Second half squeaker keeps BHS Bowl trophy in Bartlett

B-B-BHS! The students couldn’t stop the chant at Fridays game against Bolton. Bartlett went into halftime with 19-3 deficit. By the end of the second quarter, the fans had turned from loud and crazy to almost uninterested. Loud cheers had become quiet conversation. But in the third quarter, as the Panthers started to get back into the game, so did the student body and fans. The Panthers boosted their record to 3-4 and extended their dominance over Bolton to 3 years in a row.

“It was an amazing game,” Damecio Ewing, junior receiver, said, “We knew we had to do something in the second half to get us back in the game and a chance at winning. We played exactly as we were supposed to and we held on for the win.”

Josh Hall’s touchdown late in the 4^th quarter gave Bartlett a 23-19 lead  with about a minute remaining. Bolton had the ball deep in their own territory with about 45 seconds remaining. A huge catch and run got them up near the 10-yard line with about 30 seconds to go. The whole stadium was watching in anticipation. As the Panthers stopped Bolton on a last attempt at victory, fans stormed the field to celebrate. The BHS bowl trophy stays at Bartlett another year.

BARLETT VS BOLTON, THE RIVALRY RENEWED

Everyone knows the biggest game of the year is Bolton. But with Bolton spouting a 1-5 record and Bartlett not much better with a 2-4 record, this game could be all about bragging rights. Bolton got their first win last week over Frayser. Bartlett has now lost two in a row but is hoping to end that streak against its rival.

“This is a big rivalry,” Head Coach Brian Brewer said. “They’re coming off a win and are feeling good. They are going to try and come to our house and beat us. But it won’t happen. We need to score early to gain the momentum.”

After a tough loss last week to Dyer county for Bartlett’s homecoming, the team is well prepared this week for Bolton. “We match-up good against them. It should be a great game,” Brewer added.

 

Panthers sweep Bolton to clinch regular season district title

The area has seen plenty of rain and clouds the last few weeks, and the Bartlett Panthers baseball team is no exception. This season an oppressive cloud of low expectations by area baseball prognosticators has hung over their heads, following them through dramatic wins and heart-breaking losses over the past two months. With the Arlington split two weeks ago, the clouds started to break, and the sunshine started to peek through. With two wins in Bolton series last week, they are on their way to making the showers turn into May flowers, or a State championship.

The rain clouds finally cleared for beautiful skies on Thursday, as Bartlett began the Bolton series at home.

On senior night, the senior pitching standout Chandler Hawkins took the mound. Though the walk bug bit him again, as it did in his last start versus Arlington, he made that up by striking out fourteen Bolton batters through 5 2/3 innings of work.

This defensive production led to offensive destruction by the Panther bats. Three runs came in to score for the Panthers in the first inning, with RBIs from sophomore catcher/designated-hitter Keegan Floyd and senior third baseman Max Allen. Three innings later, junior shortstop Nick Dawson smacked a solo home run to left field. The Panthers took game one, with the score of 10-3.

The second game of the series saw many changes of date and location, due to the poor weather conditions. Bolton’s baseball park was damaged during the storms of April 19, making it unusable for the rest of the season. The game was slated to be played at USA Stadium in Millington on Friday. Then that morning, news came that the field was flooded and unusable. This left Bolton no other choice but to play the game at Elrod Field, Bartlett’s home, but they were still designated as the home team.

Panther senior starting pitcher Austin Upchurch pitched a dandy, allowing three batters on base in five innings. Only one of those batters reached first on a base hit; the other two walked.

After a quiet first inning, the Panthers put the heat on Bolton the rest of the game, scoring five runs in the second inning, thanks to three Bolton defensive errors and a two-run homer from Dawson. The Panthers scored five more runs in the third inning, three of those runs scored on a freshman centerfielder Bobby Holder double. In the fourth inning, junior outfielder Dylan Chipman knocked a deep double to right field, just feet shy of a homer, scoring two. Five more runs were scored in the fifth inning, all by bench players.

All the runs were enough to get the Panthers a 18-0 victory in five innings, and also enough to give the Panthers the regular season District 14-AAA championship. The team will receive a first-round bye in the tournament.

