Rivalry game sees Clarkton spoil Gideon homecoming

GIDEON – Gideon's Friday night homecoming celebration didn't go exactly as planned as the Bulldogs' rival, Clarkton, took a brief three-mile drive and took care of business for a 56-41 road win.

Clarkton scored first in the opening seconds of the game and blazed forward to a 20-13 lead by the end of the first period, committing just two fouls along the way.

"Clarkton is blessed with tremendous guards who are deadly from mid-range," Gideon Head Coach Jeremy Walker said prior to the matchup. "I mean, we'll need to play heads-up ball and limit their chances to score."

Coach Walker's words turned out to be prophetic. Reindeer guards Owen Morgan and Amauri Gorman were the contest's highest scorers, amassing 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

The Bulldogs trailed at halftime 29-24 and Clarkton powered on for a 12-point advantage at the closing third period buzzer, 43-31.

Clarkton Head Coach Cole McBroom praised the Gideon team ahead of the game, pointing to Bulldog forward Daylen Cornett and forward/center Drake Montgomery as threats from anywhere on the court.

"We've got to keep Cornett and Montgomery from killing us on the boards," McBroom noted. "If we can accomplish that, we might stand a chance."

The Reindeer pushed on in the fourth period and outscored the Bulldogs 56-41 by the final buzzer.

Gideon guard Brayden Knapp and Montgomery shared top-gun honors for the Bulldogs scoring 10 points each. Bulldog guard Landon Weaver played an admirable game in sinking three 3-point shots.

"Knapp was tough to beat tonight," Gideon Asst. Coach Russell Buchanan said. "He knew when to attack and where to look for his teammates.”

"Our weakness?" Buchanan continued. "We gave up some boards we shouldn't have. Clarkton shot the ball well. The team worked well together. I think we were at times shaky with the ball. That's a drill we'll continue to work on. We're 1-11, so we have plenty of room for improvement."

McBroom was pleased with both teams' performance and noted the Bulldogs hit a 3-point shot in the final seconds of the game to cut their deficit.

"Both teams moved the ball well tonight," he said. "Coach Walker did a really fine job preparing his team.”

"I wouldn't have changed a thing," McBroom continued. "Any time you can get out of Gideon with a win you've done all right."