By Josh Troy
Clarksdale Advocate
The Clarksdale High School boys opened the Class 4A MHSAA basketball playoffs on the road, but they were as much as the duty. The No. 3 Wildcats (15-11, 4-4) won on Tuesday night at No. 2 Itawamba Agricultural High School 68-56. “We played pretty much,” said Clarksdale coach Corney George. “The defense was pretty decent, and we made some shots. The blokes got here able to play.”
The Wildcats were forced to play on the road after ending in third place within the Region 3-4A District Tournament, but George knew what they were able to doing.“ I wasn’t surprised because I do know my kids can do it resulting from the incontrovertible fact that they’re getting it done,” he said. “I do know they’re able to getting it done.” George said he says something to motivate his team before every game, however the Wildcats were able to play. “I feel our key was handling pressure within the fourth quarter and getting baskets off their press, and it type of put us over,” he said.
Senior guard and forward Kelley Jones led the Wildcats with 21 points, senior point guard Gregory Neely, freshman guard, and forward Kamarrius Rash scored 14 apiece, junior point guard Patrick Broomfield contributed 8, senior guard and forward Henry Espy and junior power forward and center Kyle Coleman scored 4 each, and senior guard and small forward Isaiah Galmore scored 3. Coleman led the Wildcats in scoring the Region 3-4A championship with 12 points en path to a 36-33 victory against Gentry High School. Jones and Broomfield scored 15 points each in a 70-55 district tournament semifinals loss to Greenwood.
George likes having different athletes lead the team in scoring each game. “That’s type of an excellent thing,” he said. “The teams that watch film can’t just zoom in on one person and stop him from going.” On Saturday, Clarksdale is at Choctaw Central at 6 p.m. with a visit to the state quarterfinals on the road. “We’ve got to do the identical thing we did the opposite day, come able to play, make some shots, defend, rebound,” George said.
Photo credit: Jaleesa Collins