Coach Phil Clark was proud of his team’s exceeding his expectations: “No one gave us a chance in the world to be the one seed going into next week’s District tournament. I am as proud of this group of kids as I’ve been in a long time. It’s a testament to them, these kids, and the confidence that they have in each other as a team, and also the daily grind that they put in. I don’t know if I’ve been any proud of a team I coached [like this team],” Clark said.

The team made a trip to Jackson State Community College in Jackson, TN the next day, losing 6-3 to Riverside and winning 7-4 to University School of Jackson. The Panthers finished the week with a 24-6 overall record, 11-1 record to finish District 14-AAA.

This week, Bartlett closes their regular season on the road with a doubleheader versus Houston on Tuesday. The first game is a continuation of their previous matchup at Elrod Field on March 31, with the score tied at nine in the fifth inning. On Friday, the District 14-AAA Tournament begins at Cordova High, with the Panthers beginning play on Saturday.

Panthers split Arlington series; lead District 14-AAA

Last week was expected to be the toughest one yet for the surging baseball team. With April winding down, every game is crucial for the leaders in District 14-AAA, and this week showed how the team will deal with the pressures of late-season baseball.

On Tuesday, the Panthers played Germantown. Junior shortstop Nick Dawson lead off the Panthers’ first inning with a deep solo homer to left field to put the Panthers on the board first. Three batters later in the inning, senior third baseman Max Allen hit a two-run single, scoring senior first baseman Charles Kelly and junior outfielder/designated-hitter Chad Burrow, to further the Panther lead to 3-0. Dawson smacked another home run, a two-run shot, in the second inning, bringing his season total to four homers.

Sophomore starting pitcher Shane Lantigua gave up a Red Devil run in the second inning, on an RBI double from junior center fielder Andy Fruitt, but stayed solid through the rest of the game, only giving up one other hit through 4 2/3 innings of work.

More Panther runs were added on in the fifth inning, as Allen hit a solo homer of his own, increasing the lead to 7-1. The game finished early, as Burrow broke the game with a grand-slam homer in the sixth, to close a Panther 12-2 victory.

Two days later, the Panthers started their important two-game series versus Arlington. With the two teams atop the District 14-AAA standings, both games mattered very much.

The series started at a packed Elrod Field, as there looked to be a great pitching matchup between Bartlett senior Chandler Hawkins and Arlington junior Brady Bramlett.

Hawkins started the game with trouble, giving up a solo homer to sophomore center fielder Chase Hamilton. Arlington scored three more runs in the first inning, on three walks and two hit batters from Hawkins.

The Panthers made up the deficit in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single from junior second baseman Graham Thompson, scoring Dawson. Allen then scored on a passed ball during sophomore center fielder Bobby Holder’s at-bat. The Tigers’ lead was cut to two entering the second inning.

Hawkins encountered trouble again as junior designated-hitter Krammer Hollenbach knocked in a two-run home run, making it a 6-2 Arlington lead. The Panthers scored one run in the second inning, but with Bramlett’s eleven strikeouts, Panther bats did not click again. The Tigers took game one with a 6-2 win.

The next night, the scene shifted to Arlington.

Arlington once again took an early lead in the first inning, as Hamilton came home on a Hollenbach ground-out.

Panther bats were quiet for most of the game, as Arlington senior starting pitcher Taylor “Bug” Cox gave up three hits through five innings of work. Arlington bats kept giving Panther senior starting pitcher Austin Upchurch grief, as sophomore left fielder Andy Bowman, Cox, and Hollenbach all homered for Arlington. The Tigers’ lead 4-0 entering the sixth inning.

Then, the Panthers started a furious comeback. The inning started with a Dawson single and a Holder double. The next batter, Kelly, reached first on a throwing error by Arlington senior third baseman Jordan Mobley, scoring Dawson from third base. Burrow brought two runners home on a double to cut the Tiger lead to one. Three batters later, sophomore catcher Keegan Floyd brought Burrow home on a single to tie the game at four.

