North Hopkins Panthers "Stick to Homecoming
Game Plan," But Not Enough to Capture Victory

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

It looked good in practice all week and almost worked, when coaches and players, who had met-up with the Yantis Owls earlier in the season, devised a game plan that concentrated on holding the ball and forcing the Owls to foul early in the game. However, during the third and fourth quarter the Yantis Owls "broke the plan open" and managed a 34-29 victory, to spoil the North Hopkins Panthers' Homecoming event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Led by senior point guard, Canyon Cockrum, the North Hopkins Panthers knew that the Yantis Owls were a formidable opponent, having suffered a loss to them, in Yantis, earlier in the season, and with Yantis sitting in the Number 2 slot in the district standings. So, they had worked all week on handling the ball, and forcing the Owls to foul, as they tried to take control. The strategy worked during the first period of the game, as they held the Owls scoreless. The Panthers led 5-0, at the end of the first period.

 

 

 

 

The second period was equally as frustrating for the Yantis Owls, as the Panthers held them to only 9 points during the period and led 11-9, at the halftime intermission, as they left for the lockers to enjoy the Homecoming coronation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, during the third period of play, the Owls came back and managed to break open the game plan and scored 9 points to North Hopkins' 7 points. The score was tied 18-18 at the end of the third period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fourth period proved too much for the Panthers, as Yantis managed to make some three-point shots and pulled the close match-up away, to a 34-29 victory, before the North Hopkins Homecoming crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"They definitely had a good game plan," expressed a devoted Yantis Owl fan. "And, it almost worked. It was a great game and they held the Owls to the lowest scoring game all season, as they focused on ball control and forcing the Owls to fight for possession. You'll have to hand it to them, they had a great game plan!"

 

 

The Owls will not see action on Tuesday night and will host the Cumby Trojans, in Yantis, on Friday, February 5th. The North Hopkins Panthers will travel to Cumby on Tuesday night, to face the Trojans, and will travel again next Friday night, as they meet-up with Quinlan-Boles.

 

 

 

 

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