Pine Grove plays host to the 1-2A district tournament starting Monday. The Panthers look to start their 2A title defense in earnest while the Lady Panthers are looking to claw their way in to the playoffs.
On the boys side, the Panthers are guaranteed a spot in the playoff picture as they are the #2 seed. They will take on the winner of New Site and Walnut after claiming a first round bye.
The boys sport a record of 20-7 on the season and have hit their stride as of late, claiming 7 straight victories and 9 of their last 10.
Three Panthers are scoring in double digits on the year led by Jamas Cox. His fellow seniors Jack Hudson and Hayden Holcomb round out the scoring leaders while Keaton Wilkerson and Ty Seawright lead a senior class that is among the winningest in Tippah County history with 87 career wins up to this point.
The championship pedigree of this bunch means they are approximately 7 wins away from achieving their goal.
To get there, the seniors will rely on the playmaking and ball handling of first year contributor Sophmore Brittan Fryar to help pace the veteran bunch.
On the girls side, the Lady Panthers must get at least one win to extend their season.
Wins have been at a premium for the girls this season as they come into the district tournament with a record of 2-19 and as the #6 seed. They Lady Panthers will have to get a victory over Baldwyn on Monday night to keep their season going.
Lana Rowland comes in to the contest leading Pine Grove in scoring at nearly 16 points per game. Madison Foster and Selah Jumper round out the top three scorers.
Despite the record, Pine Grove is playing at home and they are still coached by Katie Walker Bates. A prime recipe for an upset win and another trip to the playoffs for Pine Grove.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
