Eagles win by 32 in opener

From Staff Reports

TAYLOR Twelve Ellison players scored as the Eagles boys basketball team romped to a 62-30 win in its District 17-4A opener against Taylor Saturday.

Despite playing on the road, 12-6 (1-0 17-4A) Ellison displayed no signs of nervousness. And while only two players scored in double-figures for the Eagles, the team had no trouble finding its offensive touch.

Mathew Addison put in 14 points to lead Ellison and Chris Gallon notched 10 to help fuel the Eagles offense.

The game was never in doubt. Ellison got out to a quick start in the first half and took a 28-13 lead into the break. In the third quarter the Eagles continued to roll, outscoring the Ducks 13-5 and an explosive 21 point effort in the finale shut the door on Taylor.

Ellison had four 3-pointers in the game and went 12-18 from the charity stripe to cap a solid shooting night for the Eagles.

 

District 17-4A Preview: Wolves will have to fend off quality challengers

By Tony Altobelli and Evan Ren
Killeen Daily Herald

Now come the games that count. Here is a brief synopsis of each District 17-4A team, in their predicted order of finish:

Shoemaker (17-2, 1-0) On paper, the 14th-ranked Grey Wolves appear to be the odds-on favorite to take the district title, and a lock to reach postseason play.

A Region III quarterfinalist a year ago, Shoemaker features eight players who are scoring six points per game or more, led by guards Gabe Haskins (15.6) and Cleveland Zeigler (11.0).

The Grey Wolves are deep, commonly playing 10 players per game, and possess more overall quickness and athleticism than any other team in the league.

One key weakness: size.

Shoemaker has only one player reserve post Keith Smith who is over 6-foot-3, which could present matchup problems with teams like Marble Falls and Ellison.

Ellison (12-6, 1-0) The defending district champions may lack the firepower they had a year ago with the departure Division-I guards Zack Wright and Lorenzo Williams, but remain dangerous as one of Central Texas' best defensive teams.

Quick with a bench that goes 10-12 deep, if the Eagles find consistent scoring punch, they could challenge for the league title.

Players to watch include 6-4 center Chris Gallon, guards Matthew Addison, Deontra Levi and Jayme Price, and forward Taurren Miller.

Marble Falls (17-2, 1-0) Big, deep and experienced, the Mustangs are one of only two teams which appear to have the tools to challenge Shoemaker for the top spot.

The Mustangs return starting big men Bryan Smith and Carter Jones, both of whom stand in at 6-4.

The ball-handling of guards Eric Sanchez and Jason Mandel will likely determine how far the team can go.

Harker Heights (7-12, 0-1) With the departure of some high-quality talent from last year's squad, coach Celneque Bobbit has had a hard time trying to find that right mix of inside and outside success, but it's getting there.

Players like Mike Straughn, Frankie Brown, Marquis Newby and Walter Harris each have the ability to put up some strong numbers from the perimeter, while Dustan Allen, Treyvon Hocutt and Leo Foster can do some damage down low.

Pflugerville Connally (9-11, 0-1) Perhaps the youngest and smallest team in the league, the Cougars are utilizing an unusual four-guard, one-forward set, mainly out of necessity.

Sophomores Chris Irwin (5-9, guard, 17.0) and Antoine Williams (6-4, forward, 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds) are the primary weapons.

However, a pair of 6-7 juniors in Cory Willis (anemia) and DeAngelo Flowers (ankle) could make their returns sometime during the district season, making the Cougars a formidable challenge for virtually every team in the league.

Flowers is expected back within two weeks; Willis is out indefinitely.

Killeen (4-10, 1-0) Coach Bo Burgess' squad is still in the "young and learning" phase, but the Roos definitely have the talent to put a scare in any team they play.

Junior Trey Debose has been the Roos' most consistent scorer, and with shooters like Jorge Quinones, who scored 37 against highly-ranked Longview, and Larry Gordon (double digits in nine games), their offense can be explosive.

An Achilles' heel for the Roos will be at the free-throw line. In their district-opening win over Lampasas, Killeen shot 3-of-14 from the line.

Lampasas (10-9, 0-1) In a district where many teams are 10-12 deep, the Badgers will have their hands full with their thin roster.

Coach Scott Harrelson's Badgers are led by Tyler Garner and Keith Null, who scored 15 and 11 points respectively against the Roos in their district-opener.

Another player who can help Lampasas hang tough will be Seth Lowery, who is one of the Badgers' top all-around players.

Taylor (3-13, 0-1) First-year coach David Guadiano has his hands full in this tough division as Saturday's 32-point loss to Ellison would indicate.

The Ducks are led by senior Ernest Miller who is averaging more than 13 points per game.

