C2D1: Cooter surges past Neelyville for championship title

HOLCOMB – With a near-constant ear splitting roar in a completely full Holcomb High School gym, the first-seeded Cooter Wildcats “turned it on” in the second half to defeat third-seeded Neelyville in the Class 2 District 1 championship game Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.

A roster loaded with upperclassmen, Cooter’s seniors have the recent memory of three district championship appearances, coming in 2019, 2022 and now 2023. The Wildcats are also back to back conference champions and will now advance to play C2D2 champion, Summersville.

“I’m proud of our kids,” Cooter coach David Mathis said. “Neelyville, after beating Bernie then coming in here and fighting us, those kids play so hard. (Neelyville coach Brad Burdin) has done a great job.”

Cooter coach David Mathis cuts down the remnants of a net at Holcomb High School after the Wildcats defeated Neelyville Friday night for the district championship title. Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

The Wildcats shot out to an early 11-2 lead, but after Neelyville’s Casen Stephens sank a two-point jumper and a three-pointer in quick succession, Cooter’s lead shrank to 11-7 ending the first quarter.

The tides turned multiple times in the second quarter, and while a layup by Neelyville’s Preston Goodnight gave the Tigers a 26-25 advantage, Cooter’s Carson Swan answered it with a three-pointer to regain control. After an impassioned effort on both sides, the game tied at 29-29 going into the halftime break.

The second half began with a brief bucket-for-bucket prelude before the Wildcats’ defense stopped Neelyville’s abundantly talented offense in its tracks.

“They needed to rebound and match their energy,” Mathis said. “In the second half we matched it and rebounded, but in the first half they whipped us. We were lucky to be tied because they could have very easily had some guys hit shots and it would have been very different.”

Leading by just five points with just under three minutes remaining, Cooter’s Swan executed a steal and put in a layup which Pearce Watkins followed up with a three-pointer to reestablish the Wildcats’ ten-point lead.

Cooter's Carson Swan (2) drives in for a layup in the first half of the Class 2 District 1 championship game against Neelyville Friday night. Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

Following suit, Luke Barnes broke out to score 12 points worth of layups as Cooter outscored Neelyville 26-10 in the third quarter. Their run all but put the game away with a 55-39 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“Luke Barnes didn’t do a lot in the first half, so we knew he was going to come out guns blazing,” Neelyville coach Brad Burdin said. “And that’s exactly what he did. If you look at the deficit we ended with, that totals up to about his second half points. He was a really big factor in that.”

The remaining minutes of the game ticked by much more closely in competition. Cooter held onto a ten-point lead, and a free throw by Cooter’s Hayden Nazarenus pushed the Wildcats over 60 points, then another surpassed 70.

Two traded layups ended the game in favor of Cooter, with the team winning by 18 points.

Luke Barnes led the Wildcats with 23 total points, and Carson Swan added 20 more. Rhoads Lynn scored 14, Pearce Watkins scored six and Hayden Nazarenus scored four.

Casen Stephens scored 16 points for Neelyville and Brock Davis added 14. Grant Hale contributed seven while both Preston Goodnight and Elijah Dollins added four each.

Neelyville's Casen Stephens (24) fires off a three-pointer while guarded by Cooter's Rhoads Lynn (12) during the Class 2 District 1 championship game Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

“I can never discredit the effort the kids give,” Burdin said. “I was glad that they looked adversity in the face, they came out and they gave it everything they had. We came up short tonight, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Cooter’s good, they’re very good and they knocked down some very big shots at the end.”

Neelyville defeated sixth-seeded Campbell 53-37 Monday night in the tournament’s opening night and upset second-seeded Bernie 64-60 in the semifinals Wednesday night to advance to the championship. Cooter had a bye Monday but trounced South Pemiscot 60-32 Wednesday night to uphold their top seed.

Cooter will move up the ladder of the state tournament to play the Summersville, the district champion of Class 2 District 2, at Bloomfield High School on Monday at 6 p.m.

Mathis and the Wildcats may celebrate tonight, but there won’t be much time with preparations for what comes next.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Mathis said. “We’re back to 0-0 again and we’re going to keep going. We could lose the next one, but we could win the next one, too.”