Senior K.C. Abney took the place of Upchurch in the bottom half of the inning, trying to hold the tie. Cox lead off the inning with a single, representing the go-ahead run. A Mobley sacrifice bunt and Bowman ground out advanced Cox to third base. The next batter, senior shortstop Jonathan Moody, brought Cox home on an RBI single to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead heading into the seventh inning.

Cox returned to the mound, looking for a complete game win. After a strikeout to start the inning, Dawson hit another single, looking for another Panther comeback. Two batters after a Holder single, Burrow once again knocked in a run, tying the score at five.

Dawson became the new pitcher in the seventh inning. He gave up a single in the inning, but managed to get out with no runs being scored, sending the game into extra innings.

The Panthers were the first to break the tie, in the ninth inning, and with RBIs from Holder, Burrow, and two from freshman right fielder Wesley Johnson, the Panthers took a 10-5 lead.

Dawson returned in the bottom half of the inning, and although he put three runners on base, the Panthers remained strong, winning the game 10-5. Dawson picked up the win, and Cox, who pitched 8 1/3 innings, picked up the loss.

Coach Phil Clark summed up the Panther win best: “It was a ‘Good Friday’ for the Panthers,” he said.

The Panthers finished the week with a 21-5 overall record, 9-1 in District 14-AAA.

This week, the Panthers finish up District 14-AAA regular season play with a two-game series versus Bolton.

“It’s a really important series now since [the Panther win on Friday], because you don’t know where you can be in the tournament,” Clark said.

The Panthers are first in the district, Bolton in second place with an 8-2 district record, and Arlington in third place with a 7-1 district record with four district games left.

Tuesday’s game, which was originally planned to be played at Bolton, will now be played at USA Stadium in Millington due to the April 19 storm that damaged Bolton’s baseball park. The school is also hosting the District 14-AAA tournament, starting May 6, but no plans have been made as to where the tournament games will be played.

Games this Week (weather permitting):
Tuesday 7:00 p.m.- Bartlett at Bolton (USA Stadium, Millington)
Wednesday 7:00 p.m.- Bolton at Bartlett
Thursday 6:00 p.m- Bartlett vs. Lexington (TN) (at Union University, Jackson, TN)
Saturday 11:00 a.m.- Bartlett vs. Riverside (TN) (at Jackson State Community College, Jackson, TN)
Saturday 1:00 p.m- Bartlett vs. University School of Jackson (at Jackson State Community College, Jackson, TN)

Basketball teams charging into final stretch of the season

The winter months are winding down, and so is basketball season. This month is tournament time, so every game is important to both Panther teams. The boys end the month with a 17-5 overall record and a 5-3 District 14-AAA record. The girls end with 10-11 record, 3-5 in 14-AAA.

Boys’ Basketball

The month of November ended with a rematch with the same Houston Mustangs team they beat four days prior in the Arlington Turkey Shootout by double digits. This game would turn out to be a far comparison from what happen at Arlington High. A close game from beginning to end, the Panthers came up short with 65-62 defeat, their first loss of the season.

December would be a great month for the boys. It started with a five-game winning streak with victories against St. Benedict, Germantown, rival Bolton, East, and Collierville. With a 10-1 record going into the Carbondale (IL) Holiday Tournament, they were the clear favorites. They won the opening matchup against Edwardsville (IL) on the 27th, but the next day lost to Raytown South (MO). This put them in the losers’ bracket, but this did not dampen their spirits. On the 29th alone, they beat East Peoria (IL) and the local Memphis University School to finish fifth place. They finished December with a 13-2 record.

January was a challenging month for the Panthers, who faced all their tough District 14-AAA counterparts in the month; they only played one of those teams before January, Bolton. Their first test was at home on the 4th against Arlington. Juniors Anthlon Bell and Marquarius Boddie passed the test, both scoring 22 points in an easy 82-69 win.

The next two games were road games against two other highly-ranked teams in 14-AAA, Cordova and Craigmont. These games were going to be the tests for this young team to see if they were the real deal in district.

In the first game on the 7th, the boys started the first quarter strong, leading 24-9. A win was definitely in sight. But afterwards, the spark went away. The halftime score was 34-26 Bartlett. The third quarter score was 53-48 Bartlett. The final score was 76-72 Cordova. Bell led all scorers with 23.

