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The Wildcats had a slow start to the season, but have looked to return to form during the Chambers Academy Holiday Tournament over the holiday. The boy’s side walked away with the trophy on Tuesday after beating Edgewood and Chambers. 

“We kind of got a slow start with all of those guys playing football and not really getting a whole lot of practices. We’ve got new guys,” said head coach Lisa Sampson. “In the last two days, them kind of coming together…I want to play team basketball, it’s not about your own stats. It’s just about winning ball games.”

Game 1: Springwood versus Edgewood

Springwood won the opening game against Edgewood 55 to 43. The Wildcats improved throughout the game. After being down 13 to 16 going into the second half, Spingwood pulled out a huge third quarter scoring 22 points compared to Edgewood’s nine. 

It was a team effort, with a continuous feed into the paint for quick two-pointers. They were careful with penalties only giving up two points to penalties in the second half. Conversely, they struggled to take advantage of the opportunities for extra points. Springwood shot 6 for 19 on the night and only got four points out of the 14 attempts in the fourth quarter. 

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CJ Johnson led the team with 20 points. Kori Key had 12 points on Monday, followed by Greg Johnson with 10. 

Game 2: Springwood versus Chambers 

Springwood looked like the better team on Tuesday’s final. The Wildcats cruised to a 61-32 victory against cross-county rival Chambers Academy during the Rebel’s Holiday Tournament. 

The trouble started early for the Rebels, as they were unable to find men under the basket. The lone basket of the first quarter was a three-pointer from Hunter Andrews. Springwood’s Kori Key came out firing with a pair of three-pointers. The first ended with a lopsided 11-3 score.  

Both offensives would rev up in the second quarter. Springwood scored their game-high 22 points in the second frame, 15 of which game from behind the arc. Clarence Moore scored three three-pointers to fire up the squad. CJ Johnson worked under the basket forcing Chambers to foul. 

Chambers had more success in the second quarter, with four players putting points on the board. It was Bryce Modling who kept Chambers in the game by drawing fouls with runs inside the paint. He went a clutch 9 for 12 from the line. The half would end 33-15. 

The second half was much of the same, with a handful of shots from Chambers, and some extra points tacked on by Modling’s free throws. But the 18 points by the Rebels in the second half would not be enough to mount a comeback. Springwood shared the wealth, with the whole lineup putting up points with aggressive runs inside. 

CJ Johnson led the team again in the second game of the tournament with 16 points. He was followed closely by Kori Key who had 15 points. Clarence Moore scored 11, Jio Rowe and Greg Johnson both scored 8 and Adam Baltes scored three. 

The team would raise the tournament trophy, along with teammate James Do, in celebration of a dominant performance.