Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
At the end of a tough district tournament, held at Jefferson Somerset Academy in Monticello, Fla., the Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys emerged victorious to take their fifth straight Class 1A District Five championship.
On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the number one seed Cowboys faced the number four seed Bears, from Dixie County. This game proved to be much more of a challenge for the Cowboys than the previous meetings with the Bears. The opening period was close, and the Cowboys had a slim 10-8 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Cowboys managed to open their lead during the second quarter, and at halftime, the Cowboys held a 22-13 advantage. Both teams kept pace with each other during the third quarter, which ended with the Cowboys still holding a 35-26 edge. The Bears mounted a come-back to close the gap, but the Cowboys were able to hold on and win the contest, 47-45.
Zechariah Jones led the Cowboys in scoring, with 23 points and 15 rebounds for another double-double.
Then on Friday, Feb. 12, the Cowboys faced the Trojans of Hamilton County High School, for the district title. It took several minutes for either team to hit a basket and points were at a premium during the opening moments of the contest. The first quarter ended with the Cowboys ahead, 9-5. The second quarter continued to be a tough contest and the first half ended with the Cowboys holding a narrow 19-17 lead. The Cowboys were able to open their lead during the third quarter, which ended with the Cowboys ahead, 39-25. The Cowboys continued to extend their lead during the final period, and the game ended with the Cowboys ahead, 59-35.
Three Cowboys scored in double-digits, led by Jones and his 17 points and 14 rebounds. Johnathon Akins had 13 points, and Zarrion Robinson contributed 11 points for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys will now head into the "Sweet Sixteen" round of the Class 1A state basketball tournament. "Going forward, if we can make some free throws, I think we can make another trip to Lakeland," said MCHS Head Coach Allen Demps. "It will all depend on [our] younger guys stepping in and making plays." The Cowboys will play the Bulldogs of Bell High School on Thursday, Feb. 18. Earlier this season, the Cowboys defeated the Bulldogs, 60-45. Tipoff for the game is set for 7 p.m., in the MCHS gymnasium.