 

Eagles trump Connally boys with pair of Chrises

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

Knowing that Pflugerville Connally was hurting inside with the absence of two of its top post players, Ellison boys basketball coach David Manley wasted no time in taking advantage of it Tuesday on his home floor.

Eagle postmen Chris Montgomery and Chris Gallon scored 19 and 18 points respectively, as Ellison (13-6, 2-0 District 17-4A) continually ripped the Cougars in the paint to win going away, 80-51.

"That was the difference in the game, no doubt," Manley said. "We were able to go into our post players because we were a lot bigger than they were."

Combining for 14 of the Eagles' first-quarter points, Gallon and Montgomery led Ellison to a 21-11 edge after the first eight minutes, and a 42-23 advantage at the break.

The pair was dominant on the boards as well, with Gallon hauling in a game-high eight rebounds four of which came on the offensive end.

"This was without a doubt our worst effort of the year," said Connally coach Brad Oestreich, who was hit with a technical foul in the second quarter. "We played with no intensity.

"Ellison is a good team, but we just didn't match them intensity-wise."

Connally's effort was particularly weak on the offensive end, where the Cougars hit only six of 25 shots (24 percent) in the first half, and finished 15-of-51 on the night.

The Cougars (9-12, 0-2) were beaten on the glass as well, getting outrebounded 38-28.

"I thought early in the game we got some good looks, but we just didn't get the ball to go down," Oestreich said. "We're awful small, we penetrated too deep, and that allowed them to block a lot of our shots."

Connally's lack of size, brought on largely by the absence of 6-foot-7 postmen Cory Willis (anemia) and DeAngelo Flowers (ankle sprain) proved too big a handicap to overcome. Ellison continued to pound the ball inside, with 10 of its 20 third-quarter points coming in the paint.

Leading 60-35 heading into the final stanza, the Eagles repeatedly went to Gallon in the fourth, with the 6-4 senior responding with six points and a pair of assists.

"Gallon did an outstanding job and so did Montgomery," Manley said. "Gallon has been the glue that has held our team together."

Other contributors for Ellison, which hit 25 of 46 shots (54 percent) were Deontra Levi with 14 points and Jayme Price with eight.

Connally was led by Jermaine Andrews with 16; Antwon Andrews finished with 12.

January 14, 2004

 

Alone in first: Big Ellison run beats Shoemaker

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

Examining the stat sheet following Tuesday's 70-63 loss to cross-town rival Ellison, Shoemaker coach Rick Kirkpatrick was quick to acknowledge that the numbers told part of the story.

For Ellison: 18 made free throw attempts to the Grey Wolves' six.

On the glass: Ellison 35 boards to Shoemaker's 26, with the Eagles collecting 10 of those on the offensive end.

Yet for Kirkpatrick, the numbers were merely a byproduct of how the Grey Wolves played, particularly in a sluggish 12-minute stretch of the second and third quarters in which Ellison ripped the Wolfpack with a 35-16 run.

The Grey Wolves managed to stage a furious fourth-quarter comeback, cutting the gap to 59-55 with 5:25 left when Cleveland Zeigler followed a Gabe Haskins 3-pointer with three treys of his own in a 90-second span.

That, however, was as close as the Grey Wolves could get.

"We had a total mental lapse and that just killed us," said Kirkpatrick of the Ellison run. "For about four straight possessions, we went completely brain dead.

"It's just a matter of playing 32 minutes and, right now, we're not playing 32 minutes of basketball."

Ellison, on the other hand, which was led by Chris Montgomery's double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds did very little wrong.

In taking sole possession of first place in the league race, the Eagles (15-6, 4-0 District 17-4A) hit 25-of-46 shots (54.3 percent), due largely to the play of point guard Jayme Price, who repeatedly broke down the Shoemaker defense for easy Eagle shots.

"We probably played the best game we've played all year tonight," Ellison coach David Manley said. "We did a great job offensively of executing our plan, and that's not easy to do against a very good team like Shoemaker."

That game plan consisted largely of Price and fellow Eagle guards Matthew Addison and Deontra Levi lobbing the ball over the top a fronting Shoemaker defense.

Montgomery was the primary beneficiary, scoring 24 of his points in the first three quarters.

Having its 21-point lead sawed to four, the Eagles, taking advantage of the bonus, managed to hold the Grey Wolves off with eight points from the line in the last five minutes, six of which came from Price.

"We didn't know if we could execute our plan or not, but our guys really did a good job of holding their composure," Manley said. "Jayme Price played like a senior tonight. The best news about him is that he's just a sophomore."

Other contributors for Ellison included Addison, who finished with 18 points and four 3-pointers, and Chris Gallon, who tallied seven points and seven boards.

