West Ridge boys win on first day of Food City Thanksgiving Classic

BLUFF CITY — The West Ridge boys basketball team was victorious on the first day of the Food City Thanksgiving Classic at Sullivan East High School, knocking off Grundy, Virginia's Mountain Mission by an 80-53 final score on Monday evening. The Wolves (2-0) wasted no time getting rolling, leading 20-9 at the end of the first quarter. The lead was 42-27 by halftime and 63-47 after three periods before West Ridge sealed the victory with a 17-6 final-frame advantage. Ronnie Smith led the game for the Wolves with 20 points and was joined in double figures by teammates Will Holmes (15 points), Grant Thompson (12) and Mason Stump (11). Warren Hamilton added nine points. The Challengers (2-1) were paced by 17 points from Emmanuel Maginga. Alexanda Nyakemori supplied 13 points. Elizabethton 76, Grainger 57 RUTLEDGE — The Fighting Cyclones (2-1) knocked off the host Grizzlies (1-2) on the first day of the Grizzly Thanksgiving Classic on Monday night. The lead bloomed to 14 points, 23-9, after just one quarter and was 38-24 by halftime and 58-39 after three periods. Both teams scored 18 points in the fourth frame to give Elizabethton the 19-point victory. Evan Chambers led the Cyclones with 21 points, along with strong performances by Nathan Bailey (15 points) and Jackson Buckles (12). Hudson Pate added six points. Grainger had a trio of double-digit scorers in Carter Williams (15 points), Jackson Trent (11) and Kade Williams (10). Parker Creswell pitched in nine more points. Wesley Christian 63, Tri-Cities Christian 62 BLOUNTVILLE — The host Eagles (2-1) were nipped by a single point by the visiting Circuit Riders (5-1) in non-district play on Monday evening. Tri-Cities Christian led 53-50 after three periods but was outscored 13-9 over the final eight minutes to suffer its first loss of the winter. The Eagles trailed 24-21 after the first quarter and led 40-34 at halftime. Ashby Chadwick led Tri-Cities Christian with 13 points, just ahead of Jordan Peters' 12 points. Lonny Holland, Aaron Pomrenke and Justin Akengbowa added six points apiece. Wesley Christian, of Allen, Kentucky, had a trio of double-digit scorers in the victory. Mountain Mission 42, KACHEA 39 BLUFF CITY — The Wildcats (1-3) fell just shy of a Food City Thanksgiving Classic win over the Challengers on Monday afternoon at Sullivan East High School. The Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association had a 10-point lead after the first quarter, 14-4, and led 21-15 at halftime, but Mountain Mission responded with a 21-11 third-period advantage to lead 36-32. KACHEA's 7-6 fourth-frame edge wasn't enough to amount to a comeback. Andrew Joyner (14 points) and Zayne Hayes (10) led the way for the Wildcats. Gabe Hicks added seven points, Daniel Joyner had five and Elijah Johnson scored three. GIRLS West Ridge 69, Sullivan East 42 BLUFF CITY — The Lady Wolves (3-0) continued their hot start to the season over the host Lady Patriots (1-3) at the Food City Thanksgiving Classic event on the first day of action on Monday night. West Ridge led by just one point, 16-15, after the first quarter, but expanded their advantage to double digits at 15 points, 34-19, by halftime. The Lady Wolves had Sullivan East doubled up, 58-29, by the end of the third period en route to a 27-point win. West Ridge received a game-high 23 points from Carter Jones. Teagan Tipton (12 points) and Millie Shelton (10) also were double-figure scorers. Kyleigh Mitchell added eight. Leading the Lady Patriots were Sophie Johnson (14 points), Emma Whitaker (10) and Marley Hall (eight). Elizabethton 58, Grainger 50 RUTLEDGE — The Lady Fighting Cyclones (3-1) knocked off the tournament-host Lady Grizzlies (2-2) at the Grizzly Thanksgiving Classic on Monday evening. Elizabethon built a 47-29 lead through three quarters that allowed the team to withstand Grainger's 21-11 fourth-period rally. The Lady Cyclones led 20-10 after a period and 39-17 by halftime of the contest. Jamira Smalls led Elizabethton with 17 points and Addison Bunn followed closely with 16. Rylee May finished with 10 points and Adrian Heading tallied eight. The trio of Brookelyn Roach (15 points), Adison Hayes (12) and Briley Caldwell (10) led the Lady Grizzlies. McKinley Mills added nine points.