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No. 11 Wildcats continue to roll in district

No. 11 Wildcats continue to roll in district
  • PublishedJanuary 26, 2023


 

The Sulphur Springs Wildcats hit the road Tuesday to face Pleasant Grove, looking to open district play with a perfect 4-0 record. Through their first three district games the Wildcats have been rolling over the competition, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 182-128. 

Sulphur Springs opened the game with a solid opening frame, setting a solid pace with 16 points. They were almost able to hold Pleasant Grove to single digits in the quarter, but a final second 3-pointer brought the score to 16-12 going into the second frame. 

In the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Wildcats began to build their separation, getting out to a quick 6-2 start to push their lead to 22-14. Sulphur Springs got the single-digit frame they were looking for defensively, holding Pleasant Grove to just eight points in the second frame, pushing their lead to 34-20 at the end of the first half.

Fully in control and in route to a fourth consecutive district win, The Wildcats kept their exact same pace going in the second half. While Pleasant Grove was able to score at a higher clip in the final two frames, the Sulphur Springs lead was never in real danger, as they would go on to cruise to a 67-55 win. 

The win not only keeps them a perfect 4-0 in district play, but pushes their overall record to 22-7 on the year. The win also helped create some separation in the district standings, as Paris and Pleasant Grove, two teams the Wildcats have already beaten, sit tied for second place. 

The Wildcats did a great job sharing the ball in the 12-point victory, dishing out a total of 24 assists in the contest. Those assists led to great looks, as Sulphur Springs shot an outstanding 60% from the field. 

Senior Parker Whisenhunt led the way in scoring, putting up 18 points on 53.3% from the field. He was almost automatic inside the 3-point line, making eight of his 11 attempts. Whisenhunt also had an incredible plus-minus of +26, as Sulphur Springs was able to blow out Pleasant Grove when he was in the game. 

The 18-point outing also helped his district stats, bumping him up to 13.8 ppg during this four-game winning streak. Whisenhunt also had six assists and six boards, while forcing a pair of steals.

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Right behind him in points was the big man Kordrick Turner, who continues to have an excellent season. Turner had 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while shooting an incredible 8-9 from the field. 

Senior Malachi Myles was the third and final Wildcat to finish in double-digit’s, adding another 12 points on an impressive 6-7 from the field. This continues a very impressive run for Myles during district play, as he has been averaging 12 points per game on an unheard of 79.3% from the field. 

The senior wing has been able to provide all of that, while still pulling in 5.8 rebonds and dishing out 3.3 assists per game, while also regularly guarding opposing teams best players. Myles will look to continue to play a huge role for the Wildcats, as they look to keep their winning streak going.

Senior point guard Branson Lynn added eight points to Sulphur Springs’ total, continuing his impressive shooting streak by going 40% from behind the arc. Lynn also tied for a team-high six assists, while also grabbing four boards and forcing a pair of steals. 

Junior guard DJ Wilkerson was right behind him with seven points, knocking in three of his five attempts from the field. Wilkerson also had a pair of assists, and was very efficient with the ball, having the lowest turnover % on the team, coughing the ball up just 14.4% of the time.

Senior Cole Theofiledes was the only other Wildcat to score, putting up six points on a pair of 3-pointers. The senior has tuned in his accuracy during district play, shooting a very respectable 36.4% from beyond the arc over the last four games. Adding another respected shooter to the mix could be huge for Sulphur Springs throughout district and once the postseason arrives. 

Sine losing back-to-back games to No. 8 ranked Anna and No. 10 ranked Dallas Pinkston, the Wildcats have been incredible, beating their opponents by an average score of 62-45. 


The Wildcats will be back in action Friday, as they hit the road once again to face Pittsburg. The Pirates are the final team Sulphur Springs has yet to face in district and they will look to improve the winning streak to five games, before hosting Paris Tuesday, for the first game of their second trip through district.

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Written By
Tyler Lennon

Tyler Lennon is the sports editor for Front Porch News and Chad’s Media. Previously with the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram, Lennon has now covered sports in Hopkins County for four years. He also covers the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers and has media credentials for both the Rangers and the Mavericks. On top of his writing, Lennon is also the lead play-by-play broadcaster for Chad’s Media. He has been the lead broadcaster for Sulphur Springs football, volleyball, basketball, softball, baseball and more. He is also the host of the sports talkshow Down & Out on Chad’s Media, along side Korey Hankins and Ryan Humphries. You can follow Down & Out on all social medias @Downandout903