Due to the snow day on the 11th, the Craigmont game was moved to the 13th, one day before a regularly-scheduled home game versus Millington. In the first half, although Bartlett trailed 40-34, it seemed like a normal game. That would quickly change in the third quarter. Craigmont’s strong offense ballooned the lead to 70-47. Bartlett would lose 96-63, which now put them at 2-2 in district. Boddie led scorers with 25.

Finally back home after the failed road trip, Bartlett bounced back with a 100-71 win versus Millington. They trailed 22-15 after one, but strong offense and defense stopped the Trojans. Bell led scorers with 26.

The Panthers were now back on the road playing the final district team in the first half of district play, Raleigh-Egypt. They led as much as 25 in the fourth quarter. Then, all of a sudden, a very quick run put the Panthers back in the game, shrinking the lead as much as 8 points with about a minute left, but it was not enough. They lost the game 81-73. Bell once again led scorers with 31, half of those points coming in the fourth quarter alone. This put their record at 15-5, 3-3 in the first half of district play.

Another snowstorm would come through the area on the 20th, canceling a home game versus ECS. No makeup date for that game has been announced. This would give the team a one-week break before a rematch with the rivals from Bolton High. After a slow first quarter, the Panthers got back in the groove and made this game a far comparison from their last meeting in December. They would win 75-61, and Bell would once again lead scorers with 25 points.

The final game of the month would be on the 28th at Arlington. The first quarter would once again be slow for the Panthers, but the last three quarters would be a far comparsion. Arlington put on a run to start the third quarter down 16 points, but Bartlett would score 34 points in the fourth quarter to win 101-79 to break 100 for the second time this season. Bell and Boddie would get close to scoring 30, they had 28 and 27 respectively.

Girls’ Basketball

It seemed that the girls were going to struggle again this season, going winless into December. After a disappointing loss versus Houston on November 30th, the Lady Panthers got their first win versus St. Benedict on the 3rd. This would be the last game without junior Destiny James, whose recurring hamstring injury benched her once again. The loss of her became very clear when the Lady Panthers dropped three games on the road against Germantown, Bolton and East.

Still with James out, the Lady Panthers played Collierville on the 17th. After trailing by two after three quarters, Bartlett had a strong fourth quarter, which led then to a 49-38 victory. This victory was very important for Coach Lynn Whitfield, for it was her 500th victory as a coach. Going into the winter break, the Lady Panthers had a 2-5 record.

Bartlett began play in the first of two Christmas tournaments for the team, the O’Ryan Christmas Tournament at Harding Academy, on the 20th. They lost in the first round to Brentwood Academy, 47-32. This put them in the losers’ bracket, but the next two days, a big return would strengthen the Lady Panthers. With James back in the lineup, she led all Lady Panther scorers both days to get wins against Sycamore and Hickman County to finish the tournament in fifth place.

In the last tournament starting on the 27th, the Dragon Fire Invitational at Collierville High, Bartlett looked to ride their momentum to a tournament championship, but once again the Lady Panthers were put into the losers’ bracket with a 45-23 loss to Fairley. Bartlett would quickly redeem themselves with wins against ECS, Collierville, and East to once again finish fifth place. With the 5-2 record over the two holiday tournaments, the Lady Panthers now had a 7-7 record going into strong district play in January.

They started January with a two-game losing streak, losing at home to Arlington on the 4th and on the road to then undefeated Cordova on the 7th. Once again playing on the road in the rescheduled game at top-ranked Craigmont on the 13th, the Lady Panthers upset the Lady Chiefs 65-61. Junior Rachell Hughes led scorers with 18 points, while James, sophomore Tayla Harmon, and freshman Shondria Scruggs, all had double-digits points.

The next day, the Lady Panthers played at home versus Millington. A low-scoring game, Millington started to run away with the game, leading as much as 10 halfway through the fourth quarter, but Hughes and James led an incredible comeback, winning the game 36-35. Hughes had 9, James had 14, but a big three by junior Toni Chunn, her only points of the game, was very key in the comeback. Then they played the winless Lady Pharaohs of Raleigh-Egypt on the 18th, and it was Lady Panther dominance all the way. They won 71-21, clearly their biggest win of the season. Every Lady Panther player that showed up at the game, from Chunn with 12 points to sophomore Treazure Rogers with 1 point, had scored. Also in double-digits was junior Kelsie Torry, off the bench, with 11 points.

