Miss-Lou Youth Basketball crowns champions

Published 1:24 am Sunday, March 7, 2010

VIDALIA — The Miss-Lou Youth Basketball Association ended its season with a pair of championship games Saturday morning, and if this season’s play was any indication, the Vidalia High boys basketball team will be stocked with talent for years to come.

“The league teaches good sportsmanship and also teaches good basketball skills,” league volunteer Pattie Morris said. “I think the success of this program has helped contribute to the success of the Vidalia High program. I hope to see it continue.”

In Saturday’s fourth and fifth grade boys championship game, Concordia Bank defeated Concordia Metal 23-20.

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In the sixth and seven grade boys championship game, Concordia Bank defeated El Ranchero 34-15 to complete a perfect season.

“It’s a great league,” sixth and seventh grade Concordia Bank coach Jackie Johnston said. “Everybody had fun and that’s what it’s all about. There’s a lot of great athletes in Vidalia, and they need a place to show it.”

Johnston and Morris both gave credit to the numerous volunteers that helped the league this season.

“There’s a lot of men and women who gave up their time to be with these kids,” Johnston said. “All the credit goes out to them.”

Morris said the volunteers are what makes the league function.

“The league can only be as successful as its coaches and parents,” Morris said. “If not for them, we wouldn’t have anything.”

Morris said the league was successful for the boys, but she would like to see more girls sign up next year.

The league only had enough girls sign up to have two teams.

“We would like to see the girls turnout improve,” Morris said. “Basketball is a good sport to learn life skills like teamwork and self control. And this is a good place for them to learn that.”

Fourth and fifth grade boys

Concordia Bank 23, Concordia Metal 20

Concordia Bank jumped out to a slim early lead and managed to hang onto it throughout the game in a three-point victory.

Concordia Bank led 4-2 after one quarter and 12-10 at halftime.

Concordia Metal cut the lead to 17-16 after the third quarter, but Concordia Bank outscored them 6-4 in the final period to pull out the victory.

Soloman Yearby led Concordia Bank with 14 points while Jacob Richards and Terry Brown both scored four and Landon Kenney scored one.

Concordia Metal was led by Dylan Maynard with eight points, Christian Fort with seven, Lee Lancaster with four and Casey Cupit with one.

Sixth and seven grade boys

Concordia Bank 35, El Ranchero 15

Concordia Bank capped off a perfect season by running away with the championship thanks to a powerful offense.

Concordia Bank led 8-4 after one quarter, but opened up a 19-8 lead at halftime.

El Ranchero tried to fight back in the third quarter, outscoring Concordia Bank 5-4, but Concordia Bank put the game away in the fourth, outscoring El Ranchero 10-2 to close out the win.

Jarvis Turner led Concordia Bank with 18 points while James Coley had seven, Jared Turner had five and Tyler Push scored four.

El Ranchero was led by Jontarrius Townsend with nine, Drew McGivern with four and Kory Henson with two.