Winning a grade school county championship for a second straight time proved to be a first for the Cawood Lady Comets on Thursday at Harlan County High School. Cawood rallied from a four-halftime deficit to knock off James A. Cawood 38-29 to complete a 14-0 season.
“It is really special. I think these girls wanted to come out and win it for themselves, and they showed that tonight,” said Cawood coach Emily Ford. “I think we finally started cutting off the middle the second half on defense. I don’t know if they weren’t ready, but JACES came out strong. We adjusted at halftime and started to play.”
Both starters a year ago, Campbell Thompson and Bella Ford carried the Cawood offense. Thompson kept the Lady Comets in the game early with 12 of her 14 points in the first half. Ford took over in the second half by scoring 16 of her 18 points.
“We were flat on offense the first half, and Campbell started attacking the goal,” Ford said. “Once Campbell hit a few shots, I think it got Bella going.”
Khloe Daniels scored 13 points and Embry Engle added nine to lead the Trojanettes.
Daniels hit a 3 and Engle and Leah Collins each added basket as JACES led 7-4 after one quarter. Baskets by Daniels and a three-point play by Engle gave the Trojanettes their biggest lead at 20-14 before Thompson’s basket cut the deficit to 20-16 at halftime.
Two Ford baskets set the tone for the second half in the opening 90 seconds. Ford scored again with 3:10 left in the quarter to put the Lady Comets ahead. Engle tied the game for the last time at 24 before another surge by Ford gave Cawood a 30-25 lead going into the final period.
Daniels cut the deficit to three twice in the fourth quarter before two straight baskets by Ford put the game away.
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Rosspoint captured third place with a 24-19 win over Evarts.
Addison Dunson scored seven to lead Rosspoint.
Sadie Clark paced Evarts with six points.
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Cawood (38) — Campbell Thompson 14, Bella Ford 18, Katie Napier 2, Natalie Charles 4.
James A. Cawood (29) — Khloe Daniels 13, Embry Engle 9, Leah Collins 5, Madison Barrett 2.
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Rosspoint (24) — Blakely Snelling 6, Natalie Creech 6, Addison Dunson 7, Adeline Childress 5, Zoey Reed 1.
Evarts (19) — Macy Middleton 2, Sadie Daniels 2, Bailey Haynes 2, Sadie Clark 6, Anna Kayte Clark 5, Bryleigh Bush 2.