8th Grade Cougars Win Cougar Classic

8th Grade Cougars Win In AAU
By David Gravely

Winning is contagious, and that's just what the Pulaski County Cougars 8th grade boys AAU basketball team are hoping for as they took home the trophy in the 8th Annual Cougar Classic last weekend.

"The team played great" said Head Coach Todd Brewster. "This is the first tournament of the year, and we have had just a few practices. They are very unselfish and play as a team. They are a great bunch of kids that love to play together and hang out together."

The Cougars got things started with a contest against the Virginia Sonics out of Botetourt County. After a hard fought contest, the Cougars came out on top by the final score of 56-48. Alex Ramsey led the scoring with 17 points. Isaac Poe added 14, Kevin Smith scored 10, Elliott Brewster had 9, Bradley Church scored 4, and Miguel Garcia added 2 points.

The Cougars second opponent of the weekend was the Auburn Eagles. The Eagles found themselves outmatched on both sides of the floor, as the Cougars took home a 47-7 win. The Cougars took the chance to get their bench players some much needed court time, and nine players put points on the board. Isaac Poe, Elliot Brewster, and Bradley Church paced Pulaski with 8 points each. Landon Lawson, Kevin Smith, and Barron Blevins added 5 points each, with Miguel Garcia scoring 4 points. Kevon Houston and Alex Ramsey added two points each.

The final game of the tournament found the Cougars in the championship game in a rematch against the Virginia Sonic. The Sonic came out and hit the first shot of the game to take a two point lead, but Pulaski went on a six point run to set the pace. The scoring went back and forth, with the game staying close throughout, but in the end the Cougars pulled away to win 48-40. Poe finished the game with 15 points, Smith added 14, and Ramsey chipped in 9 points. Brewster and Church added 4 points each, with Jake Clary scoring two points.

According to Coach Brewster, there is a bigger purpose behind this and other tournaments being held locally. "We had three other Pulaski County boy teams play this weekend. There was a 5th grade, 6th grade and 7th grade team representing Pulaski. The 5th grade team won 1 game and lost 2, the 6 graders were 0 for 3, and the 7th grade was 2 and 1. We are trying to establish the 5th through 8th grade boys teams year after year. This is to help build the basketball program in the county for both the Middle School and High School level. The thought is to add another 5th grade team with the rest moving up a grade level next year. Each team is planning to do several more tournaments in the up and coming weeks. In the end, we want to see success on the court here at Pulaski County High School."