Zeigler, who finished with 24 points and six 3-pointers, led Shoemaker (19-4, 2-2). Haskins finished with 15.

"With all of our success in (non-district) I began to let my expectations get a little too high for this team, and I believe I set our goals a bit too high," Kirkpatrick said. "That's poor coaching on my part.

"From now on, we have to get back to the fundamentals."

Shoemaker will next see action when it hosts Taylor on Friday night. Ellison will visit Killeen on the same evening.

 

Kirkpatrick sees guard play as key in latest loss

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

Following Ellison's 70-63 win over his Grey Wolves on Tuesday, Shoemaker boys basketball coach Rick Kirkpatrick was quick to point to guard play as the key factor in the loss.

The problem was particularly evident on the defensive end, where Ellison guard Jayme Price all but disected the Grey Wolf defense while feeding Eagle postmen for easy shots.

"We did a very poor job of containing their guards for about 25 minutes of the game," Kirkpatrick said. "If we can't contain their guards, their postmen are just going to tear us up."

Price, who finished with eight points, continually beat the Grey Wolves off the dribble, but punished them with several well-placed lob passes into the paint as well.

With the loss, Shoemaker fell to 19-4 overall and 2-2 in district play, while Ellision (15-6, 4-0) took sole possession of first place.

"We've fronted the post all year, they knew that, and they did a good job of clearing our back side," Kirkpatrick said. "But our guards did a very poor job in the half-court defense.

"We had a few kids that did play well, but overall as a team, our guards didn't."

On the offensive end, however, Shoemaker guards Cleveland Zeigler and Gabe Haskins eventually caught fire, connecting with five of their combined nine 3-pointers in the third period.

Unfortunately, during a 12-minute sluggish period spanning the second and third quarters, Ellison went on a 35-16 run to put the game virtually out of reach.

"There is no doubt that our guards can play, but it has got to be consistent," Kirkpatrick said. "C.J. Rainey does an incredible job as our point guard because he never gets any glory. His name is never in the paper as a scorer, he plays as hard as he can defensively, but the guys around him did not do that until late in the game.

"Cleveland and Gabe finally turned it on late, and when they do turn it on, they are very good. But we've got to have that from them all the time."

Smith vows early return

Reserve center Keith Smith will miss six weeks of basketball with a sprained ankle according to his doctors. Smith, however, says he'll be back in two or three.

Smith, who suffered the injury while engaging in horseplay with his brother at home, missed Friday's win over Lampasas and the Ellison game Tuesday.

January 17, 2004

 

ABOVE THE RIM: Montgomery shines in Eagles' win

By Tony Altobelli

Killeen Daily Herald

Chris Montgomery stood out on the floor in more ways than one for the Ellison boys basketball team Friday night in the Eagles' 57-42 win over Killeen

The 6-foot-6 senior towered over the smaller Roos and led the way with 28 points, 11 rebounds and several mid-air adjusted Killeen shots down low.

"We knew coming into the game that we would have an advantage in size," EHS coach David Manley said. "We wanted to take advantage of that and our post players did a good job of that."

Deontra Levi added 10 for the first-place Eagles (16-6, 5-0 in District 17-4A) and Chris Gallon added six points and nine rebounds.

The Eagle defense continued to dominate the opposition as the Roos (6-12, 3-2) were held to 36 percent (18-of-50) from the field and just 1-of-17 from 3-point range. Ellison has allowed 43.6 points per game against district foes through its first five games.

The tempo was set early as the Eagles jumped out to a 21-13 lead after one quarter of play. Montgomery led the way with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Levi's seven points in the frame helped the Eagles shoot 10-of-19 from the field.

Killeen has a solid defensive unit of its own. The Roos forced seven turnovers in the first half and held the Eagles to just seven shots in the second quarter, but a 3-of-11 shooting effort in the stanza couldn't allow the hosts to get any closer.

"It was a tough, hard-fought game," Manley said. "Both teams really went after it all night. This was a win we'll take gladly."

Ellison's defense just would not allow an easy shot as the Roos shot just 25 percent in the third quarter and the Eagles' lead grew to 15.

With the post shut down by Gallon and Montgomery, Killeen tried to work the parimeter, but to no avail.

Trailing by 19, the Roos finally made a last-ditch run in the fourth, scoring eight straight points. A 3-point shot, which would have cut the margin down to eight, rattled out, ending Killeen's chances.

From there, a basket by Gallon and a thunderous dunk by Montgomery iced the contest.

"We didn't have as many offensive sets in the second half because we weren't in a major hurry to get shots off," Manley said.

