Saturday night capped off a weekend of local high school hoops in Gadsden County. All the excitement took place in a relatively small yet electrifying gymnasium in Mt. Pleasant, when the Robert F. Munroe Bobcats hosted one of their in-county rivals the Gadsden County High Jaguars.
The crowd in attendance, which was standing room only, saw thrilling basketball from the start. Both teams started the game with the intent to show their opponent they were the superior team. The first quarter ended with the Jags trailing the Bobcats 15-20.
The defense from both teams picked up in the second quarter, as each team forced the other to make some bad offensive plays, and the Jags cut into the deficit before heading into halftime only down by one point.
The third quarter continued to keep each team’s fans engaged and cheering loud for their team. Another close quarter that ended with both teams tied 52-52.
The fourth and final quarter brought lots of scoring from both teams, as they fought back and forth to overcome each other’s attempt to take control of the game. Late in the game, the Bobcats found themselves trailing by one point then hit a 3-pointer to go ahead 68-66 with 33 seconds remaining.
After the 3-pointer by Munroe, Gadsden High called a timeout and their head coach, Drew Moten, was called for a technical foul. The Bobcats were awarded two free-throw attempts and possession of the ball. The Bobcats made both free-throws and extended their lead to 70-66.
The Jags still continued to fight despite the four point deficit and still clawed back into the game with only seconds remaining, yet time just wasn’t on their side. Munroe held on to beat Gadsden High by a single point, winning 71-70 in a thriller that lasted from start to finish. This rivalry game didn’t disappoint fans in attendance.
“It’s a testament to the guys’ will to fight. They showed a lot of resolve tonight. They kept believing”, says head coach Demitri Salters, who’s in his fifth year leading Munroe. “Everything counts in a county rivalry. Give coach Moten and his team credit, they played really hard,” added Salters.
Gadsden County High’s Jamari Mosley led all scorers with 21 points, and N. Williams added an additional 19 more points.
Munroe’s Karlton Knight hit five 3-pointers and led the team in scoring with 20 points. Leith Kenon chipped in with an additional 18 points.
Local rivalry hoops will wrap up this coming Friday night, as Gadsden County High host Crossroad Academy for their “Black Out Finale” themed game. The JV game is 6 p.m. and varsity set for 7:30 p.m. This game is expected to draw a large crowd and fans are encouraged to arrive early for the game to ensure entry into the game.
Chris Daniels – Gadsden County News Service
