By By Adam Robinson – Sports Editor
In their first games of the 2008-2009 seasons and their first games with new head coaches, all three W.S. Neal Eagle basketball teams claimed their first wins of the seasons Tuesday at home.
The W.S. Neal Eagle B team won 39-17 over Excel with new head coach Robert “Buck” Quarles. The W.S. Neal Lady Eagles won 48-29 over Excel with new head coach Olivia Stephens at the helm and the W.S. Neal varsity Eagles basketball team defeated Excel 57-23 under new head coach Blaine Hathcock.
All three teams were set to play at Flomaton Friday night. The W.S. Neal boys team will be back in action at Flomaton on Monday with a time to be announced.
All three teams will be back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at Frisco City with games beginning at 5 p.m. with the B teams playing. All teams will be back in action at home on Thursday, Dec. 4 when they take on J.U. Blacksher. Game times are set for 4:30 pm., 5:45 p.m., and 7 p.m.
W.S. Neal B team 39, Excel 17
The W.S. Neal B team outscored Excel in every quarter including a 13-4 scoring advantage in the second quarter when they went on a 13-0 run to claim a 22-point win over the Excel Panther Tuesday to claim their first win of the season.
Tra Dixon led W.S. Neal with 10 points and was followed by six from T.J. Davis and five from Monterius Culliver.
W.S. Neal opened the game with a quick two points from Culliver and held a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter 6-3.
In the second quarter, the Eagles went on a 13-0 run and cruised to a 17-3 lead with 1:33 left in the half.
Tra Dixon and Colby McCorvey led with two points each in the quarter.
In the third quarter, W.S. Neal went on a 5-0 run to open the second half and held a 24-7 lead at the 3:52 mark after a goal from T.J. Davis. Excel got their first points of the quarter at the 3:42 mark and then added their second and final basket of the game with 32 seconds left as W.S. Neal rolled to a 27-11 third quarter lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to claim a 33-11 lead at the 4; 17 mark and closed the game on a 6-0 run after two three-pointers from Jalen Harrod and Dalton Evans as W.S. Neal won 39-17.
W.S. Neal Lady Eagles 48, Excel 29
In first year head coach Olivia Stephens' first game as a coach, the W.S. Neal Lady Eagle cruised to a 19-point over the Excel Lady Panthers 48-29 to go to 1-0.
Rachel Davis led W.S. Neal with 16 points and Keyvonnia Kyles added 12 to help pace W.S. Neal to the win. Freda Folmar added eight points for the Lady Eagles.
W.S. Neal opened the game on a 4-0 run with 6:34 left in the quarter after four quick points from Davis.
Excel quickly tied the game at 4-4 with 4:28 left, but Davis put W.S. Neal back up 7-4 as they held a 10-4 lead after the first quarter after a 10-0 run from the first quarter.
In the second quarter, W.S. Neal took a 14-4 lead after points from Folmar and Kyles.
After the 14-4 lead, Excel cut the lead to 14-6, but Katie Elliott hit on three of four free throws to give W.S. Neal a 17-6 lead with 1:43 left before the half.
From there, Kyles nailed a 3-pointer to give W.S. Neal a 20-6 lead after a 6-0 run with 1:18 left before the half.
W.S. Neal closed the half with a 21-8 lead after Folmar connected on a free throw.
In the third quarter, both teams scored 16 points and Excel had runs of 7-0 and 6-0 to cut the W.S. Neal lead to 21-15 and 29-23, but after cutting the lead to 32-24, W.S. Neal ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to hold a 37-24 lead after the end of three quarters.
In the fourth and final quarter, W.S. Neal outscored Excel 11-5 and added to their run to make it a 13-0 run and claim a 45-24 lead with 5:27 left in the game.
Excel cut the lead to 19 points at 48-29, but that would be as close as they would get as W.S. Neal won by 19.
W.S. Neal boys 57, Excel 23
In head coach Blaine Hathcock's debut on the basketball court at W.S. Neal after four seasons of coaching on the football field, W.S. Neal picked up their first win in as many games on the court as they defeated Excel by 34 points, 57-23.
Bob Elliott scored career high 23 points in the win as W.S. Neal cruised to the win.
W.S. Neal held Excel to only three points in the first quarter while scoring 13 points and frustrated the Panthers all night with turnovers on offense caused by the W.S. Neal defense.
Excel only had nine field goals from the floor and was 4-of-11 from the free throw line.
Excel did not scored in the second half until the 3:45 mark after W.S. Neal went on a 12-0 run to open the half and claim a 34-11 lead with 4:23 left in the quarter.
Elliot got six of his leading 24 points with three steals to open the second half.
To go along with Elliott's 24 points, Chris Payne added nine and Jeremy Nicholson added seven in the win.
Seven other Eagles scored in the win with Rashad Crook having four, Sam Ewing having three, and Justin Sanders, Kendrick Fountain, Jeremy Alexander, William Shell, and Michael Thomas all having three.
In the game Tuesday, W.S. Neal opened with a 6-0 run and then had a 5-0 run to claim an 11-2 lead with 2:18 left in the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Elliott.
W.S. Neal held a 13-3 lead after the first quarter.
In he second quarter, the Eagles held a 15-3 lead with 7:42 left before Excel scored at the 6:53 mark to cut the lead to 15-5.
W.S. Neal ended the quarter on a 4-0 run and held a 22-2 lead at the half.
In the second half, W.S. Neal went on a 12-0 run to claim a 34-11 lead with 4:23 and the Eagle defense held Excel scoreless until the 3:45 mark.
The Eagles outscored Excel 19-6 in the quarter to claim a 41-17 lead at the end of the third quarter,
In the fourth quarter, W.S. Neal went on a 6-0 run and held a 50-20 lead at the 4:36 mark and cruised to their first win of the season with a 57-23, 34-point win.