The Roos will try to end their two-game slide on Tuesday at home against Shoemaker. Ellison will look to keep the winning streak alive at home against Harker Heights. Both games are set for 7 p.m.

"Overall, I'm ecstatic with how we've started in district," Manley said. "But we've still got a long ways to go with nine games left. Anything can happen. We've got to stay focused."

 

REN: Manley making a difference for Eagles' basketball team

Ask Ellison boys basketball coach David Manley how his team is doing, and you'll usually get an answer which borders on ridiculous.

"Oh, we're horrible."

"Terrible ... just terrible."

In the meantime, Manley, who is 16-6 this season, is on the verge of winning 20 games and reaching the playoffs for a 10th straight year.

You know, the more successful this guy becomes, the better the joke gets.

For those of you who are curious about the tally, here are the Ellison records since Manley's arrival in 1994: 25-8, 24-10, 27-7, 25-7, 26-9, 26-9, 20-12, 27-7, and of course, last year's mark of 35-2.

He notched his 250th win with the Eagles when they defeated league favorite Shoemaker on Tuesday. He's never failed to get Ellison into postseason play, he's been as far as the regional semifinals (sweet 16) three times, and earned his first regional final berth last year.

Not bad, considering the Texas state tournament begins with 96 teams, yet you'll never hear Manley speak of these things unsolicited.

The constant underselling never ends, and never will until the day Manley hangs up the whistle for good.

That's just his nature an odd combination of coach's superstition, genuine humility and a sense of humor that delights in the nonsensical.

And folks, make no mistake, Manley's tongue-in-cheek bashing of his own program is exactly that: nonsensical.

But let me tell you something else about him.

This is a guy who loves his family to pieces.

Win or lose, he quickly seeks them out after each game, and always with the same warm demeanor.

Manley is gracious in defeat, humble when he wins and pretty darn funny in either mode. Yet his family remains numero uno, and virtually anyone who has spent time around him can attest to that.

Did I mention that he can coach a little bit, too?

Well, if I didn't drill that point home sufficiently, this season's Eagle team will likely do it for me. Here is a squad which lost four college-level players in Lorenzo Williams (Rice), Zack Wright (Arkansas-Little Rock), Jerald Richardson (Augustana) and James Metcalf (Bimidji State), yet has taken sole possession of first place in the District 17-4A race.

The Eagles, who were riddled with question marks prior to the season, are not only playing well, they're playing exceptionally well. And Manley, all of his deflective humor aside, deserves the lion's share of the credit.

His secret? Motivation.

Under his tutelage, Ellison players have two choices: Play defense and rebound like a fiend or sit on the bench.

If you happen to shoot well, that's an added bonus.

Yes, it goes beyond that. Manley knows his X's and O's as well. So well, in fact, that he has been invited as a speaker at the annual THSCA Coaching School a gig you won't get unless you really know your stuff.

His methods may not be pretty. They might not be made for the highlight reel. Yet they work.

"Yeah, well he's had some pretty good players over there, too."

True. Then again, so has nearly every other coach in the area. Manley, however, is the only one who has been at or near the top every single year without fail.

I say it's about time the guy got his props.

He is not just a good coach. He is a great coach.

Just don't expect him to admit it.

 

Ellison wins physical matchup

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

With two of District 17-4A's most physical teams on the floor, Tuesday's matchup between the Ellison and Harker Heights boys basketball teams didn't figure to be pretty.

And it wasn't.

Yet for Ellison, a 13-percent edge in shooting percentage and an exemplary defensive effort in the first half was enough to earn a gritty 40-31 win.

Chris Montgomery scored 12 points and Matthew Addison added eight more to lead Ellison (17-6, 6-0 district), which retained sole possession of first place in league play with the win.

For Heights (10-14, 3-3) the loss dropped the Knights into a third-place tie with Killeen.

"Both sides did a great job of defending the post tonight," Ellison coach David Manley said. "That's why it turned out sort of ugly."

Things were particularly unattractive on Heights' offensive end, where the Knights were forced into 13 first-half turnovers, 11 of which came off Ellison steals.

The Eagles parlayed Heights' troubles into eight points off of layups and another three from the foul line to pound out a 23-9 halftime lead.

"Turnovers in the first half just killed us," Heights coach Celneque Bobbitt said. "Ellison did a great job of pressuring us defensively, and we just weren't aggressive enough in attacking the basket."

The Knights managed to clean up their act in the third, turning the ball over only three times while outrebounding the Eagles 9-7 over eight minutes.

Unfortunately for Heights, it didn't translate into much on the scoreboard, thanks largely to a 2-of-11 shooting effort from the floor during the period. The Knights did score six points from the line, however, cutting Ellison's advantage to 30-19 heading into the final stanza.

