Canton Sweeps LaPlata Tournament Championships
Canton Sweeps LaPlata Tournament Championships
By David Sharp
Top ranked Canton (19-1) ran the 2009 LaPlata Invitational Tournament table, defeating Schuyler County (11-7) by a 60-41 final score for the girls’ championship. Tori Niemann poured in a game high 28 Lady Tiger points. Jessi Logsdon backed up with 20 Canton points. The Lady Rams challenged in the second half, but were met by a game deciding ten point run.
Defending Class 1 girls’ champion Cairo topped North Shelby for third place by a 44-24 margin. Madison held off host LaPlata by a 44-43 final in the girls’ consolation championship game.
KCHS alumni Kenny Jett coaches the Lady Panthers. Coach Jett led Knox County’s softball and girls’ basketball teams before moving on to Madison.
Another Knox County R-I alum coached her team to the seventh place plaque. Atlanta topped Green City 48-40. Former Lady Eagle middle school coach Amanda Miller leads the Lady Hornets.
Canton made it two years running in both brackets with a hard fought 53-48 win over Schuyler County in the boys’ championship contest. The Rams (12-6) scored the first seven points before Canton closed the first half on a 12-0 run to a 25-16 score.
The Tigers (14-5) led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter. Canton beat the Rams down the court for enough second half points to decide the outcome. Schuyler County pulled within a 51-48 deficit with 6.8 seconds to play.
Canton sophomore Colt Carper sank eight of ten fourth quarter free throws, sealing the win. Justin Ellison led the way with 19 Canton points before fouling out with 2:06 in the fourth quarter. Carper scored 16 Tiger points. Jacob Winkler led the Rams with 15 points and eight boards.
Taylor Wheeler led three Bulldogs in double figures with 16 points to a 55-47 win over North Shelby in the boys’ third place game. Dahn Kemp paced the Raiders with 13 points. LaPlata (14-3) took a 45-31 lead to the fourth quarter.
North Shelby held the tenth ranked Bulldogs to one fourth quarter field goal, outscoring the host team 16-10 in the final period. Schuyler County downed LaPlata 73-52 in a well played boys’ semi-final.
Cairo stopped Madison 50-31 in the boys’ consolation championship game. Green City upended Atlanta 41-37 for the seventh place award.
