Short Handed Hornets Ousted by Tigers
The Hamilton Hornets battled back from a 15 point deficit at the half to take an early 4th quarter lead in the Class 2 Sectional contest against the Wellington-Napoleon Tigers at Staley High School last Wednesday night, but the Tigers would not be denied by out pointing the Hornets 18 to 5 in the final five minutes on their way to a 63-51 victory.
Penney High trailed just 16-14 at the end of the opening quarter, but a 13 point Wellington advantage in the 2nd quarter led to a 36-21 Tiger lead at the half.
With 15 seconds left in the 2nd quarter, the Hornets trailed by ten, but Wellington would score five unanswered points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, for the 15 point spread. However Rick Ross and his Hornets would come out of the locker room on a mission to make a game of it.
In the first 2 minutes and 38 seconds of the 3rd quarter, Penney would score 11 points to the Tiger's 5 forcing a Wellington time out. Ten seconds later, Hornet senior guard Korby Ford would take a charge, giving the ball to Hamilton. Penney would out score the Tigers 7 to 2 the balance of the quarter and trail 43-39 at the start of the 4th.
Wellington would take their next timeout 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the final period and leading 45-43. Forty seconds later, Jaran Richman would give the Hornets their first lead since the first quarter when he hit a shot beyond the arc for a 46-45 score. Hamilton's last lead would be 48-47 with 4:23 on the 4th quarter clock. Penney High would call timeout while trailing 52-48 and 2:57 left. The Tigers would call the next stoppage of play with 1:44 to go and leading 55-48. Twenty-one seconds later, the Hornets called time out and behind 57-48. The final time out of the contest was called by Hamilton with 52 seconds on the time piece and looking at an eight point deficit, 59-51. Penney High gave a well appreciated effort, fought hard, but ran out of gas as Wellington-Napoleon would go on to claim the 12 point win.
Jaran Richman led the Hornets with 23 points (7-12 from 2 point range, 3 of 5 from three) and blocked shots with 3, plus tied with 10 rebounds, while handing out 3 assists and stealing the ball once on the way to a double-double. Latroy Harper also had a double-double, scoring 20 points and tying with 10 rebounds, leading in steals with 3, and delivering 2 assists. Korby Ford led Hamilton with 4 assists, scored 4 points, rebounded the ball 3 times, and took a charge. Mason McFall also scored 4 points, snared 3 rebounds, and registered 1 steal. Wes Pratt rebounded the ball twice and passed out 1 assist, Derek Dixon was credited with 2 rebounds, and Cale Whitt filled in for Latroy Harper the last few seconds of the first half.
The Tigers were led in scoring by Dallas Reynolds, Duncan Hughes, and Tristan Green with 23, 19, and 10 points respectively. Wellington went 11 for 11 from the free throw line, 42% from the field, and hit 4 of 13 three point attempts. As a team, Penney made 2 of 8 free throws, 17 of 43 field goal attempts, 5 of 20 three pointers, while handing out 10 assists, and turning the ball over just 10 times.
The Hornet Nation can only dream about what could have been if it were not for an unfounded call in the District Championship game against Mid Buchanan when senior forward Telly Harper was whistled for a flagrant technical for throwing an elbow to the head of the Dragon's Hunter Scaggs. Harper was ejected and thereby not eligible to play in this game. The National Federation of High Schools defines a flagrant technical foul as a technical foul that involves unsportsmanlike conduct that is extreme in nature, or excessive or severe contact during a dead ball. The pictures and the game film clearly show that did not happen, Scaggs was not elbowed in the head nor in the neck, and nothing extreme, violent, or severe occurred, but the Missouri State High School Activities Association does not have a vehicle in which the call could be corrected and thereby overturned after the contest had ended. The M.S.H.S.A.A. needs to look into a way that a call that prevents a player from participating in the next game due to a mistake in what an official thought he or she saw, could be corrected and the player, the team, the school, the community, and the family would not have to endure the punishment for something that obviously did not warrant an ejection.
Those who follow the Hornets agree, if Telly had been allowed to play, Penney High School would likely be on their way to the Final Four with an opportunity to bring home the first boys state basketball championship in school history. Although the Hornets have a good nucleus of players returning, the following seniors will be greatly missed: Telly Harper (starter), Korby Ford (starter), Mason McFall (starter), Drake Brown, Reed Henderson, and Garrison Dunham. Hamilton had a great year, winning 22 games and loosing only 4, tying for the KCI Conference Title, winning the Lawson Tournament, the Hamilton Tournament, and the District Championship. Boys and girls track starts at the Chillicothe Time Trials at 4:00 p.m. on March 22nd, and boys golf begins on March 21st at 4:00 p.m. on the Shirkey Golf Course in Richmond as they take part in the Orrick triangular meet.
