four points along with Isaac Poe.  Malik Eaves also added four points, but he can also claim eight assists, seven steals, and five rebounds to those points.  Marcus Cox and Ray Lewis rounded out the Dukes scoring with two points each.

The Dukes will finish out their season this Friday as they host the Auburn Eagles.  Tip off is set for 4:30 pm.

Lady Dukes Sweep Orioles

Prior to the start of the game Thursday night, the parents of the Dublin Middle School eighth grade cheerleaders and basketball players were recognized for their hard work as they were introduced to the crowd.   The Pulaski Middle School Lady Orioles came into the game with the intentions of spoiling the festivities, quickly taking a 3-2 lead in the first minute of the game.  The Lady Dukes recovered quickly, however, and went on a 21 point run to finish out the first quarter before finally finishing the contest with a convincing 52-29 win.

Dublin's Chelsea Golden led all scorers in the game with her 17 point effort, most of which came in the first half.  After taking the 23-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Dukes continued to pressure the ball up the court while rotating in several players.  The half ended with Dublin adding ten points, but Pulaski also began putting together some offense and added eight points to bring the score to 33-1.

After the halftime break, Dublin Head Coach Buddy Farris went back to the starting lineup for a short time before beginning his rotation again.  The Lady Dukes added 13 more points to the board, but a combination of tough defense and missed shots by the Lady Orioles held them to only six points in the third quarter.  With the lead comfortably in hand, Dublin continued to rotate through different players and finished the game with the 52-29 win.  It should be noted that while the score did seem to be a heavy handed win for Dublin, the Pulaski players continued to work hard, and in the end actually outscored Dublin 12-6 in the final quarter.

Pulaski was led by Ania Austin and Katie Cox who scored six points each.  Kiki Plummer and Christie Simpkins were close behind with five points each, and Kendra Hudson finished with four points.  Candace Alley finished with two points, and Courtney Beville finished the game with one point.  Golden set the pace for Dublin with her 17 points, Meredith Mitchell who added 11.  Carlie Perry contributed 8 points to the win, while Ally Myers and Alexis Hurst added four points each.  Hannah Hancock and Alyson Gilbert finished the game with two points each to round out the scoring for Dublin.

The Lady Dukes will be back in action on Wednesday, January 19 when they host Carroll County.

Dukes Shock Orioles

The Pulaski Middle School Orioles have been having an outstanding basketball season, with a current overall record of 11-4.  The Dublin Middle School Dukes basketball team has been having a more difficult time this season, however, and the wins have just not been there even when the effort has been.   The two teams met for the final time this season on Thursday night at Dublin Middle School, and as is usually the case with rivalry games, anything could and did happen.  After being manhandled in their first match up a little over a week ago, the Dukes were able to defeat the Orioles by a final score of 44-39.

"What a win" said an extremely happy Dublin Head Coach Richard Lewis.  "These guys have worked hard all season, and at times we've played well.  We could never seem to get over the hump though.  This was, without a doubt, our best game of the season.  The team played hard, they shot well, and we hustled through the entire game.  I'm really proud of the effort we put out tonight."

The Dukes took an early lead, going up 5-0 before the Orioles were able to hit a basket.  Tough defense on both sides of the court kept the scoring low, but the first quarter ended with Dublin up 11-6.  Both teams missed three point attempts in the second quarter, but the Dukes kept pressing the ball on the strength of solid drives to the basket by Malik Eaves, Jake Callahan, and Isaac Poe.  While Dublin maintained a steady pace on offense, scoring 11 more second quarter points, they also kept the defensive pressure on the Orioles and held them to seven.  The half ended with Dublin ahead 22-13.

Pulaski came out hot in the second half, and three pointers by Gavin Hanks and Marcus Burks helped the Orioles close the gap somewhat.  The third quarter saw the Orioles outscore Dublin 15 points to 12, leaving the score at 34-30 heading into the final period.    Pulaski continued to try to find a way to take the lead, but the Dukes were determined to finish the game strong.  Halfway through the final quarter the Dukes had stretched the lead back out to 40-32 after a layup by Eaves, who then also got a steal and another layup immediately.  Pulaski attempted to move the ball down the court to get in position for a three point shot to tighten up the score again, but couldn't get a good look at the basket.  After both teams exchanged foul shots for the final two minutes, Dublin was able to hold on for the upset win by the final 44-39.

"Pulaski has a great team and we feel very fortunate to have played as well as we did tonight" said Coach Lewis.  "I know this is always a heated rivalry game, and you want to see the kids competing the way they did tonight.  You want to see them play hard and play to the end.  After it's all said and done though, these young men will all be team mates at the high school.  Once this season is over, it's time to start getting them ready to be Cougars."

Tyler Blevins led the scoring for Pulaski and the game with 18 points.  Marcus Burks and Cameron Merchant added six points each, while Tyler Harrison added four.  Gavin Hanks added three points to the tally, while Chris Tucker chipped in two points.  For Dublin, the high scorer was Isaac Poe, who ended the game with 15 points.  Jake Callahan was close behind with 12 points, and Malik Eaves has eleven.  Levi Clark added four points for Dublin, and Darian Brown rounded out the scoring with two points.

Due to the recent bad weather, two DMS games were postponed recently.  The Dukes will host Carroll County on Wednesday night with either a 4:30 or 6 pm tip off.