It was like a blast from the past for area schools Quitman, Weston and Saline. Like in the “old days” when the small schools in Louisiana routinely played 50 or 60 games a year, one day after school started in Jackson Parihs, the three schools played in a season opening tournament. The difference was that it is the “future” that suited up as the Weston Junior High hosted the three day tourney.
For two junior high squads from Quitman the season couldn’t have started any better. Both decisively won three games each to bring home the first place trophy in each division but in different fashion.
The QJH boys team incorporated a high octane offense to blast Claiborne Christian, Choudrant and Weston in the finals while the girls beat Claiborne Christian, Atlanta and Saline with a suffocating defensive effort.
Boys First Round:
Quitman 51 Claiborne Christian 10: The opener was over virtually from the tip as Shane Reed scored as many points in the first quarter as Claiborne Christian did all game. Hayden Bryant added six, Brayden Martin five and Taden Thomas three as QJH broke out to a 23-6 lead and never looked back. QJH got points from seven players in all led by Reed and Martin who reached double figures with 12 and 10 respectively. Taden Thomas added nine and Hayden Seymore eight in the balance attack with Bryant finishing with six, Jack Thomas four and Kaleb Maxwell two. Quitman held Claiborne Christian scoreless in both the second and fourth quarters.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 23 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 51 |
| Claiborne Christian | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
Weston 24 Saline 18: David Michael Gandy and Brody Tidwell scored five each in the first half to pace Weston Saline to a 12-5 halftime lead that held up after the two battled to a virtual second half tie. Led by six points from Conner Roberts, Saline scored ten to make a third quarter push but five more points by Gandy and baskets by Ashad Harris, Abram Toms, Remy Kinard along with a free throw from Ty Henderson kept the Bobcats at bay. Gandy led Weston with 10 followed by five from Tidwell. Roberts paced Saline with nine and Elijah Calloway added five.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Weston Jr. High | 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 24 |
| Saline Jr. High | 4 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 18 |
Boys Second Round:
Quitman 38 Choudrant 23: Once again, Quitman hit the floor firing take a commanding 27-12 first half points before head coach Michael Black emptied his bench in the second half. Brayden Martin scored 16 of his game high 18 points in the first two frames with Taden Thomas and Shane Reed, who scored 8 in the second half, adding four each. Kaleb Maxwell and Rylan Reynolds scored two each.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 15 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 38 |
| Choudrant | 8 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 23 |
Boys Finals:
Quitman 39 Weston 21: Shane Reed and Brayden Martin led the Wolverines again with 15 and 11 points respectively to lift Quitman to the victory over the host in the all Jackson Parish final. Taden Thomas chipped in with nine for the second time in three games as the Wolverines rallied from an 8-7 first quarter deficit. hayden Bryant added two as did Mathew Odom who scored his first two points of the year. Brody Tidwell had nine and Ty Henderson added five for Weston who also got three from Aiden Phares and a basket each by Abram Toms and Alex Lewis.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 7 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 39 |
| Weston Jr. High | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 21 |
Girls First Round:
Quitman 21 Claiborne Christian 5: After both teams traded a basket in the first quarter, Quitman allowed only three points the rest of the way to take the season opener. Anna Leach scored all nine of her points in the second and third quarter to stake the Jr. Girls too a 15-4 lead after three allowing head coach Kyle Leach to put in his productive reserves, which scored six in the final frame. Lanee Cheatwood scored four followed by Emma Walker, Klea Blalock, Neshya Johnson and Brenna Lamkin with two each.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| Claiborne Christian | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Saline 40 Weston 9: Kacidy Sims scored 18 and JaLynn Jiles added 14 to pace the Jr. Bobcats girls to the rout of the host Lady Wolves. Adysen Breeland, Brooklyn Page-Loyd, Autumn Brackin and Sky Watkins chipped in with two each. Carlynn Waters led Weston with five with Allison Morgan, Baylee Brown and Avery Dark scoring two each.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Saline Jr. High | 6 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 40 |
| Weston Jr. High | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
Girls Second Round:
Quitman 18 Atlanta 4: Anna Leach scored five of her seven in the game and Emma Watkins added four of her six as Quitman rolled again thanks to another stingy defensive effort that didn’t allow an Atlanta point until the fourth quarter. Brenna Lamkin chipped in with three and Hallie Kate Pullig scored her first two point of the year to round out the QJH scoring.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Girls Finals:
Quitman 30 Saline 13: QJH ran their season opening streak of holding an opponent to less than five points to be scored in a quarter to 12 straight to take the championship. Seven players scored for Quitman led by Anna Leach who tossed in 10 to become the Jr. Wolverine girl to score in double digits this season. Lily Jones and Taylor Borland scored four for their first points of the year with Emma Walker and Lane Cheatwood adding three apiece. Hallie Kate Pullig, Breelyn Boone and Klea Blaylock chipped in with two each. Kacidy Sims led Saline with 6 followed by 5 from Sky Watkins. Breanna Liles added two.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Quitman Jr. High | 12 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
| Saline Jr. High | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
