CULLMAN COUNTY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (9TH-GRADE BOYS): West Point defeats Fairview 36-21 to claim title

Published 1:46 pm Saturday, January 26, 2019

HANCEVILLE — West Point’s ninth-grade boys defended like a county title was on the line.

It was — and now the hardware is coming back home.

The top-seeded Warriors (15-6) turned in an excellent defensive effort against No. 2 Fairview on Saturday, collecting a 36-21 victory in the championship game of the Cullman County Basketball Tournament at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum.

West Point held an 11-8 lead late in the second quarter but outscored the Aggies 25-13 the rest of the way to secure the program’s first county crown since 2015.

“The kids came out of the locker room today at the start, and I told them if we were going to win the game, then we had to play good defense,” coach Jimmy Harbison said. “I’ll give some credit to Fairview. They played well, but some of their shots just didn’t go. We brought the intensity defensively and finally hit a few shots at the end. We had some kids step up that I pulled off the bench. They gave us a spark and let us build a little bit of a lead.”

Jayden Laney led the Warriors with nine points, while Cade Simmons and Isaac Hoffpauir tallied seven apiece. Sam Wheeler (five), Joseph Justice (three), Andrew Lynn (two), Eli Folds (two) and Ethan Gammon (one) also scored.

For Simmons, the win was a perfect way to end the season.

“It’s great,” he said. “We knew we had a chance since Day 1 with our summer workouts and everything. It’s a great feeling to take back what’s ours. It’s big. It’s unexplainable how happy I am right now.”

Mason Parker paced Fairview offensively with nine points, while Ty Grigsby added six.

Parker Martin (two), Brady Johnson (two), Bryson Chamness (one) and Austin Johnson (one) all contributed as well.

When the dust settled, though, the Warriors celebrated with the trophy.

“The kids have worked hard since the summer and all through the year,” Harbison said. “It’s nice to get back on the winning side again. The kids did everything we asked them. They came to practice, they got better each and every day, and they got the prize at the end.”

All-Tournament Team

— Sam Wheeler, West Point

— Cade Simmons, West Point

— Parker Martin, Fairview

— Bryson Chamness, Fairview

— Ben Gillespie, Good Hope