"Our assistant coaches did a great job of scouting Heights, so I felt like we were well-prepared," Manley said. "Heights is well-coached and they played very well so we had to be ready."

The Knights kept what little momentum they had heading into the fourth, cutting the gap to 30-23 with back-to-back layups by Frankie Brown.

Ellison would answer, however, with a 3-pointer from Addison 30 seconds later to reclaim a double-digit lead an advantage it gradually expanded to 40-26 when Montgomery capped a three-point play with 1:27 remaining.

"We tried to take their post people out of their comfort zone," Bobbitt said. "But they hurt us at the line because we weren't aggressive enough in denying them the basketball."

Other contributors for Ellison, which will face Lampasas at home on Friday, were Deontra Levi with seven points and Chris Gallon with six points and six rebounds.

Heights, which hosts Killeen on the same evening, was led by Brown with 10 points and Marquis Newby with eight.

Treyvon Hocutt grabbed a game-high seven rebounds for Heights, which held a 29-27 edge on the glass while limiting the Eagles to five offensive boards.

The Knights hit only 10-of-43 shots on the night (23.2 percent); Ellison hit 14-of-38 (36.8).

"They definitely hurt us on the glass," said Manley, whose team yielded an uncharacteristic 12 offensive rebounds. "I wasn't real pleased with our effort there."

 

District-leading Eagles pound struggling LHS

By Evan Ren
Killeen Daily Herald

In a game which offered everything one would expect from a first-versus-last matchup, the Ellison boys basketball team thoroughly dismantled Lampasas 73-29 on Friday.

Mathew Addison and Chris Montgomery scored 14 points each to lead Ellison (18-6, 7-0 District 17-4A), which retained sole possession of first place with the win.

Leading 15-10 heading into the second quarter, Ellison ended the competitive phase of the game with a 24-4 second-quarter run.

Forced into a staggering 21 first-half turnovers, Lampasas (10-15, 0-7) managed only five shot attempts in the second quarter, scoring its only field goal of the frame when Jay West canned a leaner on the baseline with 2:40 left in the half.

"Turnovers were the key," Ellison coach David Manley said. "I didn't want us to come out flat tonight and thought we did a good job of getting off to a fast start."

Up 39-14 at the break, the Eagles stretched their advantage to 57-20 by the end of the third, getting nine points from Addison in the period while forcing Lampasas into an additional eight turnovers.

The Badgers finished with 31 giveaways on the evening.

"Ellison's defense did a great job," Lampasas coach Scott Harrelson said. "They made us play at their speed, which is something we talked about all week.

"We can't afford to play at their speed and push the ball down the floor because they're so aggressive and it ends up snowballing on you."

The Badgers' difficulties didn't end there.

Lampasas, which was held to 37 shot attempts to Ellison's 64, hit only 18.9 percent from the floor, including a 1-of-13 effort in the final stanza.

"Our shooting was a product of their defense," Harrelson said. "We've really struggled on offense and it's nothing new for us because we don't have a lot of shooters.

"But Ellison made us shoot quickly and we don't shoot well when we shoot quickly."

Other contributors for Ellison were Eddie Huncherick, who scored nine second-half points off the bench, and Betaile Hawkins with eight.

Lampasas was led by Seth Lowery with 13 points. No other Badger scored more than four.

"We scored a lot of easy baskets in transition, which really helped," said Manley, whose team hit 29-of-65 shots (44.6 percent) and outrebounded the Badgers 43-34. "Most of that was created by our defense."

Ellison next sees action when it plays host to Taylor on Tuesday night. Lampasas will play host to Killeen on the same evening.

 

Ellison basketballers feast on two servings of Duck

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

In the aftermath of Tuesday's 67-28 blowout loss at Ellison, Taylor boys basketball coach David Guadiano had the look of a man who had just been escorted to the woodshed.

The first-year mentor was nothing but gracious, however, quickly giving credit to a stifling Eagle defense which forced his Ducks into 28 turnovers with a season-high 21 steals.

"That's the quickest team in the league and I think my entire staff would agree with me on that," Guadiano said. "We were just overmatched against that defense."

With the win, Ellison (19-6, 8-0 District 17-4A) can clinch its 10th straight postseason berth by winning three of its final six games.

Taylor dropped to 6-20 and 1-7 with the loss.

"Turnovers were the ballgame," Ellison coach David Manley said. "That was huge."

So huge, that the Eagles managed 61 shot attempts to the Ducks' 25.

It hardly seemed to matter that Ellison shot only 40.9 percent, led by Matthew Addison's 16 points and Chris Montgomery's 14.

The Ducks, who hit only three shots from the floor in the first half, were essentially out of the contest at the break, down 32-9.