With a hot streak going, the winter weather would cool them off as they had a week off due to the canceling of the ECS game on the 20th. Their next game would be on the 25th at home versus rival Bolton. The Lady Wildcats would not make it easy for Bartlett, as they lead by double-digits midway through the third quarter. The Lady Panthers would make a strong comeback, cutting it to as much as three with less than a minute remaining, but it would not be enough. Bolton won 52-50, as James would lead with 15 points, Harmon with 14.

The month of January would end on the 28th at Arlington. After strong play and few turnovers in the first half, the Lady Panthers were poised to give the Lady Tigers their first loss in district, but they could not pull it off, as they would lose 64-40. The first-half surge occurred thanks to Chunn, who led all scorers with 13 points, and Scruggs, who scored 10.

February Preview

In February, the boys will look to avenge the three district road games they lost in January as Cordova (2-1), Craigmont (2-4), and Raleigh-Egypt (2-11) will all have to come to Farley Gym this month. The Craigmont game will be special as it is Homecoming Night at Bartlett High. Also, the Panthers will have a tough road test as the go up Highway 51 to face Millington on the 8th. On the 15th, it will be Senior Night as the Panthers host the FCA Nighthawks.

Also, can the girls keep their hot streak going into the last month of the season? All of these games are crucial for both teams as it will determine where each team is seeded in the District 14-AAA tournament, which will be held entirely at Bartlett High starting on the 18th. Only the top four in the District tournament can go to the Regional Tournament.

All games are available for listening on KPTR.com.

Sports Brief: Baseball goes for complete district streak

Many people at Bartlett know that the baseball team is one of the best in the state: They have proceeded to state championships since 2006, and won the title in 2007. However, what some Panther fans may NOT know is that Bartlett has not lost a single game to any opponents in District 14-AAA since 2006. To round out the streak, the Panthers plan to grind the Bolton Wildcats into the dust in their next two games April 27-28.

The other schools in the district include Raleigh-Egypt, Arlington, Millington Central, Craigmont, and Cordova. The Panthers have played against each team twice and won both times.

Tennis plans to backhand season

In the first match of the season against the Craigmont Chiefs, the Panther tennis team mauled their enemies almost to the point of death. The girls won three of their four matches, and the guys won all three matches. With a team consisting of mostly underclassmen, this was no easy feat.

“I think we’re more prepared,” sophomore Anne Albert said. “Last year the freshmen didn’t know how to play and didn’t know any of the rules.”

Some players, including sophomore Dima Cooper, believe that playing the tougher schools last year helped the team to improve this year.

“Last year was better,” Cooper said. “We played White Station and Germantown, and they’re harder schools. I am looking forward to playing Cordova, though.”

The players attribute some of their success to their coach, Brad Kovach.

“He tells you exactly what you need to do,” Albert said. “If you’re having trouble serving, he’ll tell you to work on serving.”

Even the upperclassmen admit that his coaching style helps them improve.

“Kovach is more laid back, but he pushes us,” senior Michella Douglas said. “He urges us to do our best and keeps us emotionally stable in matches.”

Kovach’s gift came in handy on Apr. 7 when the team vied against archrival Bolton High School. Although the girls won 4-1, the boys’ match was called off due to the rain. At the cut-off, the boys were tied 2-2. The match will be continued at a later date.

A match against Millington the next day faced fairer weather and similar results. The boys won 2-1, and the girls took the gold with 3-1. The match brought Bartlett’s overall record to girls, 3-0, and boys, 2-0.

Even though the freshmen may not have all the strength they require yet, they have teammates to whom they can look for advice on how to get better.

“I’ve gotten stronger since last year,” Albert said. “I couldn’t get the ball over the net, couldn’t win matches. It was really easy for others to beat me. As a team, I think we’ll get more wins [than last year].”

With the season only beginning, the tennis team still has a while to go before reaching their goal of winning the state championship.