On Dec. 7, the Madison County High School Cowboys basketball team matched up against the Trenton Tigers, with the JV team taking the floor first. Winning the first possession of the game, the Cowboys immediately went to work and outscored the Tigers in the first quarter by nine points. Zakobe Fead played a magnificent game, scoring a total of 14 points in the first half, increasing the Cowboys' lead by 17 points going into the second half of the game. The halftime score was 35-18. The Tigers would not go down without out a fight. They managed to outscore the Cowboys in the third quarter by a total of 12 points; the Tigers were down by only five points going into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys picked up on defense in an effort to hold off the Tigers offensively. Their strategy paid off, as they outscored the Tigers by six points earning them an 11-point lead; the final score was 56-45. Fead played an awesome game and scored a total of 22 points. Other leading scorers for the Cowboys included Darius Johnson with nine points, Stevie Williams with five points and KeShawn McQuay with five points.
The Varsity Cowboys took the floor next in their matchup against the Tigers. Bailey Browning earned the tipoff and gave the Cowboys first possession of the game. The Cowboys immediately went to work offensively and outscored the Tigers by 14 points in the first quarter. The Cowboys continued to slaughter the Tigers and went into halftime, leading by a total of 18 points. The Tigers proved to be no match for the Cowboys, as they would come into the third quarter playing offensively and defensively as if they were down the entire game. The Cowboys outscored the Tigers by 12 points after the third half and went into the fourth quarter with a 30-point lead. The outcome of the game going into the fourth quarter was obvious; however, the Cowboys played until the very last second of the game continuing to increase the lead over the Tigers. The final score of the game was 80-40. Josiah Mitchell led the Cowboys in scoring with a total of 13 points; he also had a total of seven rebounds during the game. Vincenta Mitchell scored a total of 11 points scored and had three rebounds and one steal. Kenneth McQuay scored a total of nine points and had four rebounds and two assists. Point guard Kris Allen scored a total of 10 points and also contributed with two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dilan Lawson also scored 10 points and had three rebounds and one assist.
After a devastating loss against the Lowndes County Vikings on Dec. 5, the Cowboys had a chance to redeem themselves in a match up during a home game held on Dec. 11. The JV team took the floor against the Vikings at 4 p.m. The Vikings gained the first possession of the game and defeated the Cowboys offensively by 12 points in the first quarter. The Cowboys picked up their pace offensively and defensively, getting back into the game in the second quarter. They managed to outscore the Vikings by a total of nine points, going into halftime trailing by only three points. The score at halftime was 17-20. The Vikings took advantage of the first possession to begin the second half of the game, increasing the lead by 14 points going into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys continued to battle until the end but ultimately came up short. The final score of the game was 33-50. McQuay scored a total of eight points, Fead had seven points and Darryln Brooks finished the game with a total of six points scored.
The Varsity Cowboys took the floor against the Vikings in their effort to make up for the loss suffered in Lowndes. The Vikings won the tipoff, earning the first possession of the game; however, the Cowboys came out with a win in mind. Allen scored two three-point shots in the first quarter, giving the Cowboys a three-point lead going into the second quarter. The Vikings struggled offensively as the Cowboys pressed on defense capitalizing on turnovers. Senior point guard ZaMaury Page picked up offensively, scoring a total of six points in the second quarter; Allen continued to score from the three-point line. The Cowboys outscored the Vikings in the second quarter by a total of nine points; the score going into halftime was 34-22. The Vikings would not go down without a fight and took advantage of ball possession to begin the third quarter. Dylan Jarvis managed to score a total of nine points in the third quarter to bring the Vikings within one point going into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys scrambled on defense in an effort to hold the Vikings off offensively and this paid off. Travis Jay increased the lead for the Cowboys, scoring two shots from the three-point line. The Cowboys managed to hold off the Vikings with a final score of 65-60. Allen led the Cowboys in scoring and finished with a total of 17 points; he also had a total of five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the game. Other leading performers for the Cowboys included Josiah Mitchell, who scored a total of 12 points and had eight rebounds, two assists and three steals; Jay, who scored a total of 12 points and had four rebounds, one assist and one steal and Page, who finished up the game with a total of 10 points scored and held one rebound, one assist and one steal.
On Dec. 12, the Cowboys traveled to Hamilton County to play their first district game of the season. JV redeemed themselves from their loss the night before against Lowndes. The Trojans won the first possession of the game and took the Cowboys on a six-point lead to end the first quarter. The Cowboys managed to bounce back in the second quarter; Hopkins scored two shots from the three-point line, putting the Cowboys back in the game and giving them a seven point lead over the Trojans. The score at halftime was 34-27. The Cowboys fought throughout the remainder of the game to hold the lead and managed to increase it. Williams, Hopkins and Freddie Weatherspoon all managed shots from the three-point line further increasing the lead for the Cowboys. The Cowboys were able to hold off the Trojans to win the game with a final score of 61-47. Leading scorers for the Cowboys included Weatherspoon and Brooks, who both scored 15 points each; Hopkins, who scored a total of 14 points and Fead, who scored a total of seven points.
The Varsity Cowboys took to the court against the Trojans next. The Trojans immediately took the lead in the first half of the game. The Cowboys trailed by five points at the end of the first quarter. At the start of the first quarter, Page was able to land a shot from the three point line, helping the Cowboys to stay in the game; however, they would go into halftime trailing by five points. The score at halftime was 26-31. The Cowboys entered the third quarter with a little more momentum, striving to cut the Trojan’s lead. Trey Adams scored a total of six points during the third quarter, helping the Cowboys to take the first lead of the game. The Cowboys fought hard in the fourth quarter to maintain the lead; however, they ultimately fell short as the Trojans outscored them by six points in the final quarter. This resulted in the first district loss of the season for the Cowboys. The final score of the game was 53-59. Adams led the Cowboys in scoring, ending the game with a total of 12 points; he also had six rebounds and three steals. Mitchell scored a total of 10 points and had five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Sanchez Turner scored a total of eight points and had five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Allen scored a total of five points and had two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Page scored five points and had two assists. Browning also had five points and contributed with five rebounds.