"If you can't get any shots on the basket, you're not going to score points," Guadiano said. "They just overwhelmed us with their quickness and just absolutely hounded us.

"It looked like we were trying to break the record for turnovers in one game."

Things didn't get much better for Taylor in the third quarter with Montgomery leading a 20-12 Ellison frame with seven points, including a trey along the baseline.

Up 52-21 heading into the final stanza, the Eagles emptied their bench with six minutes remaining, yet still managed to outscore the Ducks 9-7 down the stretch.

Other contributors for Ellison, which travels to Pflugerville Connally on Friday, were Deontra Levi with seven points and Betiale Hawkins with 6. Starting center Chris Gallon sat out the contest, the apparent victim of a spider bite on his left arm.

Taylor, which travels to Killeen on the same evening, was led by Mike Campos with 12 and Chip Ivany with 10.

 

Ellison Notebook: Magic number is 5 for boys basketball team

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

Despite being unbeaten in the district race with seven games to go, Ellison coach David Manley isn't allowing his team to take anything for granted.

On the contrary, the 10th-year mentor is attempting to push the Eagles to peak at just the right time.

"We're just focusing on getting better over the next three weeks," Manley said. "If you can do that and you get into the playoffs, you're usually playing well when you get there.

"Every night from this point forward, that's what we have to focus on."

Heading into today, the magic number for the Eagles to reach the playoffs is three. Any combination of wins by Ellison (18-6, 7-0 District 17-4A) or losses by fourth-place Harker Heights adding up to three, will send the Eagles into the postseason for a 10th straight year.

 

Mustangs upset Eagles

By Evan Ren
Killeen Daily Herald

MARBLE FALLS All of the district doors are still open Marble Falls workmanlike 42-30 win over the Ellison boys basketball team on Tuesday has seen to that.

The Mustangs (23-5, 6-3 District 17-4A), who snapped a school-record 27-game district winning streak by Ellison with the victory, also helped Harker Heights and Shoemaker in the process.

Heights desperately needed an Ellison loss to remain in the playoff hunt, while Shoemaker needed the Eagles to falter to have a shot at a league title. Both got their wish as Marble Falls junior postman Carter Tynes burned Ellison for 18 points and seven rebounds to lift the Mustangs to the win.

They just whipped us tonight, Ellison coach David Manley said. They just wanted it more than we did ... and they got it.

Frustrating the Eagles with a match-up zone throughout the evening, Falls held Ellison to a 4-of-18 shooting effort in the first half, including a 1-of-10 mark in the first quarter to take a 16-9 lead at the break. The Mustangs also dominated the glass, holding the Eagles to a season-low five rebounds in the first two quarters, and held a 28-23 edge on the night.

When we lost at Ellison earlier this season, we looked at the film and realized that 20 of their points came off of offensive rebounds, said Falls coach Clint Baty, whose team avenged a 52-32 loss at Ellison on Jan. 9 with the win. So all we talked about all week was rebounding, rebounding and more rebounding.

Early in the second half, however, Ellison briefly corrected its troubles to cut the Mustangs lead to 20-17 with 2:20 left in the frame on a layup by Shamarri Miller. It never got any closer.

Falls, behind a three-point play by Tynes and a free throw by Bryan Smith, extended its lead back to seven, and eventually took a 24-19 edge into the final stanza.

We didnt hit our 3s tonight and we didnt hit our mid-range jumpers, said Manley, whose team finished 12-of-45 from the floor, its worst shooting effort in district play this year. Plus, they didnt give us any layups, and when you face a team that doesnt give you any layups, its hard to win.

Trailing 28-21 with seven minutes to play, Ellison tried to pressure the Mustangs to create extra possessions, but quickly found itself in foul trouble. Falls took advantage of this, hitting 10 shots from the charity stripe down the stretch to put the game away.

Ellison threatened with 2:10 to play when Deontra Levi cut the lead to 33-27 with a free throw, but six Mustang points from the charity stripe over the next minute did the Eagles in.

Ellison was led by Levi and Chris Gallon with seven points each in its lowest offensive output in league play this year.

The Eagles (20-7, 8-1) will next see action when they host Shoemaker in a crucial district showdown on Tuesday. Falls will get a visit from Killeen on the same evening.

February 7, 2004

 

Extra effort: Ellison clinches playoff berth with OT win over Shoemaker

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

In the aftermath of Friday's numbing 60-54 overtime loss at Ellison, Shoemaker boys basketball coach Rick Kirkpatrick sounded as drained as he looked.

Kirkpatrick, whose team squandered a 16-point third-quarter lead en route to the loss, had few answers in the wake of an astonishing second-half comeback by the Eagles.

