WCHS Wildcats, Lady Cats Capture District Tourney Championships

The Wayne County High School Wildcats and Lady Cats took care of business this past weekend in the TSSAA 11-1A District Tournament. The 'Cats defeated Collinwood on Friday, then won the title on Saturday night, beating the Frank Hughes Lions. The Lady Cats began the tourney downing the Lady Lions of Frank Hughes in a “running clock” win. They took the district title on Saturday, defeating the Lady Vikings of Perry County. Region action begins on Friday for the WCHS teams as they host this weekend. The bracket is not complete, as the opposing district has not completed play.

The Lady Cats got off to a 11 – 2 start against the Lady Lions of Frank Hughes as they forced five turnovers in the first three minutes. They led 30 – 5 at the end of the first quarter, and 38 – 16 at the half, as the Lady Lions had 19 first half turnovers. The margin increased to 58 – 19 in the third, as they took the win, 62 – 26. Blair Baugus led with 16 points, and Lou Prater had 12. Baugus had 4 rebounds, steals, and 5 assists. Prater finished with a rebound, steals, and 3 assists. Kate Brison had 2 three-pointers for 6 points, and Emma Bryant and Mary-Grace Littleton each scored 5 points. Bryant had 2 assists, and Littleton had 2 boards and an assist. Ava Ashley, Kaybree Carroll, and Adaline Odle each scored 4 points. Ashley had a rebound, a steal, and an assist, while Carroll had 2 boards and 2 assists. Odle had 2 rebounds, a steal, and an assist. Presley Daniel, Emma Green, and Shylynn Smith each scored 2 points. Daniel had 2 boards, a steal, and an assist, and Green had a rebound. Smith had 3 boards and 3 steals. Carleigh Labombard and Kinsley Miller each had a rebound, and Izzie Scaife had an assist. The Lady Cats forced 31 total turnovers and hit 6 of 13 from three on the night.

The 'Cats trailed 23 – 21 at the end of the first quarter against the Trojans as Collinwood went 9 of 11 from the field in the first quarter. In the second, the 'Cats hit for 19 points, holding the Trojans to 9, to 40 – 32, as they began on a 13 – 1 run to start the quarter. Collinwood cut the margin to 5, 54 – 49, in the third, and then to 2, 56 – 54, with 4:51 left. A Sayler Skelton basket and a 3-point play by Nate Bevis upped the margin to 61 – 55. The 'Cats went on to take the 68 – 55 win to advance to the title game. Sayler Skelton led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points. He had 3 boards, a block, and a steal. Justice Bell hit for 14 points and had 6 boards, 5 steals, and an assist. Nate Bevis came off the bench to score 13 points and had a rebound.

Cayman Camfield had 9 points and 9 boards, with a steal and 4 assists. Will Robertson hit a pair of threes and had 2 steals and 2 assists. Logan Davis and Case Butler each scored 5 points. Davis had 2 boards, a steal, and 7 assists. Butler had 5 boards and a steal. Kace Bryant had an assist. The 'Cats forced 18 Trojan turnovers.

In the championship game Saturday against the Lady Vikings of Perry County, the Lady Cats went on a 14 – 0 run until the 2:11 mark of the period, when the Lady Vikings hit their first basket, a three. The Lady Cats led 20 – 3 at the end of the quarter and 36 – 9 at the half. They went on take the 67 – 37 win. Blair Baugus, Presley Daniel, and Lou Prater each hit for double digits. Baugus had 21 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, and 3 assists. Daniel had 13 points, 2 rebounds, a block, and a steal. Prater had 2 boards, 3 steals, and 4 assists. Ava Ashley scored 7 points and had 7 rebounds. Mary-Grace Littleton also had 7 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Emma Bryant, Adaline Odle, and Shylynn Smith each scored 2 points. Bryant had 2 boards, a steal, and 2 assists, while Odle had 2 assists, and Smith had a rebound. Kaybree Carroll had a rebound. Kate Brison had a rebound and an assist. The Lady Cats won the rebounding battle, 36 – 23, coming away with 15 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 second chance points.

The Wildcats came away with at 28 – 17 lead at the end of the first quarter against the Frank Hughes Lions, with Justice Bell hitting 4 three-pointers in the period. They went on to take a 51 – 34 halftime lead as Cayman Camfield poured in 15 points in the second. Frank Hughes suffered from foul trouble in the first half, and the 'Cats went on to take the win, 85 – 68. Cayman Camfield claimed a triple-double in the game with 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also had a steal and was 15 of 16 from the foul line. Justice Bell scored 20 points, including 5 threes, and had 3 boards. Sayler Skelton scored 17 points and had 9 rebounds and assists. Logan Davis scored 4 points, 2 boards, a steal, and 5 assists, and Case Butler and Will Robertson each had 2 points. Butler had 3 rebounds, while Robertson had 5 assists. The 'Cats shot 50% from the field.

Come out and support the teams in region action beginning Friday. Tourney play will continue at WCHS next week. “CONGRATS 'CATS AND LADY CATS!”---Submitted by Susan Gallian