Just call them the Giant Killers! Four times this season, the boys basketball team from Quitman High School has played Class 5A schools. Four times the Wolverines have come away victorious. 

The latest two “big boy” victims were Haughton and West Ouachita who both fell to Quitman in the annual Neil Kilgore Tournament played at Cedar Creek High School. The Wolverines opened the tournament by beating Haughton for the second time this year by a 58-48 score and then capped off the productive weekend by slipping past West Ouachita 69-66 in overtime. The two victories improved Quitman’s record to 12-2 on the year and ran the Wolverines area best winning streak to 11 straight. 

Quitman 58 Haughton 48 (Thursday): Noah Leach scored a season 18 points, including six free throws down the stretch to lift Quitman to their second victory in two attempts over their Class 5A opponent. Taden Thomas also came up big with 13 points, another season best. Other contributors were Brayden Smith and Gavyn Caskey with 7 and 6 points respectively while Brayden Martin and Larsen Thomas added three each and both Abel Leach and Asher Shultz made a free throw apiece. 

Quitman 69 West Ouachita 66 (OT) (Friday): Abel Leach exploded for a season high in points and along with Brayden Martin, both tallied 19 points each to help pace Quitman to the overtime victory and give West Ouachita only their second loss in 13 games. Brayden Smith added 10 points, including four in the overtime period. Larsen Thomas and Noah Leach chipped in with 8 and 7 points each, and both Gavyn Caskey and Amaurion Thompson, who made a “tri-fecta” in overtime, added three points each. Shane Reed rounded out the scoring with two points. 

Lady Wolverines fall twice

The matchup’s that the Quitman girls team faced at the Neil Kilgore Tournament couldn’t get much tougher as the Lady Wolverines fell to undefeated Haughton and Class 5A West Monroe to drop their record to 8-7 on the year. 

West Monroe 45 Quitman 40 (Thursday) Down by 12 heading into the 4th quarter, a furious rally that brought the Lady Wolverines to within two fell just short. Cali Deal lead Quitman with 18 points and Anna Leach finished with nine, all scored in the fourth period. Hallie Kate Pullig and Jaleigh Burns chipped in with six points each and Taylor Borland made a free throw. 

Haughton 50 Quitman 32 (Saturday) By opening up a 22-13 lead at the half, the 4th ranked team in Division 1 among “non-select” schools ran their record to a perfect 13-0 on the year. Anna Leach and Cali Deal did most of the scoring for Quitman with 15 and 13 points respectively. Emma Walker scored the other four points.