Chris Montgomery scored 16 points and Deontra Levi added 12 more to pace Ellison (21-8, 10-1 District 17-4A) which put the game away with a 6-0 run in the final minute of OT.

"In the first half, they had foul trouble with their postmen and that hurt them," Kirkpatrick said quietly outside the Shoemaker locker room. "But in the second half they were out on the floor the whole time, they got some easy buckets and got their confidence going.

"We did everything we could to stop them, but we're small. That makes it tough."

With Montgomery benched with foul trouble early on, Shoemaker capitalized to build a 29-18 halftime lead behind nine first-half points from Gabriel Haskins.

The Grey Wolves maintained the momentum in the first minute of the third quarter, expanding their advantage to 34-18 with a Haskins 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Cleveland Zeigler.

That marked the turning point after which Ellison responded with a blistering 14-0 run over the next three minutes to chop the Shoemaker advantage to 34-32 with 3:15 left in the period.

"We started getting some points in the paint and that helped," said Ellison coach David Manley, who clinched his 10th straight postseason berth with the win. "But they did a great job on us defensively in the first half."

Trailing 39-35 heading into the final stanza, Ellison took the lead with 4:15 to play when Levi canned a 3-pointer for a 44-41 Eagle advantage.

Ellison extended its lead to 49-43 with 2:38 to play following another trey from Levi and a layup from Montgomery, but Shoemaker would rally to tie the game with a 6-1 spurt over the final two minutes, capped by a layup by Charles James at the 1:20 mark which eventually sent the game into overtime.

There, Ellison broke a 54-54 tie with a three-point play by Matthew Addison with 58 seconds left in OT, and led 58-54 when Jayme Price hit a free throw with 35 seconds remaining.

Shoemaker's final bid to send the game into a second OT ended when C.J. Rainey missed a shot along the baseline with 13 seconds left. Montgomery grabbed the rebound, was fouled and put the game away with two shots from the charity stripe.

"When we came out in the third quarter and hit that 3-pointer, I thought we'd continue to play well," Kirkpatrick said. "I don't know what it was ... I don't think it was anything we did tonight, but the way Ellison played."

Shoemaker (24-5, 8-3), which was led by 18 points from Haskins and 11 more from Zeigler, will next see action at Taylor on Tuesday.

Ellison will host Killeen on the same evening.

 

If you missed Friday's Ellison/Shoemaker boys basketball game, you are no doubt, kicking yourself at this very moment.

This contest had everything one could reasonably expect in a high school basketball game: super-high intensity, drama, gutsy comebacks and clutch shooting all capped by an overtime period.

Combine all that with the fact that Ellison's 60-54 win clinched its 10th straight postseason berth and all but assured the Eagles of at least a piece of the District 17-4A title, and you are talking about one of the biggest regular season basketball games in Killeen's recent memory.

Where last year's much-anticipated Ellison/Harker Heights showdowns fell short of the hype, this year's heavyweight title bout didn't disappoint.

 

Eagles clinch 17-4A title

By Evan Ren

Killeen Daily Herald

After his team hit only 11-of-47 shots in a 61-37 blowout loss at Ellison on Tuesday, Killeen boys basketball coach Bo Burgess could do little more than shake his head in frustration.

His Roos, who had played the Eagles on even ground in most statistical categories in the first half, had all but blown the effort with a 23.4 percent shooting night a problem, which according to Burgess, was compounded by a series of poor decisions.

"We've been hurt by poor shooting all year," Burgess said. "But tonight, we went over our game plan, wanting to be patient and run time off the clock, and for whatever reason, the kids decided not to do it."

Ellison (22-7, 11-1 District 17-4A ), which clinched the league championship with the win, put the game way in the third quarter using a 6-0 spurt over the last minute to carry a 44-26 lead into the final stanza.

A layup from Chris Gallon and consecutive jumpers from Matthew Addison sparked the run, which helped drop the Kangaroos to 10-19 and 5-7 on the year.

"They didn't shoot well early and we played well in some spurts," Ellison coach David Manley said. "But we've still got a lot of areas to improve on."

Emptying its bench down the stretch, Ellison still managed to expand its lead to as much as 28 in the fourth quarter when Brandon Smith scored on a layup with 55 seconds remaining.

The Eagles finished with a 24-of-45 (53.3 percent) shooting effort, scoring 20 of their points on layups and putbacks.

Outrebounded 41-21 on the evening, including a 16-6 deficit in the second half, Killeen tried to compensate by launching 17 3-point attempts, hitting only four, and three of those were in the final three minutes of the game.

Larry Gordon, who led the Roos with 14 points, connected on three of those treys. Jarmel Staples added six for Killeen.

