The eighth-grade Bobcats at Clear Creek Middle School had their basketball season cut short in the semifinals of the Mountain League tournament.
CCMS entered the event as a No. 4 seed and topped the No. 5 seeded Fannin County Rebels in the first round, 43-27.
Awaiting the Cats the following day were the top seeded Pickens Dragons. PCMS got off to a strong start and did not look back as it downed CCMS, 45-19.
In the opening round versus Fannin, playing on their home court did not help the Rebels, and they were all but out of the game by halftime.
Kohan Davis knocked down a pair of three pointers in the first quarter as Jacob Becerra, John Ponders and Ryder Wofford all scored as the Bobcats stormed ahead, 16-1.
CCMS managed nine points in the second quarter as Fannin fell further behind. The Rebels did not make any shots from the field in the first half and only converted 4/14 free-throw attempts. Over the course of the game, FCMS made 8/22 from the line.
The Bobcats opened a 25-4 halftime lead. Fannin’s offense picked up in the second half, but CCMS put the game away from the foul line.
Becerra accounted for Clear Creek’s four made shots from the field over the game’s final two quarters. Over that span, CCMS shot 10/16 from the line. Wofford made 8/10 of those attempts, and the Cats’ lead stood at 33-17 entering the fourth.
Both teams scored 10 in the final quarter, and CCMS came away with a 16-point victory.
Becerra and Wofford both scored 13 and Davis had eight. Ponders added four points, McCollum finished with four and Hayden Morrison scored two.
Versus Pickens, the Dragons had a well-rounded scoring effort as seven different players put up points in the first half and six finished with at least four.
The Cats were outscored 14-4 in the first quarter and trailed at the half, 26-6. Points were still tough to come by for CCMS in the third as Pickens extended its lead to 35-8 entering the final quarter.
Clear Creek made seven shots from the field on the day, and four came in the fourth as the Cats hit double digits. PCMS held on to its lead for a 26-point victory.
Davis scored seven for the Cats as Ponders and McCollum both added five and Becerra and Wofford had one.
“The eighth-grade team had a difficult task this season,” coach Chad Miller said. “We were facing some experienced teams in a very tough division and we did not have a ton of experience on our team. The players worked and fought for everything they got this year. They continued to strive to improve and they never quit this season. Even in some really difficult games, they continued to work and play, when most other players would have just given up. They have a lot of heart and determination. I am proud of how hard they played and how they persevered this year.”
The eighth-grade Bobcats finished the season with a 5-9 record.