[wheeler]

With WPRG running the finals last week. I made the drive over two mountains for the split session of games. Elkhorn City 67 Betsy Layne 60. Tyler Baliff 26 points and Todd Conley 25 points led Randy McCoy team. Duran Newsome 24 points and Philip King 18 points for Junior Newsome. A young Joey Thacker for Elkhorn City in final game made a nice play in tapping the basketball back to a teammate in final minute but his shot wouldn:t fall. Joey sucess at Franklin County and his talented wife who i saw play at Millard. I got in line at the gym door where Paul May coach/official was holding the door after first game. People in front were talking football and he was late opening the door. Belfry 85 Shelby Valley 83 OT. Chad Bowling a talented guard scored 28 points, Jeremy Johnson 14 and tough center and underated player Bobby Keyes scored 12 points. John Paul Williamson 26 points lifted Belfry to the overtime win.

[wooderson]

Scrolling through the basketball threads and I must have missed this one. A very very good regional tournament that year. 5 really good teams with Belfry, Elkhorn City, Johnson Central, Shelby Valley and Betsy Lane all had a shot at winning the region. The Elkhorn/Central was a classic. I always felt Johnson Central was the 1 team that could give Belfry fits with their size from Salisbury and Fairchild. Some tough breaks cost them that opening round game in OT. Shelby Valley dodged a bullet in their opening round game with McDowell winning by 1. The semis were all classics with the night cap with Belfry/Shelby Valley game being the best game I’ve ever seen in my 30+ years of watching of watching 15th region basketball. Belfry overcome sub par games from their back court of Hylton and Hager to hold off a very good Valley team. And for the record it was a kid named Mark Williamson that led the Pirates that night not John Paul. Bowling for Valley was his unstoppable self but the inside game of Williamson, Kinser and Dotson would be too much for Valley. The hero of the game was Chris Phillips for Belfry who hit the game winner while being fouled and hitting the free throw. The early game was back and forth with Elkhorn controlling the 2nd half throughout. Bailiff was simply a man in that game. He was always a poor mans Jody Thompson who could do it all and Heff was exactly what everybody has heard about him and he was just a freshman. Betsy Lane was led by King who was probably the most underrated player in the 15th that year, he was the glue that held that team together when the games got tough. Now the final game was a back and forth kind of game. Belfry was bothered by foul trouble to their stars Williamson and Dotson which killed all front court production, add to that Bailiff being unstoppable for 3 quarters and the game wasn’t decided until late. Hylton for Belfry carried the load with 40+ points and Belfry was again your 15th region championship. I was fortunate enough to be there for all 7 games and I would rank it top 3 in 15th region tournament. The defending champ took some huge hits but stayed the course and were deservingly crowned champ.

[Westside]

With WPRG running the finals last week. I made the drive over two mountains for the split session of games. Elkhorn City 67 Betsy Layne 60. Tyler Baliff 26 points and Todd Conley 25 points led Randy McCoy team. Duran Newsome 24 points and Philip King 18 points for Junior Newsome. A young Joey Thacker for Elkhorn City in final game made a nice play in tapping the basketball back to a teammate in final minute but his shot wouldn:t fall. Joey sucess at Franklin County and his talented wife who i saw play at Millard. I got in line at the gym door where Paul May coach/official was holding the door after first game. People in front were talking football and he was late opening the door. Belfry 85 Shelby Valley 83 OT. Chad Bowling a talented guard scored 28 points, Jeremy Johnson 14 and tough center and underated player Bobby Keyes scored 12 points. John Paul Williamson 26 points lifted Belfry to the overtime win.

Duran Newsome had graduated a couple season before this game was played. More than likely it was Adam Gearheart who led the Bobcats in scoring on this night.

[wooderson]

Duran Newsome had graduated a couple season before this game was played. More than likely it was Adam Gearheart who led the Bobcats in scoring on this night.

You are correct.