Undefeated Earle slips past Manila in 3A-3 Jr. District finals

MANILA COMPLETES TURNAROUND SEASON WITH 20 WINS

Manila battled undefeated Earle in the championship of the 3A-3 Junior High District Tournament Saturday night at Hoxie, but came up short, losing a tough 53-45 decision to the Bullpups.

The Lions led 12-9 after the first quarter before Earle battled back to take a 26-21 halftime lead. The Bullpups stretched their margin to 37-31 after three periods of play.

Manila trailed by five with just over 3:00 left in the game, and had a shot at a three pointer to pull to within two, but couldn't connect, and Earle held on to claim the championship.

"Earle was just too big," said Lion Coach John Deaton. "They controlled the boards. They kept missing free throws, but we couldn't get the rebound. But I am very proud of our kids. It's been quite a turnaround from last year. We only won two games last season, and we finished 20-6 this year. We tied for second in the conference and finished district tournament runner-up. That's quite an accomplishment for these kids."

Gary Bohanon led Earle with 14 points while Dontrell Johnson and Fred Williams added 12 and 10 points respectively for the unbeaten Bullpups.

Bradey Woodall topped the Lions with 15 points while Matthew May had 10. Patrick Tanner scored eight, Tyler Johnson tallied six, Logan Hamilton netted four while Rodney Laster pitched in two points.

Manila began the tournament with a 58-43 victory Wednesday night over Harrisburg. Woodall topped the Lions with a game high 23 points. Johnson scored nine, Tanner tallied eight, Matthew May netted seven, Miles Gifford had five, Jeremiah May contributed three while Hamilton pitched in two points. Laster added one point to complete the Lion scoring on the night.

Manila won a thrilling 75-70 overtime victory over Osceola in Friday night's semifinals. The Lions built an 18-11 lead after the opening quarter and led 30-26 at the half. Osceola closed the gap to 45-43 after three periods of play before tying the game 60-60 at the end of regulation. Manila outscored the Seminoles 15-10 in the extra period to advance to the finals.

Matthew May led four Lion players in double digits with 17 points. Woodall had 16, Johnson scored 15 while Hamilton pitched in 13. Tanner tallied nine while Gifford chipped in five. Manila shot a whopping 56 free throws and connected on 40.

The Junior Lady Lions dropped a 48-39 decision to Earle Wednesday night in the district quarterfinals. Roshalla Scott led the Lady Bullpups with 21 points while Veronique Sanders added 18.

Earle led 18-12 after the first quarter and held a slim 21-20 edge at the half. The Lady Bullpups extended their lead to 31-25 after three periods of play.

Tessa Pannels led Manila with 12 points while Hannah Teague added 10. Jordan Tyler scored seven, Andi Baker had six while Jordyn Wheeler chipped in four points.