LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Two MCHS Raiders, juniors Alex Copeland and Dawson White, put up 17 point each in the Raiders home opener on Tuesday but it wasn’t enough to outlast a late scoring frenzy by the Champions Lucas Clanton. His 29 second half points led to a 73-60 Raider loss in Lynchburg.

It was the second meeting for the two teams. On December 1, the Raiders travelled to Wartrace and lost 74-50.

The loss drops the Raider’s regular season record to 1-2. District play will not begin until January 10 against Huntland. The Cascade boys remain perfect so far this season and are ranked as high as number five in some state polls.

Cascade got into a bit of foul trouble early in the first half – sending Moore County to the line three times for five of their 10 first period points. Cascade outscored Moore County by one point putting up 11 total points in the first period. Clanton was uncharacteristically quiet with just a single bucket from the free throw line. At the end of the the first period, Moore County trailed Cascade 11-10. Dawson White swished the lone trey in the first period.

Alex Copeland and Brantley Hill both hit shots from the perimeter in the second period to help Moore County pull even with the Champions. The Raiders defense held Clanton to no second period points. At the halftime buzzer, the two teams went into the locker room tied 21-21.

Moore County held their own in the third period thanks in part to points by Copeland, White, Wes Clifton, Peyton Martin, and a couple of free throws from Keller Morey. The Raiders scored 22 in the third and trailed Cascade by three, 46-43, at the end of the third period. Clanton scored 13 of Cascade’s 25 third period points.

Sixteen fourth period points by Clanton sealed the Raider’s fate. By the final buzzer, Moore County fell to the Champions 73-60.

Alex Copeland and Dawson White led for the Raiders with 17 points each. They combined for over half of Moore County’s 60 total points. Other contributing Raiders were: Will Baker (8), Keller Morey (7), Brantley Hill, Peyton Martin, and Blakely Bobo (3 points each), and Wes Clifton (2).

The Raiders will travel to Fayetteville on Thursday to play the AAA Lincoln County Falcons (0-3, 0-0). It will be the first meeting for the two teams in the 2022-23 season. If you can not attend the game in person, the Moore County Sports Network will live broadcast the game on both The Lynchburg Times’ Raider Radio or the NFHS Network. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}