In a fierce battle featuring three foul-outs and a technical, the Bledsoe County Warriors emerged bruised but victorious with a 66-54 defeat of Signal Mountain in the District 7-AA tournament boys’ championship game Tuesday.
Bledsoe County scored 18 points in the first quarter while holding the host Eagles to five, but Signal Mountain managed to bounce back strong.
“It was a very intense, very physical game,” said Bledsoe’s Mark Cagle, the district’s coach of the year. “There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and the refs let us play.”
Only two Bledsoe County players managed to score in the second quarter, Nathanial Collins with seven points and Taylor Warden with a 3-point basket. Collins led all scorers with 15 in the first half.
The second half provided the sparks, as the game heated up. Bledsoe scored the first five points, looking for a repeat of its first-quarter performance, but Signal Mountain wrestled the momentum away and clawed at the deficit. A bucket and one from the Eagles’ TaDarrius Hodge cut the lead to 38-32 before the Warriors answered back.