Tigers named Mavs Fall Classic Champions with three earning All-Tournament awards
The Tigers expected to have a one game tune-up before heading to the Metroplex the weekend before Thanksgiving, but the Mount Pleasant legacy was too intimidating for Henderson as the Tigers earned their first victory of the season via forfeit. Mount Pleasant didn’t let that phase them as they participated in the Mavs Fall Classic for the third straight year held in Frisco competing in their first games of the season.
Mount Pleasant won all four games they played shaking off any rust and brought home their first ever Mavs Fall Classic championship trophy and added three individual awards to the mix.
Dallas Adamson 22
The first game of the tourney was a great way to start the season as the Tigers cruised to victory with every player getting ample minutes to get acclimated back to the hardwood. The Tigers opened the game with a 34-2 first quarter and never looked back as the defense held Adamson to single digit scoring in each quarter. Senior Kelcey Morris and sophomore Reggie Webster led the way with 14 points each as senior Xavier Hills and junior Antez Jeffery joined them in double digits with 10 points apiece. Hills also led the team with 6 rebounds. Senior Payton Chism added 9 points and a team-high 5 assists. Senior De’Keivous Heath chipped in 8 points and junior Kai Price put up 6 points. Junior Jordyn Hurndon, senior Luke Hampton, senior Kyler Smith, and freshman Carter Chism each added 2 points.
Abilene 35
The second opponent proved to be a little more formidable but the Tiger defense remained strong as Mount Pleasant took down Abilene. The Tigers led 10-5 after one quarter and increased that lead to 27-15 at the break. The third quarter was even between the two teams before Mount Pleasant finally pulled away to take the 20-point win. Payton Chism led all scorers with 14 points followed by Carter Chism’s 10 points. Reggie Webster poured in 9 points and pulled down a team-high 7 boards and Kelcey Morris added 7 points. Kyler Smith put up 6 points along with Kai Price’s 5 points. Other scorers were De’Keivous Heath and Antez Jeffery with 2 points each.
C.E. King 31
Mount Pleasant’s mental and physical toughness were tested in this one as their second game on Friday evening proved to be a slugfest between two defensive minded teams. The Tigers would eventually prevail over CE King, out of Houston, but the game was back and forth until back-to-back three pointers by Carter Chism and Webster gave the Tigers some breathing room and the eventual win and ticket to the championship game. Mount Pleasant trailed by as many as five in the first half but used a 7-0 run to close out the second quarter and take an 18-12 lead at halftime. King would fight back keeping with striking distance as the Tigers couldn’t gain enough momentum to pull away until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. King forced Mount Pleasant to a season-high 19 turnovers but the Tigers would turnover King 21 times in return and gain 13 points to their advantage. Webster knocked down two triples enroute to a team high 10 points and Kelcey Morris added a grueling 8 points. Payton Chism put up 7 points followed by Carter Chism’s 5 points. Hills and Price each chipped in 4 points.
Mount Pleasant 59
Forney 50
With the championship game schedueled for 9:00 AM Saturday morning, the test would be which team was rested and awake enough to bring home the hardware. Mount Pleasant proved early that they were deserving of the title as they jumped out to an 17-0 lead to start the game and left Forney clawing to get back in it. The Tigers would lead 19-6 after the first quarter before Forney finally woke up and made a run of their own to cut Mount Pleasant’s lead to 28-22 at the half. The Tigers would fend off the Jackrabbits the rest of the way to take the championship and secure much needed early season success. Morris was relentless in his attack on the basket notching a season and team-high 18 points. Carter Chism sizzled from deep, knocking down four three pointers for a total of 15 points. Payton Chism added 9 points and 4 assists and Webster chipped in 7 points and 7 rebounds. Jeffery put in 2 points and Heath added 1 point.
With their individual performances and team success, Payton Chism, Kelcey Morris, and Carter Chism all received superlative awards. Payton was named tournament MVP and Morris and Carter were named to the All-Tournament Team. With the wins, the Tigers’ record moved to 5-0 on the season.
By Drew Barkley
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