J.R. Tidwell/FCT Tharptown’s Kent Allen (5) makes a chest pass against Colbert Heights Thursday night.

J.R. Tidwell
jr.tidwell@fct.wpengine.com

THARPTOWN —The Tharptown boys varsity team lost a close match to Colbert Heights Thursday by a final of 49-48.
The game was nowhere near close at halftime, as Colbert Heights took a 37-19 lead into intermission.
“You can’t get down on a good team,” Tharptown head coach Johnathan Odom said.
The game looked over early, but Tharptown’s defense roared to life in the second half, allowing Colbert Heights just one point off a free throw in the third quarter.Tharptown began a run at the beginning of the third by steadily scoring a few points here and there, but that turned into an all-out momentum swing.
Tharptown went on a 10-0 run before Colbert Heights finally scored again with under a minute remaining in the third.Tharptown continued to rally in the fourth, led by Nick Long, Riley Nolen, Kent Allen and Will Washington. Washington took a couple of charges, Nolen hit three 3s, Long shot for 20 points total — most in the paint —, and Allen moved the ball around and scored 8.
“We got dominated in the first but came back,” Odom said. “We played great on defense.”
Tharptown kept chipping away at Colbert Heights lead before they finally did what seemed impossible; they went ahead 48-47 with just over one minute to go in the game. This was the first and only lead Tharptown would have.
Tharptown had overcome an 18-point halftime deficit and outscored Colbert Heights 29-10 in the second half to that point.Fans were on the edge of their seats as both teams took turns losing possession of the ball in the final minute.
Colbert Heights managed one last score on a lay-up with just six-tenths of a second remaining on the clock.Tharptown came within one point and a split second of making one of the greatest high school comebacks in recent memory, but the fans roared for Tharptown at game’s end despite the loss because of the feat the home players had just — and nearly — accomplished.
Nolen totaled 9 points for Tharptown, with Allen scoring 8, Joe Lou Allen scoring 4 and Colton Blankenship contributing 2. Long led the team in points with the aforementioned 20.

Tharptown girls varsity 44, Colbert Heights 32

Tharptown cruised to a victory against Colbert Heights Thursday night.The game was close at 3-2 at the end of the first, but the score would not be that close again. Tharptown kept up a steady lead, with a 28-16 advantage late in the third quarter that ended with the 12-point win.
“We were not very good tonight, and not good defensively,” Tharptown head coach Chad Green said. “We didn’t shoot very well, either. We have to play much better at the Red Bay tournament.”