Brian Hobson
Sports@mitchellnews.com
This time last year, Harris and Bowman’s middle school basketball teams were fighting each other for wins. This year, the new Mitchell Middle School Miners are looking down on the rest of the conference.
The Mitchell Middle boys’ team is first in their conference with a 5-3 record, with a showdown at Madison looming on Tuesday that could decide the conference champion. The Lady Miners are undefeated at 7-0 and also play at Madison on Tuesday.
The Miner boys are looking at an uphill battle with the loss of center Merritt Sparks. Sparks, who was one of the team’s leading rebounders, is nursing an ankle injury and will be questionable for the next few games. Jonah Cook and Elijah Gregory have been picking up the slack on rebounding, and Jax Burleson has been a threat from the perimeter. The upcoming Madison game will be a true test of the team’s ability to overcome adversity.
The Lady Miners, in contrast, have been dominating the court the entire season, most recently showcased in a 54-0 dismantling of Cranberry on Dec. 5. Cayma Farley and Bethany Thacker lead the charge in scoring, with Lanie Miller, Aly Edwards and Eden Daniell ensuring that the Lady Miners lock down the opposing teams defensively.
After the next two away games, the Miners will be at home for the conference tournament starting Mon., Dec.16.