Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
Both the Hamilton County High School Trojans and the Lafayette High School Hornets basketball teams traveled to Taylor County for the Class 1A District 5 playoffs.
The Trojans began their bid by taking on the Jefferson County Tigers in the first round on Monday, Feb. 7. The Trojans were familiar with the Tigers, having beaten the team twice in the regular season. Although the Tigers put up a fight in the playoffs, they came up short, losing to the Trojans, 63-60.
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, the Hornets and the Trojans geared up to face off against each other; both teams have suffered losses on each other's home court. The Hornets were the number two seed with a first-round bye, making the Trojans the underdogs in the matchup. However, the Trojans have proven records mean nothing to them, as they are only focused on the task at hand. While their regular season record may not pose fear into their opponents, their grit does.
As the game began, the Hornets struggled to get into a rhythm early, leaving the Trojans controlling the game's tempo. The Trojans made a game of slowing the Hornets' tempo, knowing they would take control at the end. The same strategy seemed to work for them against the Hornets earlier in the regular season. Although the Hornets battled throughout the match, they found themselves chasing the Trojans late in the game, unable to respond.
As the clock hit zero, the Trojans held a five point victory over the Hornets, 60-55, ending the Hornets' season and sending the Trojans to the third round of the Class 1A District 5 playoffs. The Hornets end the season with an overall record of 13-10.
In the championship, the Trojans found the number one seed Madison County Cowboys waiting for their third matchup of the season. The Cowboys had defeated the Trojans twice earlier in the regular season, but the Trojans knew the game at hand was all that mattered. Unfortunately, there was no Cinderella story ending in the championship for the Trojans. The Cowboys came out aggressive, attacking the basket and playing suffocating defense against the Trojans. At the end of the first quarter, the Trojans were in a hole that made their night challenging to climb out of. By halftime, the Cowboys were in complete control. The Trojans played for pride as the lead kept getting further out of their reach in the third and fourth quarters. However, the Trojans played to the last second, despite a lopsided final score of 67-39. The Trojans season wrapped up with a 7-14 overall record.