(Photo by Brayleigh Boggs, Carter County Times)
By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
It was a back-and-forth battle between East Carter and Morgan County for a spot in the 62nd District Championship game. The Cougars came out on top in a 74-70 win that kept every fan on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.
A senior-led East Carter team fell short, but not without a fight. The loss ends the Raiders’ season and sent Morgan County on to the 62nd District Championship Game on February 27, where they played Elliott County to defend their title.
East Carter’s Thomas Burton (1) opened the scoring for the Raiders, but was quickly countered by a sneaky backdoor pass to Morgan’s Asher Gamble (11). Eli Bradley (4) knocked down two free throws to get the Cougars a steady 4-2 lead. Colton McGuire (12) wasted no time, hitting back-to-back three’s and firing up the Raiders for their first lead of the night. Grant Menix (10) followed with a steal and an offensive foul, keeping the game in their control.
Morgan County’s Aiden Barker (1) and Parker Trusty (2) combined for 4 points to cut their deficit to 2. Freshman Max Karle (11) responded with a contested three, but Morgan followed with their own set of points. McGuire (12) hit another three for the Raiders, and Menix (10) added his own as the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter, with the score 21-16 Raiders.
The Cougars started the second quarter with a contested layup. Caden Tussey (15) seemed unstoppable, driving into the lane, scooping up back-to-back shots for East Carter. Trusty (2) brought life back to the Cougar sideline with a long three-pointer. Grayson Hampton (3) and Barker (1) tied the game at 25. After a timeout to settle both teams, McGuire (12) came in hot with multiple three-pointers in pressure situations, followed by Burton (5) and Tussey (15), but Morgan responded with their own shots. The score was 35-33, Morgan with 34.9 seconds remaining in the half. Hampton (3) cut backdoor to close out the half, with the clock reading 37-33 in favor of the Cougars.
Tussey (15) started the second half with a tough drive to the lane for two points. Trusty (2) made a statement with a three-pointer, surrounded by a host of Raiders. William Burton (5) and McGuire (12) responded with triples of their own. Gamble (11) created multiple scoring chances for the Cougars, including a three-pointer that brought Morgan’s lead to six. Menix (10) came through with three clutch free throws, but Morgan wasn’t ready to relinquish their lead. Morgan’s Gamble (11) and Bradley (3) led a 9-0 run for the Cougars, which included Bradley’s half-court shot as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. Morgan maintained a 60-48 lead heading into the final quarter.
McGuire (12) battled in the paint for a putback jumper. Barker (1) responded with four points of his own. Thomas Burton (1) fought for an and-one, and then some, at the free throw line. Morgan kept a ten-point lead with 2:31 remaining.
With 57.1 seconds remaining, Coach Cole Brammer called a timeout, trying to close the ten-point gap Morgan had built. The Burton brothers left it all on the court in the last 15 seconds, causing chaos on both ends. Tussey’s (15) last-second efforts kept them within six, but it was not enough. Morgan County sealed their spot in the 62nd District Championship Game on February 27th with a final score of 74-70.
Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com
