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The Dec. 3-5 Brewer tournament was tough as expected. The Hornet basketball team suffered its first loss of the season but picked up two more victories.
Then Azle (7-1) beat 5A Weatherford.
At White Settlement, AHS opened with Zion Academy, a school that helps academically-challenged but talented athletes prepare to play at the collegiate level. How talented? One Zion player is signed to play for UTA, Azle coach Eddy Prather said. In the tourney opener, the Hornets beat Zion 75-66 despite facing a 6-9, 290-pound center and two players who scored over 20 points each. Azle had two 20-plus scorers of its own including Drew Charles who hit 7-of-10 fourth quarter free throws to keep Zion at bay.
Jimmy Walter also scored big, getting 22 points. Joe Richards netted nine points and Dillon Bagwell and Kellen Myers added eight points each. The win moved Azle up the bracket to face 5A Northwest. The Texans dealt AHS its first loss of the year, 52-44. Poor free throw shooting doomed the Hornets, Prather said. Azle hit just 11-of-23 from the charity stripe. Charles paced the Hornets again, this time with 16 points. Jake Zuilhof added nine points, Richards seven (all in the fourth quarter), Myers six, and Walter six points. In Azle’s final game in White Settlement – a fourth game against Brook Hill was cancelled when the squad had to return to Tyler – the Hornets faced 6-4A foe Brewer and earned a decisive 60-49 win. Prather said, “We played a lot better.” Richards lit up the host Bears, scoring 25 points, including 10 in the final frame. Bagwell and Charles added nine each while Myers scored eight and Zuilhof netted six points. Prather said, “This was a tough tournament. We just wanted to get some games in and prepare for district, to get better.” A trip to Weatherford Dec. 8 resulted in an easy 55-31 win over the Roos, one where the AHS defense shone. Walter poured in 19 points and grabbed seven boards, leading Prather to say, “That shows we’re not just one guy; we have three or four who can step up.” Charles hit for 14 in the win and led with eight rebounds. Myers and Zuilhof both scored four points and stole three balls apiece. Azle’s big first quarter lead, 19-4, set the tone for the game. |
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