Middle School Hornets top Canton
By: Ed Weaver | NTL Sports | February 3, 2016
The Wellsboro Middle School basketball teams each picked up wins against Canton on Tuesday, February 2 to start the season.
Boys - Wellsboro 34, Canton 16
The Hornets won new head coach Jason Greenfield's first career game 34-16. Wellsboro started slow with only four points in the first quarter, but scored 14 combined in the second and third quarters and 16 in the fourth to pick up the win.
"It was a rough first half but once the jitters settled, we came out and played much better in the second half," Greenfield said.
Billy Lechler led the Hornets with 13 points, Karter Witmer scored 10, and Joseph Grab chipped in with seven points.
The Hornets also won the B-team game 32-6 behind Will Poirier's 8 points.
Girls - Wellsboro 49, Canton 2
The Lady Hornets dominated for the first win of the season as they held Canton to one made free throw each half.
Jaime Palmer led all scorers with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7 steals, and 4 assists. Chelsea Morris added 10 points (2 rebounds), Jena Boyce, Cathryn Brought (3 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 assists) and Lauren Singer added 8 points each. Breighanna Kemp and Liza Manning added 2 points each, Kayla Mengee had 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists, Georgia Macensky had 1 steal and 1 assist, Nina Coolidge had 1 rebound, and Emma Palmer played a good defensive game despite not scoring.
"Our girls got over some early first game nervousness and played well," said head coach Darrell Morris. "They did an excellent job of passing the ball and finding the open girl. All of our girls got a lot of playing time and experience. I think our team is really balanced and we have a lot of girls who can contribute. I also have been really happy with the chemistry of this group. They all cheer for each other and support each other and we hope to continue that throughout the season."
The Lady Hornet B-team won 45-3. Bailey Monks and Breighanna Kemp led all scorers with 8 points each. Kiyah Boyce and Chelsie English scored 6 points each, Sarah Mosher, Angela DeBockler, and Kylie Butler added 4 points each, Brieanna Tuttle and Alexandra Chilson added 3 and 2 points respectively, while Faith Avery added several rebounds and steals despite not scoring.
"Our B-team girls used excellent defensive pressure to get a lot of good opportunities at the the other end," continued Morris. "This group has made big strides since we started practices, and it was nice for coach Kristen West and the girls to see it pay off in their first game."
Both teams are 1-0 to start the year and will be back on the court on Saturday, February 6 as they host North Penn-Mansfield.
Ed Weaver is the owner of Circle W Sports in Wellsboro, PA, is the Sports Director for The Home Page Network and the creator of WellsboroAthletics.com and WellsboroFootball.com. You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
