South Putnam doubles up Greencastle in Putnam County Middle School Boys' Basketball finals

South Putnam's seventh grade team held its nerve late in the fourth quarter and survived a wild finial possession to win 34-32 over Greencastle in the Putnam County Middle School Boys' Basketball Tournament final. Members of the winning squad include Trey Dorsett, Dallas Mullin, Jackson Mancillas, Graham Clark, Levi Clearly, Lane Martin, Kason Ames, Levi Couch, Lukas Harris and Kaden Stutsman. The Eagles are coached by Kole Ames.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

CLOVERDALE – It was a double-up kind of night for South Putnam Wednesday in the finals of the Putnam County Boys’ Basketball Middle School Tournament.

The Eagles avenged an earlier loss to Greencastle in the seventh grade final, winning a frenetic game 34-32, while the eighth grade squad won a second-straight title, defeating the Tiger Cubs 39-20.

Seventh Grade

Played at a ferocious tempo from start to finish, South Putnam and Greencastle refused to give up anything to one another, though the score early in the second quarter indicated otherwise.

The Eagles started off with a three-point play from Jackson Mancillas and a hoot shot from Levi Cleary for a 5-0 lead.

Gavin Tyson got a basket back for the Tiger Cubs but baskets from Kason Ames and Graham Clark gave South Putnam a 9-2 lead after a quarter of play.

The speed of play only increased in the second quarter and ball retention became an issue as both teams had four turnovers in the period.

Greencastle made the most of that though it took falling behind 17-6 before a rally was in order.

Tyson scored twice at the start of the period but Clearly scored in-between while Clark and Dallas Mullin hit threes to make it 17-6.

Taurin Clark hit a three in reply while Nash Dobbs scored on a putback to cut the gap in half at 17-11.

Graham Clark hit a three to make it 20-11 but it would be the last Eagle basket of the half as Liam Grimes hit a free throw and layup, Tyson hit 1-of-2 at the line and Dobbs added another putback off of Tyson’s miss at the line to trim the gap to 20-17 at halftime.

Ames opened the second half with a putback that Grimes answered on the other end as the lead remained at three.

Graham Clark hit a three but Griffin Goodpaster scored back-to-back baskets and Tyson tied the game for the Tiger Cubs in the lane at 25-25.

A pair of Graham Clark putbacks gave South Putnam a 29-25 lead after three quarters of play and a three to start the final period made it 32-25 Eagles.

Tyson hit a jumper and Grimes drove to the rim as the pace continued unabated outside of several timeouts called in the final quarter.

Ames hit both shots at the foul line with 1:32 to play by Mac Heavin halved the deficit with a three to make it 34-32 with 40 seconds remaining.

Mancillas was unable to convert the front end of the one-and-one with five seconds left and a wild final possession was in store as the Tiger Cubs got two shots up, missed both and Dobbs was fouled at the horn but determined not to be in the act of shooting, allowing the Eagles to claim the title.

“Greencastle is a great team,” South Putnam head coach Kole Ames. “I know a lot of those boys and their parents and they’re great kids.

“They’re a very good team that’s hard to guard because you can’t focus on one person. We never felt comfortable even while ahead because they kept making runs but we were able to keep finishing and when they did go on a run, we didn’t fall apart and hung on in the end.”

Scoring

South Putnam (8-36 2FG; 5-19 3FG; 3-4 FT) — Clark 18, Ames 6, Cleary 4, Mancillas 3, Mullin 3

Greencastle (12-20 2FG; 3-23 3FG; 2-5 FT) — Tyson 11, Grimes 7, Goodpaster 4, Dobbs 4, Clark 3, Heavin 3

Statistics

Eight Grade

A rematch between the two schools from last year’s seventh grade game, one won by South Putnam in convincing fashion 44-8, had a similar feel with one considerable exception.

The Eagles continued where they had left off in terms of pressing and forcing turnovers from Greencastle but, unlike a year ago, the baskets not only did not flow, the ball refused to go through.

Drew Cline finally got the Eagles on the board after a multi-chance possession which Andrew Morgan matched after beating the South Putnam press.

Bransyn Hanley notched a jumper that Fischer Barcus answered while a Blake Witt jumper and Cline free throw were canceled out by a late Griffin Beasley three as the Tiger Cubs tied the game at 7-7 after a quarter of play.

It was the last time Greencastle would be close, however, as the volume of shots the Eagles put up eventually told with Witt hitting a jumper, scored off a steal and hit a three with Carson Phillips notching a three and Cline added a free throw as part of an 11-0 run.

Beasley managed a late basket to avoid a shut out in the quarter but Greencastle trailed 18-9 at halftime.

Phillips opened the second half with a three while Hanley scored to make it 23-10.

Cale Coons scored the sole basket for the Tiger Cubs in the third quarter which Hanley answered with a putback as South Putnam led 25-12 with six minutes to go.

The baskets finally unlocked in the final quarter as Hanley scored on a putback and Cline followed up to make it 2912.

Beasley scored on a drive and added a three but Eli Owen scored six points on the break going the other way to keep the lead steady at 35-17.

Barcus and Caleb Edwards finished out the scoring for Greencastle as did Witt and Isaac Garner as South Putnam claimed a second-straight title.

“We like to play an upstyle-tempo basketball game, which occasionally get us out of rhythm,” South Putnam head coach Shannon Griffin said. “We told the guys to calm down, take their time, take a deep breath and to stop pressing.

“You could see it in their face that they were really pressing, wanting the victory. We came out in the second half and things started to fall for them.”

Scoring

South Putnam (14-44 2FG; 3-16 3FG; 2-9 FT) — Witt 11, Hanley 8, Cline 6, Phillips 6, Owen 6, Garner 2

Greencastle (6-21 2FG; 2-11 3FG; 2-4 FT) — Beasley 11, Barcus 3, Edwards 2, Morgan 2, Coons 2

Statistics