Clear Creek Middle School wrapped up the basketball season at the Mountain League tournament.
The seventh-grade Bobcats made it to the title game against the Dawson County Tigers last Wednesday. While the Cats built a nine-point lead at the half, the Tigers came back over the final two quarters for a 47-43 win.
The Lady Cat eighth graders also qualified for the postseason, and they took on Fannin Monday in the semifinals. The two rivals battled it out through two quarters, but the Lady Rebels pulled away in the second half for a 46-29 win.
For the Bobcats, Caleb Fountain, Easton Adams, Mason Cardd and Silas Mooney all scored to help CCMS build an 11-7 lead after a quarter. The Cats duplicated their scoring effort in the second where Fountain led the way with seven more points.
By the half, the Bobcats led, 22-13. DCMS did not make any three-pointers in the first half, but the Tigers hit three in both the third and fourth quarters. Bobcat Lance West joined in on the scoring action in the third as Mooney continued to go to work in the post and Fountain added six more points to his tally.
CCMS led 36-31 but only managed seven points in the fourth as Dawson kept its offense rolling. The Tigers rallied and overtook the Cats to claim the championship by three points.
Fountain turned in a 17-point title game effort, while Mooney scored 10, Cardd added seven, Adams had five and West finished with two.
The Bobcats blew out White County in the semifinals, 46-28. CCMS made six three-pointers, and Fountain led the way with 22 points. Clear Creek shook off its four-point first quarter and scored 19 in the second to lead 23-13 at the break.
The Warriors had their best offensive quarter in the third, but CCMS still outpaced them by a point for a 37-26 edge entering the fourth.
White went ice cold and just made one shot as CCMS extended its lead to 18 points.
Mooney scored eight and was followed by Cardd (seven), West (six) and Adams (three).
The seventh graders finished with a 9-5 record, while the eighth-grade Bobcats were 5-7.
The eighth-grade Lady Cats’ offense sputtered in the first quarter against Fannin, who opened an 8-4 lead. Lady Cats Molly Hicks and Maylee Bramlett both made a three in the second, while the remaining offense came from the free-throw line via Kensie Farmer and Lily Teague.
Fannin held an 18-16 lead to begin the second half. CCMS made one shot from the field and Fannin extended its lead to 32-24. The Cats only scored four in the fourth, where their season ended with the final buzzer.
Teague scored 11 points and was trailed by teammates Bramlett (seven), Farmer (five), Hicks (three), Neeyah McDaniel (two), and Hadlee Banks (one).
The loss gave the eighth graders a 6-7 final record, and the seventh-grade Cats finished 2-10.