Cedar Bluff basketball coach Joe Carpenter will lead his Tigers into this year's Cherokee County Tournament as the top seed.
The Tigers (13-1) were tabbed the top seed by the Cherokee County basketball coaches on Wednesday.
Cedar Bluff won’t open tournament play until next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers will face the winner of No. 4 Spring Garden (2-13) and No. 5 Gaylesville (1-14), with that game slated to be played on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Gadsden State-Cherokee Arena.
“We’re happy to be in that (top) position, but it could have been any of the teams,” Carpenter said. “Right now in the county, our record is the best at this point, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re the best. It’ll all be played out on the court.”
Second-seeded and defending county champion Sand Rock (16-2) opens this year’s tournament with the team it played in last year’s title game: No. 3 Cherokee County (6-3). That game is set for next Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Sand Rock defeated Cherokee County last year 67-61, ending a string of eight consecutive county titles won by the Warriors. Last month in the Cherokee Invitational, Sand Rock beat Cherokee County 59-55 to earn that tournament title.
The Wildcats are currently riding a 15-game winning streak, with one of those victories coming against Cedar Bluff in the Cherokee Invitational.
“I think Sand Rock may be better than they were last year,” Carpenter said. “They’re solid and they’re deep. They shoot the ball well and they’re well-coached.
“Centre is obviously talented. They’re bigger than we are, and they’re a power to be reckoned with. Spring Garden’s got a strong tradition with them. Gaylesville’s having a little bit of a rough time right now, but their kids hustle hard. We play the winner of the 4-5 game, and we’ve got to get by that game before we can even think about playing in the championship game. We’ve got to play one at a time, and it’ll all be played out on the court.”
This year’s Cherokee County Tournament championship game will be played on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Junior Varsity Boys
In the Cherokee County Junior Varsity Boys Tournament, top-ranked Sand Rock opens with No. 4 Spring Garden next Thursday at 4 p.m.
The other semifinal pits No. 2 Cherokee County against No. 3 Cedar Bluff. That game is set for 5 p.m. next Friday.
The JV boys tournament title game is slated for 5 p.m. next Saturday at the Gadsden State-Cherokee Arena.
9th Grade Boys
At Sand Rock High School, Cedar Bluff tangles with Cherokee County in the 9th grade boys title game on Monday at 7 p.m. (weather permitting).
8th Grade Boys
Also at Sand Rock, top-seed Cherokee County faces No. 4 Gaylesville in one of the 8th grade boys tournament semifinal games. That game is set for 12:45 p.m. on Saturday (weather permitting).
Second-seed Sand Rock battles No. 3 Spring Garden in the other semifinal on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The 8th grade boys title game is set for Monday at 6 p.m.
7th Grade Boys
In the 7th grade boys title game, Sand Rock takes on Cherokee County on Saturday at 3 p.m. (weather permitting) at Sand Rock High School.
Post a Comment