Addison led the way for Ellison with 14 points. Gallon added eight; Jayme Price chipped in seven.

 

Badgers' season ends with 13-point loss to Ellison


By CHUCK KELLY
Staff Writer

The Lampasas Badgers' basketball season is over. It ended Tuesday evening in Bozarth-Fowler Gym where a tough battle with the best team in the district ended in a 59-46 Ellison victory.
The win did not come easily for the Eagles, though. Head Coach Scott Harrelson's boys played with intensity and enthusiasm, taking Ellison to the wire before finally succombing.
Lampasas opened the lead early and after the first period of play, the Badgers held a 17-13 advantage over their opponents.
At the halftime break, the battle was tied at 24-24.
Midway through the third period, the game still was knotted, this time at 30. And at the close of the quarter, the Eagles had edged ahead by four points, 39-35.
Ellison sank 10 free throws in the last three minutes of the contest to post the 14-point win.
Said Harrelson: "Just like the second half of all our district games, we were in it until the third quarter and just didn't have enough fresh bodies in there that could finish off the game."
Tuesday was Seniors' Night for the Badgers, and the starting lineup was composed of the five members of the Class of 2004: Tyler Garner, Keith Null, Joe Stevens, Nick Stripling and Jay West.
Honorary coach for the evening was Dr. Mark Lane.
Ellison got the opening tip and dropped the first two points through the net.
The Badgers' Garner air-mailed a three and then followed with a two-point basket on an assist from Null. Null then hit two free throws, and Stevens added a basket.
With the Badgers holding a 9-8 lead, Harrelson made the first of a half-dozen mass substitutions on the hardwood, sending in five players from the bench.
Junior Cody Newton tossed in six points, and Seth Lowery got two more with an assist from Newton to finish out the opening period.
Another bench-clearing substitution for Lampasas was made, as Ellison opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, followed by a pair of two-point baskets.
Null nailed two buckets of his own from the floor and added a foul shot after the second. Richie Maceyra netted two points, and another five-player substitution was made by the Badgers before the intermission.
Null, who was high-point man of the game, kicked off the second half with a basket. The Eagles made a couple points before Lowery jolted the fans on both sides with a dunk. That was followed by two more points from Null.
Another five-man substitution from Lampasas tried to keep fresh legs in the game midway through the third period, with the contest tied 30-30.
Ellison then picked up six unanswered points, four at the foul line.
The Badgers substituted again. Garner tossed in two free throws, and Null sank one before he brought the crowd to its feet with an "alley-oop" slam dunk for two more points.
Ellison drilled a three to take a four-point lead as the two teams headed into the last period.
More Badger subs stormed onto the court.
Null converted a free throw. Garner grabbed his own rebound and put it back for two points. Lowery scored a bucket, then Null popped a basket and a foul shot, which Mason Miller followed with a two-point toss.
In the interim, however, the Eagles had put in 10 free throws and two baskets on their way to the final buzzer.
Harrelson brought his seniors off the court one by one in the closing minutes, to allow them time for acclaim from the hometown fans.
"I was really pleased with our seniors. It was a great night for them," the coach said. "They played with intensity, enthusiasm and showed their love for the game. That was the most important thing." He noted that everyone played hard in the contest, and some of next year's players were able to get in valuable minutes of playing time for the Badgers.
"Next year, we'll be a totally different team," Harrelson said. "We have a lot of size this year but next year, we'll be a faster, quicker, more up-tempo team."
Null led all scorers with 20 points on the night. Garner had nine. Lowery and Newton recorded six points each. Stevens, Maceyra and Mason Miller each added two.
"These are great young men, fine citizens," Harrelson said of his seniors. "I'm proud to have coached them.
The Lampasas junior varsity came up short against their Ellison counterparts, losing 62-35.
Coach Aaron Jacobs said his team played an excellent first half, but got a tired and started making uncharacteristic mistakes.
David Barlow turned in 17 points, including a pair of threes. Anthony Reyna had 10 and played great defense, Jacobs noted. J.W. West turned in five points, Zac Neely had two, and Kale Sanders added one.
Added the coach: "I'm excited about Lampasas basketball, excited about next year. We have a great group coming up, and I can't wait."
The Badger freshmen gave an outstanding effort in their final game, but fell to Ellison 46-22.
"It was probably their best performance of the year," Coach Chase Tenney said. "We played an extremely strong Ellison team, and turnovers hurt us."
Eric Wamsley led the scoring for Lampasas with 12 points. Derek Carter tossed in four. Adam Brady, Lance Dickson and Russ Clark added two apiece.
"Great kids," Tenney said of his athletes. "This was a great way to end the season."