The Quitman Junior High School boys basketball team hopes to continue one streak while seeing another broken when they play host the QJH basketball tournament this Thursday and Friday.
After winning their first eight games to open their 2024 Junior High schedule, the Wolverines look to continue their winnings ways In doing so, the Wolverines have beaten tournament hosts Weston and Dodson in the championship game of the first two tournaments of the season for local schools. As host of this tournament, they want to see that changed.
The bracket that will be played on Thursday and Friday (August 29-30) shows seven schools that will compete in girls and boys action. The field consists of host Quitman, Weston, Dodson, Calvin, Castor, Claiborne Christian and Choudrant.
Regarding local schools, the Weston girls and boys will open the tourney with a rematch of their Tuesday contests against Castor at 4:00 and 4:45pm on Thursday. The Quitman girls, who gained their first win of the 2024 season earlier this week, will play Dodson at 7:00 pm while the boys team will take on Calvin following the girls game.
Quitman Junior High Tournament Brackets
Tuesday Tilts
The road was mostly kind to local schools Quitman and Weston as three of the four junior high teams that played came home with victories. Wins by both the girls and boys teams over Saline marked the first time this season Quitman gained a sweep of the two games while Weston split with Castor with the boys winning and the girls falling short.
Quitman 38 Saline 34 (Girls): At the end of the first period and Saline holding a 17-6 lead it looked like Quitman was headed to their fourth straight loss to open the year. That was also when Sophia Kleibert decided she had had enough of that. After missing her only shot and committing a turnover in the first frame, Kleibert exploded to turn in one of the best performances of the year and pace Quitman to their first win of the season. Making 11 of her next 17 shots, including both shots she took for all four of Quitman’s points in overtime after the two teams were tied 34-34 at the end of regulation, she finished with a career high 22 points. Adding to the impressive effort was her setting another career mark with 18 rebounds, 11 of which came on the offensive glass. London Burks added four points as did Ella Simonelli and Kynleigh Leach, which represented season bests for both. Audrina Martin and Averi Hasley chipped in with two points each.
Quitman 51 Saline 16 (boys): A slim 9-5 first quarter lead became a 43-11 advantage at the end of three quarters as Quitman outscored Saline 34-6 in the second the third quarters, including pitching an 18-0 shutout to open the second half. Kaleb Maxwell scored 13 points to lead a balanced attack that saw ten Wolverines tally in the contest. Also contributing with six points each was Lucas Leach, who set a new career high, Conner May and Eli Jackson. Noah Spillman and Luke Rowe finished with four points each while Jayden Burns scored two along with Ashton Borland, who made his first points of the year.
Weston 43 Castor 12 (boys) The Wolves held Castor to a single second half point to win going away. Offensively, Leyton Younse led the way with 11 points, all coming in the first half and Lukas Bandy tallied 10, all in the final two quarters. Eli Henderson scored 7 first quarter points and both Colton Otwell and Malachia Harris finished with four each. A. J. Woodward scored his first three points of the year and Bryce Tolar and Cason Conn added two each.
Castor 27 Weston 21 (girls) Connecting on only three field goals all game and falling behind by a 12-0 score in the first quarter was to much of a hill to climb for the Lady Wolves despite a spirited rally fueled by tremendous team free throw shooting. Over the final three quarters Weston made 14 of 23 free throws as a team paced by Kate Keiffer, who canned 6 charity shots to go along with a third quarter basket to lead WJH in scoring with 8 points. Rachel Bandy also made six free throws in 8 attempts for all of her points while Gracie Gray finished with five, including a three pointer. Teegan Hall rounded out the Lady Wolves scoring with a second quarter basket.