CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
INEZ — Martin County High School basketball teams exhibited their skills Saturday in front of fans at the 2023 Cardinal Madness Red-White games.
Coach Robin Newsome continues as coach of the Lady Cards, while Jason “JJ” James is back as head coach for the Cardinals.
The coaches introduced their players and led them through a series of drills. The teams then participated in full-court scrimmages to give fans a preview of the upcoming season.
Lady Cards seniors Laken Williams, Kennadi Mollett, Katie Marcum and Alyssa Allen made an impression, drawing cheers from the crowd, as did young talents Maci Maynard, Candace Spaulding, Brooke Marcum, Chloe May, Angelina Moore and others.
Coach James introduced his Cardinals lineup, featuring players such as Luke Hale, Jacob Sturgell, Brayden McKenzie, Dray Duff, Peyton Davis, Blake Maynard and others. The coach then turned the players loose to show off their high-speed passing skills, scoring ability and range.
The Cardinals threw down some dunks for the fans before taking the floor for a scrimmage.
Coach James tried out some different combos to test the team’s chemistry.
Both teams will play in the Zip Zone Express Tip-Off Classic set for Nov. 25 at Martin County High School.
Cardinal Madness began with elementary matchups as Eden C-team faced Inez C-team. Eden emerged victorious 14-10.
Inez B-team won the next game by a close 24-22 margin.
Porter Elementary A team defeated Inez A team in the third matchup of the day.
Martin County Middle School boys lost a close contest to Shelby Valley 41-32.
Shelby Valley jumped out to a 10-7 lead in the first quarter. The Cards bounced back and grabbed the lead 20-16 before halftime. The third quarter saw the competition heat up on both teams as the Wildcats took a 28-27 lead. MCMS’s comeback was cut short by the Wildcats in the final quarter.
Aiden Copeland led the Cards with 15 points, Tyler Goble scored six, Brayden Marcum threw in five, and Jayden Yates and Chase Hinkle pitched in four each. Harrison Fields led with 12 points for the Wildcats, Mark Bowling followed with 10, Knox Wallace scored eight, Luke Collins added seven, and Colin Newsome and Corbin Johnson pitched in two each.
Eden A team got a convincing 35-17 win over WR Castle in the next game. Luke Preece led Eden with 18 points, while Chucky Leonard scored nine.
Between games, the Inez Dance Team treated the crowd to a Dolly Parton-inspired dance while Jackie’s All-Star Tumblers exhibited their talents.
