Phil Campbell, Belgreen, Tharptown claim tournament championships

By Staff
Kim West
Franklin County Times
THARPTOWN – All three Belgreen junior high basketball teams advanced to the finals of the annual Tharptown Tip-Off Tournament, but three different schools won championships Saturday night.
In the first game, Phil Campbell won a closely contested game against Belgreen 36-28 to win the "B" boys championship.
Ben Stancil, Austin Jones and Cameron Harris led Phil Campbell with nine points apiece. Belgreen's Caleb Mitchell had a team-high nine points, and Ben Britnell added seven.
In the second game, East Franklin beat Belgreen 31-29 for the second time this season thanks to a steal and two free throws by the Lady Rebels' Kendra Baker with less than 30 seconds remaining to win the junior girls championship.
Baker led East Franklin with 13 points, while Ciarar Harville had seven. Belgreen's Katelin Barber had a team-high 15 points, and Erica Smith added five.
In the final game, host Tharptown used its full-court press and a balanced offense to defeat Belgreen 40-22 for the "A" boys championship.
Drew Ergle led Tharptown with 12 points, while Devin Lawson (11) and Wade Berryman (10) also finished in double figures. Belgreen's Jesse Smith had a team-high nine points, while Drew Quillen added five.