Photo: DeSoto Central’s Cam Champion looks to drive the lane against a pair of Ingomar Falcons during Tuesday’s game at DeSoto Central. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Dec 10, 2024-DeSoto Central boys’ basketball is making a statement that it’s a team to be reckoned with this season. The Jaguars, now 8-4 on the season, won its third straight game with a solid 68-45 victory over the Ingomar Falcons at Shan Whiteside Memorial Gymnasium.
The win was also the second straight victory against highly ranked teams in Mississippi. Ingomar, out of Union County, was ranked fourth among 2A boys basketball teams.
The Jaguars entered the contest off a 68-63 conquest of the Conquistadors at Olive Branch last Friday, Dec. 6. Olive Branch, defending 6A state champions, was currently pegged at number three in the state among 6A schools.
Jaguars coach Blake Orman said those wins show his team should be in the conversation as one of the state’s better squads.
“I think we’re somebody that can contend with anybody when we’re playing the right way,” Orman said. “We have fought through a lot of tough nights, but I knew that the payoff could be there. We’re seeing some of the fruits of that labor, but we saw a lot of work to do, you know.”
Cam Champion led the Jaguars in scoring with 17 points Tuesday night, followed by KJ Patrick with 15.
DeSoto Central opened the game leading 17-7 after one quarter, thanks to eight points from Champion. The Falcons reduced the margin by two at halftime to 29-21. Patrick and Ace Webster each had four points in the quarter.
The Jaguars came out and took over in the third quarter, turning an eight point lead halfway through the period to 51-31 DeSoto Central at the end of the quarter. Champion had six points and Patrick added five for the Jags in that period. DeSoto continued to add to the advantage in the fourth quarter for the final 23-point victory.
As much as the starters contributed, Orman was proud of the production DeSoto Central received from its reserves.
“The bench gave us some good minutes and that’s where we are,” Orman said. “That’s our strength, the depth that we can continue to roll out there.”
The Jaguars are also not a very tall team but Orman points out speed is a plus where height may not be.
“We want to play up tempo,” Orman points out. “We want to make it a full court game. I’ve got some young big guys that I really am excited about their potential, but we’re trying to make them grow up fast.”
(G) Ingomar 53, DeSoto Central 21: Macie Phifer of Ingomar’s 14 points matched the 14 points from DeSoto Central’s Londen Armstrong as the 2A top-ranked Lady Falcons defeated the Lady Jags.
Ingomar used long-range shooting early on with a trio of three-point shots for a 9-0 lead right away. After one quarter, the Lady Falcons led 24-7 and held a 41-13 lead at halftime. Once the lead reached 30 points late in the third quarter, the clock was left on and continued without stopping for the remainder of the contest.
All of Phifer’s 14 points came in the first half. Bella Phifer added 10 points and Daylen Grisham added nine.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Prep boys basketball
Center Hill 52, Grenada 46
DeSoto Central 68, Ingomar 45
Olive Branch 87, South Panola 62
Horn Lake 83, Oxford 70
Lewisburg 52, Southaven 48
North Panola 56, Hernando 54
Lake Cormorant 45, Saltillo 44
Prep girls basketball
Center Hill 65, Grenada 37
Center Hill: Madison Hughes- 17 points, Yazlyn Buffington- 16 points.
Ingomar 53, DeSoto Central 21
South Panola 73, Olive Branch 66
Oxford 41, Horn Lake 30
Southaven 54, Lewisburg 38
Lake Cormorant 41, Saltillo 26
Hernando 68, North Panola 37
Hernando: Fran Kelley- 38, Keristian Nevels- 10, Gemma Walker- 10
Prep boys soccer
DeSoto Central 5, Horn Lake 1
Lake Cormorant 3, Grenada 1
Lake Cormorant goals: Gio landaverde (2), Luis Cano (1)
Olive Branch 2, Saltillo 2 (Saltillo wins in PKs)
Olive Branch goals: Sammy Rojcewicz (1), Jackson Warren (1)
Hernando goals: Emery Allison (2), Izzy Powers (2), Rosa Ibarra (2), Anne Rowen Slater (1)
Oxford 4, Lewisburg 2
Prep wrestling
Lewisburg 81, South Pontotoc 0
Lewisburg 78, Olive Branch 0
North Pontotoc 37, Lewisburg 32
Olive Branch 40, South Pontotoc 15
SPORTS ETC.: Eight Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers were named to the all-Region 23 football team announced on Tuesday. Running back D’mariun Perteet was named Region 23 Player of the Year and coach Benjy Parker was named Coach of the Year. Read more at nwccrangers.com.
