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Highlights
’Jackets fall in final 2 games
Monitor Staff Report
KEMP–Playing their final two games of the season at home against
the top two District 13-3A teams, the Kemp Yellowjackets fell in
both games, 53-38 to the Ferris Yellowjackets and 45-34 to the
Crandall Pirates.
Feb. 11, Kemp was able to hang with the more athletic Ferris
team for the first quarter, taking a 15-10 lead, only to see the
visitors start pulling away in the second period, outscoring
Kemp 19-8 to go up by six, 29-23, at halftime.
In the third quarter, Kemp again matched Ferris, but were unable
to cut into the margin, but Ferris outscored Kemp 15-5 in the
fourth quarter to forge the final 15-point margin.
Jeff Goldman led Kemp with 13 points, as Jake Goldman scored 10
(all in the first half).
Kemp also got six points from Blake Watkins, four points each
from Riley Lazard and Ryan Emfinger and a second-quarter free
throw from Brandon Stewart.
Ferris’ Joseph Pickett led all scorers with 23 points, including
a trio of 3-point baskets.
In the season finale against Crandall Tuesday night, the Kemp
boys used a very deliberate approach against the faster Pirates,
dictating the pace of the contest and concentrating on defense.
It paid off, as Kemp opened an 8-4 lead in the first period and
continued to lead by three at halftime, 17-14.
Crandall came out with a running attack in the third quarter and
blew open the contest, outscoring the ’Jackets 14-2 behind seven
points from Brandon Johnson to take a nine-point lead into the
fourth quarter, 28-19.
Watkins had the only Kemp points in the third quarter with a
bucket, as Jake Goldman missed a pair of free throws.
In the final frame, the Pirates edged the ’Jackets, 17-15, to
forge the final 11-point margin, despite the efforts of Jeff
Goldman (two treys) and Emfinger (seven points, including a
trey).
The Pirates did it at the free throw line, hitting 8-of-9 to
hold off the ’Jacket comeback.
Emfinger finished with 14 points to lead the ’Jackets, while
Jeff Goldman had 10.
Watkins finished with four points, while Lazard, Jake Goldman
and Jared Lane all scored two points each.
Brandon Johnson led the Pirates with 14 points, while Otis Smith
and Reid Baker each scored 10 points.
Panthers claw ’Jackets, 62-59
Monitor Staff Reports
FERRIS–The Mabank Panthers made up for a slow start with a
strong finish Tuesday night, as they knocked off the hosting
Ferris Yellowjackets 62-59 in the regular season finale for both
teams.
The game didn’t mean anything in terms of playoff seeding –
Mabank clinched the District 13-3A third-place berth earlier –
but the Panthers continued their late-season roll with their
third straight victory to finish at 6-4 in loop action.
As 13-3A’s third-place team, Mabank will face the 14-3A
second-place team in the bidistrict round of the playoffs.
Lindale and Wills Point tied for the 14-3A second-place berth,
so Mabank will play the winner of Friday night’s Eagles-Tigers
playoff.
At presstime Thursday, tentative plans called for Mabank to play
Lindale (if the Eagles win) Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Wills Point.
Conversely, if Wills Point wins Friday night, the Panthers and
Tigers would play Tuesday night at Eustace.
On the road at Ferris Tuesday night, the Panthers fell behind
early, as the hosting Yellowjackets jumped out to a 25-17 lead
behind eight points (including two 3-point baskets) by Landon
Kosacek and six points (including 4-of-4 at the free throw line)
by Joseph Pickett.
The Panthers countered with eight points (including two treys)
from Brandon Hatfield and four points from T.C. Greene.
In the second quarter, the Panthers picked up the pace,
outscoring the Yellowjackets 20-13 to pull within a single point
at halftime, 38-37.
District MVP candidate Jordan Allen keyed the run, scoring 10 of
his game-high 21 points, while David Marler scored six of his
eight points in the period.
Both teams played evenly in the third quarter, as Ferris edged
the Panthers 11-10 to take a two-point lead into the fourth
quarter, 49-47.
In the final frame, the Panthers outscored the Yellowjackets
15-10 to come from behind and grab the win.
Neither team had a strong showing at the free throw line down
the stretch, as the Panthers hit just 4-of-11 attempts and the
Yellowjackets hit just 4-of-9 attempts.
Greene keyed the fourth-quarter comeback, scoring four points
(but hitting just 2-of-5 at the free throw line), while Allen
hit his third 3-point basket before fouling out.
In addition to Allen’s 21, the Panthers got 13 from Hatfield and
10 from Greene, with Marler adding eight, Ryan Walker seven and
Jacob Ortiz adding three points.
Kosacek finished with 19 points to lead the Yellowjackets, with
Pickett adding 12 and Jamarri Wells 10.
Second- and fourth-quarter runs keyed a 49-36 Mabank win in the
junior varsity game, as the Panther JV outscored Ferris 12-6 in
the second quarter and 17-11 in the fourth to take the 13-point
win.
Garrett Graham led the Panthers with 11 points, including three
3-point baskets, while Chris Newton scored all of his 10 points
in the second half and Landon Marshall scored seven of his nine
points after intermission.
The Panthers also got six points each from Taylor Willeford and
Toby Grimes, three points from Robert Erstine and two points
each from Zack Dillon and Garrett Holcomb.
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