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Clover seventh graders play in Championship
CLOVERDALE--The Cloverdale Clovers seventh-grade boys' basketball team hosted a tournament Saturday with three other teams, Clay City, Eminence and Monrovia. Cloverdale won both of its games to secure a championship title.
Cloverdale got to the championship by winning its first game 41-24 over Eminence. Kyle Thomas paced the Clovers with 16 points and Mark Gill added 8. Others who chipped in were Blake Meek with six, Clayton Maynor with five, Nolan Kelley with three, Chase Ashcraft with two and Tray Dickison with one.
Quick play and defensive stops helped the Clovers achieve this and offensive rebounding was big. On one possession Meek had three offensive rebounds before putting the ball in the basket.
Meeting the Clovers in the championship was the Clay City Eels. The Eels won a thriller over the Monrovia Bulldogs in the second game of the day. Because the Eels were 8 of 26 from the free throw line and they missed six straight down the stretch and were unable to away from the Bulldogs.
The Eels trailed for much of the game, but 11 points by Ethan Rogers helped them get into it and take the lead late in the fourth quarter. But because of the free throw miscues, the Bulldogs had a chance for a last-second three but did not connect.
Before the championship game there was a consolation game for the third and fourth place teams. Monrovia beat Eminence for the third-place title, 40-9. Leading the way in that game was Monrovia's Josh Smith with 13.
The championship game never got out of hand and the biggest lead was by four points for either team. Cloverdale topped Clay City to win, 31-27.
By themselves, Meek, Gill and Dickison outrebounded the Eels 38-8.
"These young men have worked hard all year and it's starting to pay off," Cloverdale coach Billy Boyette said.
Boyette praised his team's effort but hopes for more offensive activity.
"We had great hustle," he said. "But I would like to see some better ball movement."
Earlier in the year Clay City beat Cloverdale by one at Clay City, so this was a big rebound by the Clovers.
"To see our kids revise at home was great," Boyette said. "I'm looking for players with character and these young men are leading the way."
At Cloverdale
Game 1
Eminence: Ringler 8, Webb 6, Sims 4, Fugate 2, Kochowiec 2, O'Mullane 2, Bales 0, Kemp 0, Stader 0.
Cloverdale: Thomas 16, Gill 8, Meek 6, Maynor 5, Kelley 3, Ashcraft 2, Dickison 1, Mann 0, Opiela 0, Schiavarelli 0, Stevens 0.
Championship
Cloverdale: Thomas 14 pts, Gill 11 points 13 reb, Maynor 4 pts, Ashcraft 1 pts, Meek 1 pt 12 reb, Dickison 0 pts 3 reb, Mann 0 pts 3 reb.