Bears take down Warhawks in rivalry game

KATHLEEN, Ga. — After dropping four games straight early in the season, the Houston County Bears have bounced back in a major way, winning their last six games.

The Bears opened with a lot of energy, and they were flying up and down the court. When these two teams met earlier in the season, Houston County looked a little flat, but coming in on a hot streak, they were mentally prepared for this game. They lost that game 57-51 at home, and the rivalry that has developed between these schools has intensified over the last few years.

Houston County started hitting from long range early as Malachi Jackson and Kameron Plummer hit three three-pointers in the first quarter, putting the Bears out to an early lead, 15-11. Ezekiel Carswell answered with a three for Veterans, but over the course of the game, Houston County shot 38% from behind the arc, compared to 21% for Veterans, which was a major factor in the game. They also led in the steals category, 9-4.

Zach Hanson, the senior forward for Houston County, took over in the third quarter and hit three three-pointers in a row as the Bears continued the barrage from outside. Houston County did an excellent job of sucking the defenders inside, and then kicking back outside to Hanson as he got open behind the arc. William Burroughs and Carswell managed to hit a couple of threes for Veterans, and it was turning into a shootout.

Down 26-23, Veterans came out strong in the second half and scored 15 points. Chandler Thomas had a couple of baskets, including a three-pointer, and Aaron Jones had a huge block and a dunk, which pumped up the crowd. As it looked like Veterans was going to pull away, Daniel Stokes levitated near the baseline and threw down a two-handed dunk with authority in traffic. The Houston County fans went nuts, shifting the momentum. The big dunk seemed to reenergize the Bears, and they went on a run as Hanson scored six points, and Plummer hit a three-pointer with under two minutes left, extending the lead.

The Bears pulled away and won by 11 points, 55-44, but it was a tight game all the way down to the last few minutes in the fourth quarter. With the win, Houston County improves to 10-7, and Veterans falls to 10-6 on the season.

The Bears will take on Lee County, who has only lost two games this season, at home, and it should be a great game. Veterans gets a few days to rest, and they will play Thomas County Central on Friday in an important region matchup.

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