Bank of Holly Springs
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Photos by Penny Lomenick
Jacob Gadd of the Patriots dives for a loose basketball Saturday in the district title game versus West Memphis Christian.

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Marshall’s Sam Wilkins is surrounded by Lady Cougars as she puts up a shot in the district championship contest Saturday.

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Senior Blake Martin was honored in post-game ceremonies for setting the career girls scoring record at MA – 2,954 points. She has been a varsity starter since the eighth grade.

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Photos by Penny Lomenick
Julia Nicholson (right) of Marshall scores two versus Lee.

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District 1-AA All Tournament Team - from Marshall Academy, Samantha Wilkins, Bryanna Miller, Julia Nicholson, Hailey McMinn and Blake Martin.

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District 1-AA All-Tournament Team - from Marshall Academy, Peyton Taylor, Jacob Gadd, Rahmon Rutherford and Everette Jones.

MA takes two top trophies

It was a double dose of success for Marshall Aca­demy basketball teams Saturday.

Both the Lady Patriots and Patriots, for the third consecutive season, captured district championship trophies.

MA was the host school for the District 1-AA event.

The top-seeded Lady Patriots, ranked second in the state in Class AA, dominated Lee Academy (Ark.) from the opening tip and won 48-8 in the title game.

The host team held the Lady Cougars scoreless for more than 13 minutes to start the game. Marshall was up 26-0 with 2:18 to go in the second quarter when Lee sank its first shot, a three.

MA led 31-3 at halftime and 40-7 at the end of the third quarter.

Top point producers for coach Michael Clifton’s squad were Julia Nicholson with 19 and Blake Martin with 18.

The Marshall Academy boys had a little tougher time in the championship match-up but pulled away to beat West Memphis Christian (Ark.) 60-36.

The Patriots only trailed twice, both times in the first minute and a half of the game.

The Patriots got the fast break rolling when Boyce McKinney scored off an assist from Rahmon Rutherford. Then Peyton Taylor and Jacob Gadd drilled threes. And MA closed the first quarter with Everette Jones’ bucket coming off an assist from Jacob Gadd. The lead was 17-9.

MA had its largest lead of the first half just before the intermission. That’s when Taylor hit a three to make the scoreboard read 27-13.

Gadd and Rutherford sparked the Pats in the third as they stretched their lead to 18 points, 42-24.

And the momentum continued in the fourth as Marshall won by 24.

Hitting in double digits for coach Sam Pearson’s team were Rutherford with 17, Taylor with 14 and Gadd with 13.

MA boys-Lee

The Patriots had advanced to the title contest by crushing the Lee Academy (Ark.) Cougars 62-24 Friday night in the semi-finals.

MA hit five threes in the first quarter – two from Taylor and one each from Rutherford, Gadd and Eli Pearson. The lead at the end of the opening period was 21-0 and it ballooned to 43-10 at halftime.

Twelve Patriots scored in the 38-point victory. The only one in double figures was Gadd with 10.

The Lady Patriots (25-7) and the Patriots (11-16) opened play in the North AA Tournament on Tuesday of this week at Delta Academy in Marks.

The tournament con­tinues Friday and Satur­day.

Holly Springs South Reporter

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