Steve Dunford franklincounty-news.com
THOMPSONVILLE- I am going to bring you up to speed on The last several days of Tiger basketball. A week ago Friday, some key senior leadership down the stretch by Cory Wilce and Jared Payne from the free throw line, gave the Tigers a 55-44 win over Pope County, in the 7th place game of the GEC Tournament.
Saturday night down at Joppa, Thompsonville left the small Massac County school with a 61-54 loss. Foul trouble plagued the Tigers from the first two minutes of the game. Corbin Fitch led the Tigers with 15 points, and Tyson Kessler added 12.
A good crowd was a Doc Harvey Gym, as the two long time rivals, Thompsonville and Crab Orchard hook up. This was considered a non conference game in the GEC standings.
Last Tuesday night the Tigers played their best 32 minutes of basketball on the year in a 59-54 loss to the highly touted Crab Orchard Trojans. Tyson Kessler and Cory Wilce added 14 each for T’ville on the night.
I had the most fun that I ever had at a HS basketball game in years. When I visit Doc Harvey gym, I set behind the scorers table. First, I can see what is happening on both benches. Second, to keep me from doing my favorite thing to do, talking to the T’ville fans. I visit a lot during the JV game and at halftime.
One of my favorite people in the world I was able to have a good conversation with is Danny Droit, a follower of my blog and this website. I gained a lot of “magnificence.”
I was holding court anyway. It was good to reunite with a lot of old friends that was from Crab Orchard. Yes, I would talk a little smack every once in a while.
Thompsonville played their best game of the year against the Trojans. They led 34-24 at halftime. It was a one possession game all the way until the final few ticks of the clock as the Trojans iced it at the free throw line.
Listening to Jim Muir and Tom Wheeler over the years, they always say first few minutes of the third quarter are the most important. Caleb Vaughn and Cameron Stevens came out on fire, hitting two threes a piece in the opening three minutes of the half, as the Trojans took the lead 36-34 around the 4:30 mark of the third quarter.
The story of the night were two players that reached the 1,000 point mark for Crab Orchard in the same game. The First was post player McKager Ferrell, who came into the game with 999. He hit a stick back bucket at the 3:42 mark of the first quarter to put him over the top.
Ferrell had this to say about the feat, “It was amazing to finally hit 1000 and on the same night Caleb Vaughn hit his!”
Vaughn came into the game at the 970 mark. One his second of back to back threes, at the 2:52 mark of the fourth quarter, he hit the 1000 point mark. He had a game high 37 on the night.
I asked Caleb if he thought he would score 30+ on the night to hit 1,000. He said, “Not really, but I was hopeful that it would happen in the flow of the game. It was extra special to be able to do it with Mckager.”
Vaughn signed a letter of intent to go to the next level to play for Southeastern Illinois College, during the GEC tournament. He said that he had about three other offers, but decided to play for the Falcons because of the few miles to Harrisburg from home.
Vaughn reminds me of Christopher’s Jared Curry, as he plays all over the floor. Ferrell is a load to deal with in the post. They also have another good post player in Amos Beasley, who is strong as an ox. Stevens can shoot the lights out. The fifth starter, Jaden Schell is out with an injury and he will be back by regional time.
I gave the quick preview of the Trojans in case the Christopher Bearcats or Sesser-Valier Red Devils meet them in post season play.
Talking to Crab Orchard coach Jon Brown after the game, he felt his team had a let down after their big win against Gallatin County in the GEC championship. I told him, by far, it was the best 32 minutes the Tigers put together. We then went on to talk about some of the other teams they will face in the regional-sectional complex.
Talking to Thompsonvile coach Pete Gordon after the game he was telling me how proud he was of the effort, especially scoring 17 points in back to back quarters. He was feeling things were starting to come together at the right time of the year.
After the loss to Joppa, the Tigers are 5-14 on the season. They host Doug Miller’s Gallatin County Hawks at Doc Harvey Gym tonight in a GEC conference matchup.
After an 84-72 loss down at Cairo Thursday night, the Trojans are 18-6 on the season. They host Keil Peebles’ Carrier Mills Wildcats at Dee Ozment Gym tonight.
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