Glencoe girls, Southside boys reach finals

SARDIS CITY — Same story, different year.

For the second year in a row, the two ranked girls basketball teams in Etowah County will face off for the county tournament title.

Glencoe outscored host Sardis 10-1 in the second period to extend its lead to 20-11 at the half before cruising to the 44-29 victory over the Lions in the semifinal matchup Thursday night.

The Class 3A, No. 8 Yellow Jackets will face 5A, No. 8 Southside at 6:15 p.m. Friday in the championship game.

“It just seems right that the only two ranked girls teams in the county would play for the county title,” Glencoe coach Daniel Cook said. “We have developed a healthy rivalry, so I expect nothing but another great game.”

Sardis’ Kayla Morris scored nine of her game-high 12 points in the first half to keep the Lions in the game, but the Yellow Jackets defense kept Morris in check for the remainder of the night.

Glencoe scored the first five points of the game before Sardis answered back to knot the game at 10 at the end of the opening period.

The Lions (10-5) couldn’t buy a basket in the second period and were limited to just a point, while the Yellow Jackets took a nine-point advantage into the second half.

“In that first half it looked like it was going to be a grind,” Cook said. “We got into a physical game with them, and their size gave them advantage there in the first half. Then we were able to come out and play better defensively in the second half and hit our free throws down the stretch.”

Glenoce (13-7) carried a double-digit lead into the fourth period until Sardis managed to trim the Yellow Jackets' lead to eight with 1:56 left to play.

The Yellow Jackets then sank five of six free throws in the final 90 seconds to advance.

Aubrey Gray led Glencoe with nine points followed by Anna Beth Giles and Anna Grace Goodwin with seven points each.

BOYS

Southside 64, Glencoe 44

Southside went wire-to-wire after jumping out to a 23-10 lead in the opening period to advance to the finals of the Etowah County Basketball Tournament.

Glencoe did draw within 11 of the Panthers late in the third period, but that was as close as the Yellow Jackets would come.

Jordan Grantland and Brock Habyan led Southside with 12 points each, while Chris Lengyel and Tommy Simmons chipped in nine point each.

Ethan Wells led Glencoe with 11 points and was the only Yellow Jacket to post double digits. Collin Hardy pitched in eight points.

Southside (8-12) will face Hokes Bluff (10-9) in the tournament championship game at 7:30 p.m. Friday.