For the first time in the history of West Carroll High School, the boys’ basketball team has advanced the the state tournament, which begins next week on the campus of MTSU in Murfreesboro.
One group of War Eagles made it as far as sectionals back in 1995, but this is the first time they have busted through that sub-state barrier.
The War Eagles earned that ticket to the ‘Boro Monday night in Atwood with a big 71-47 win over the Jo Byrns High School Red Devils from Cedar Hill.
West Carroll’s Jalen Anglin had a big night with 24 points scored, including four threes, followed by Luke Moore with 14, Josh Clark with 13, Andrew Huff with seven, Jed Robinson and Tyler Johnson with four apiece, Xander Moon with three, and Jaden Taylor with two.
Jo Byrns’ Jayden cross was his team’s and the game’s top scorer with 30 points.
The Red Devils, who went into the game with a 17-4 overall record, put the first three points on the board early in the first quarter before Clark tied it up with a shot from the outside.
There was some back and forth through the rest of the first, but West Carroll was holding a one-basket lead 12-10 going into the second period.
Moon opened up the second with a trey, followed shortly by another three from Robinson, and, from there, the War Eagles never looked back.
West Carroll had the Devils doubled 30-15 at the half, led 51-29 at the end of the third quarter, and then outscored Joe Byrns 20-14 in the fourth.
After the game, the War Eagles held a little net-cutting ceremony as, one by one, players climbed the ladder to cut off a piece.
Now 21-10 overall, the War Eagles will be going into the state tournament on the momentum of a 12-game winning streak after claiming both the District 11A and Region 7A championship titles.
While the boys state tournament starts on March 17, it had not yet been determined at press time who and when the War Eagles would be playing in their first-round game.
The War Eagles are led by head coach Jason Fitch and assistant coaches Ryan Mansfield and Bernard Lykes.
