Tuesday sports page: Case’s number retired, Trojans wrap regular hoops season
Photo: Hernando High School principal Duane Case, who wore 33 when he was the Tigers baseball coach for 12 years. The number is being retired at the end of this season, the ceremony was held during the pre-game of Monday night’s baseball game between Hernando and Madison Ridgeland Academy, Case’s high school alma mater.
There was a special moment before Monday night’s Hernando-Madison Ridgeland Academy baseball game, the first game of the last year for varsity baseball games being played at Tiger Field.
Principal Duane Case, who graduated from Madison Ridgeland Academy and later went on to start a three-decade educational career in DeSoto County Schools, received a surprise special honor.
Case was head baseball coach at Hernando High School for 12 years when he was a teacher there. Monday, current baseball coach Taylor Karr arranged for a surprise pre-game ceremony that saw Case’s number 33 retired, likely the last number retired on the current diamond. The move to a new school campus next year includes a new ballpark for the Tigers’ baseball team.
Brayden Thompson wears 33 the season for the Tigers, but with the move to the new field next season, 33 will be retired to not be worn again.
NORTHPOINT SPLITS REGULAR SEASON HOOPS FINALE AT ECS
The Northpoint Christian School basketball teams head to postseason play this weekend on the road for the boys and at home on Tuesday for the girls after playing regular season finales Tuesday night.
(G) NORTHPOINT 46, ECS 44: Playing at Evangelical Christian School, the Lady Trojans prevailed 46-44 over the Lady Eagles, while the Trojans offense continued to struggle in a 57-32 loss.
The Northpoint girls built a 17-9 lead after one quarter with Sara Jane Stroud hitting a pair of three-pointers and finishing the quarter with eight points. Consecutive three-pointers in the final seconds of the first half by ECS brought the game to a draw at 25-25 when halftime arrived.
The Lady Eagles put a one-point lead together with three minutes left in the third quarter but Northpoint recovered and a late Nailah Herrera free throw tied the low-scoring contest at 32-32 heading into the final eight minutes of the game.
Herrera’s seven fourth-quarter points led Northpoint to the two-point win. She would finish the game with 19 points to lead the Lady Trojans. Stroud, silenced pretty much in the second half, ended with 10. Allie Madison scored 14 for ECS.
(B) ECS 57, NORTHPOINT 32: Trojans’ Jackson Ralls and his 13 points was far from enough to thwart the Eagles in the 25-point victory. Ralls scored eight of his points in the first quarter and added a basket in the second quarter for a 10-point first half. However, Ralls scored only a three-pointer in the fourth quarter to complete his evening performance.
The Trojans made a brief comeback to get within four late in the first quarter before ECS hit from three and got another basket for a 20-11 advantage after one quarter of play.
Ralls’ basket and a three-pointer from Joel Brown were the only points Northpoint could muster in the second quarter, as the Eagles took a 29-16 halftime lead.
Two minutes into the third quarter the margin became 36-16 ECS and the Eagles held a 47-23 lead after three quarters.
After Ralls’ 13 points, Myles Colom scored seven points for the Trojans. ECS was led by Nick Owens and Ryan Scott, who each netted 11 points.
