JEFF JORDAN, Special to The Post
Posted: Saturday, January 23, 2010 11:36 pm

After at least seven decades of games the Rutherford County Elementary Basketball Tournament was played for the final time this pass week at Eagleville High School. Eagleville Principal Rhonda Holton, Asst. Principal and AD Bill Tollett and the Eagleville staff have done such a great job in recent years along with Tournament Director and McFadden Principal Dr. Clark Blair,that the coaches haven’t changed the site in years.

This tournament once had 13 schools involved (26 teams), but with the new middle schools now up and running, membership is down to 6 schools and next year the number will drop to two, Eagleville and Thurman Francis.

The first night of the tournament featured the Eagleville girls winning a close one over Buchanan 25 – 24 behind 9 points from Brooklyn Snell and 6 points from Nicole Duke. Duke’s points all came in the fourth quarter, including the two winning free throws. Eagleville never led in the game until the final seconds. Courtney Brady led Buchanan with 12.

In game number two, the Kittrell boys got the early lead over McFadden and held it to win 40 – 28. Alex Ward led the Mustangs with 11, while Tyler McCullugh had 11 for Kittrell followed by Ruddy Siebert with 9.

In game three, the Kittrell girls jumped on the Lascassas Panthers and won going away 37 – 18. The Lady Blue Devils have won, as far as anyone can remember, more championships than any other school in the county. In this contest, Leah Denaro and Devon Barnes both had 11 to lead the blue and white, while McKinley Preston had 7 for Lascassas.

In the fourth and final game, the Lascassas boys were simply too much for Buchanan and won easily 46 – 9. Penn Moore had 8 and Daulton Smith had 7 for the Panthers.

On the second night of the tournament, the tourney favorite McFadden girls put host Eagleville in the consolation game by beating the Eagles 36 – 20.
Nicole Duke had 12 for Eagleville while Savannah Rogers had 9 for McFadden, followed by Randi Bivens and Joy Frierson with 7 each.

In the second game of night two, the Thurman Francis boys showed why they are the tourney favorite as the Rams beat Kittrell 51 – 26. Taylor Vanderbilt had 19 to lead the Rams while Tori Smith and Richard Mulligan followed with 12 and 10. Logan Maynard had 11 for Kittrell.

In game three, the Kittrell girls and number two seeded Thurman Francis were tied 16 – 16 at the half before Kittrell had a 20 point third quarter. That put the game out of reach as the Lady Blue pulled away and won 43 – 28. It was a revenge win for Kittrell as Thurman Francis had won both games in the regular season. Leah Denaro had 13 for Kittrell and Devon Barnes had 20, including six three pointers. Brittany Brown had 7 for Thurman Francis.

In the evening’s final game, the Lascassas boys, behind Penn Moore’s 13 points and a strong team rebounding effort over the smaller Eagleville boys, won 31 – 29. Chris Hale matched his uniform number scoring 22 for the Eagles.

On the tournament’s final night, the Thurman Francis girls won the third place game beating Eagleville 44 – 31. Brooklyn Snell led Eagleville with 15 and Nicole Duke had 8. Thurman Francis was led by Sophie Fielder with 20 and Brittany Brown with 11, including hitting 7 of 7 free throws.

The boys 3rd place game was won by host Eagleville 44 – 33 over Kittrell. Ruddy Sibert led the way for the Blue Devils with 15 while Matt Williams with 21 and Brandon Kelley with 9 led the winners.

In the girl’s championship game, McFadden showed why they were the regular season champions and tourney favorite as the Lady Mustangs led all the way and beat a high spirited Kittrell (8 – 5) squad 48 – 21. Devon Barnes was Kittrell’s leading scorer with 9 and McFadden had balanced scoring as Randi Bivens had 13, Savannah Rogers had 12 and Joy Frierson had 10.

McFadden did not lose a league game all year. The first time McFadden won this tournament decades ago they were the Yellow Jackets. This year, as the Lady Mustangs, McFadden finished 12 – 0.

Thurman Francis, 12 – 0 and always called the Rams since they opened in 1967, did not lose a league game all year as they beat Lascassas (9 – 3) in the boy’s finals 52 – 30. Thurman Francis has learned to share the ball as 5 players had 8 points or more led by Conner Boyd with 17. Penn Moore had 8 to lead the Panthers who were in the first Championship game years ago and were in the last one on Saturday.

When the tournament was finished an era of Rutherford County basketball ended as the teams of Lascassas, Kittrell, Buchanan and McFadden faded into history and joined Walter Hill, Rockvale, Christiana, Roy Waldron, Barfield, Stewartsboro, Rock Springs, Cedar Grove and others who have lost their sports teams.

But as one door closes, another opens. Opportunities abound with greatly expanded academics and athletics in our 10 new or recently renovated middle schools and at Central Magnet School.

All in all a great tournament and on the final night the big crowd was treated to the introduction of 60 present or former coaches and principals who served the county since 1972. Hats off to Eagleville High for a job well done!


Your All Tournament Teams

Girls – Eagleville - Brooklyn Snell and Nicole Duke

Thurman Francis – Sophie Fielder and Brittany Brown

Kittrell - Leah Denaro, Devon Barnes and Elizabeth Sullivan

McFadden - Savannah Rogers, Randi Bivens and Joy Frierson

Boys - Eagleville - Brandon Kelley and Chris Hale

Kittrell - Ruddy Siebert and Will Nelson

Lascassas - Penn Moore, Dalton Smith and Peyton Motioni

Thurman Francis – Tori Smith, Richard Mulligan and Taylor Vanderbilt