By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — A basketball starting five is like an orchestra collaborating to perform a symphony. Each piece – a confident point guard, hot perimeter shooting, unflinching post play, a tenacious defense, and rebounding – all come together to mount little victories that eventually add up to a win.

That was the story on Saturday in Lynchburg as the Moore County Raiders faced off with the Cornersville Bulldogs in a Region 5A Tournament game as inside shooting from Peyton Martin, outside shooting from Colton Morey, Brantly Hill, and Jay Sparkman, and rebounding from Gavin Wise combined to earn the Raiders another game.

A slow rivalry’s been brewing between the Raiders and the Bulldogs for the past couple of years. It started on the football field with a regular season shutout win over the Bulldogs. Cornersville left Doug Price Field salty that night and it spilled over onto the basketball court on Saturday.

It makes sense. Like most 1A schools, many football players also play basketball. In fact, four of Saturdays starters – Hill, Morey, Wise, and Martin – all faced off with the Bulldog on the gridiron.

{Editor’s Note: This year’s Raiders basketball coverage is free to all readers thanks to our community partner, Woodard’s Market.}

Bulldogs tied 31 seconds to play in the first

The Raiders and Bulldogs battled in the first period — tying 12-12 at the end of the first eight.

Moore County got the ball off the tip and Cornersville came out in an aggressive, press defense. Undaunted, Wise found Martin underneath for the first two points of the game. It set a tone.

Martin ruled the baseline on Saturday putting up 13 points in the first half and another 12 in the second half. The Moore County post, who’s built like a linebacker, couldn’t be stopped underneath. Through four periods he went up strong and collected either the points or a foul and sometimes both. By the end of the game he’d manage 14 from the floor and an impressive eight of 10 from the line.

Cornersville answered with a jumper from Hayden Grover, then on the next Raiders possession, Wise shot, missed, rebounded, and shot again but it wouldn’t fall. A Bulldog knocked it out of bounds and Moore County retained possession. Martin then drove in, faked the shot, and went back up for two to give the Raiders the 4-2 lead. Cornersville answered with put back points from Aydn Campbell.

Martin drew the foul from the left-hand side on the next possession and drained both. Then Cornersville missed the layup, but refs called Wise – who was a rebounding machine on Saturday – for a foul and Moore County turned over the ball. Two possessions later, Cornersville knotted the game at six with a right-side hook shot.

Tristyn Gray subbed in around the four-minute mark. On defense, he took an elbow to the face that garnered protest from the home crowd. The ref agreed and handed the young Bulldog a charge. Jay Sparkman took advantage of the momentum shift with a trey, and Cornersville answered with a trey of their own, 9-9.

At around the two minute mark, Morey swished a trey to pull ahead, 12-9. Cornersville answered with a jumper, and then a free throw with 13 seconds to play in the period to tie the game, 12-12, at the end of the first period.

Moore County leads at the half, 23-18

Cornersville got the ball first in the second period and ran down a minute and a half of clock only to miss on a trey. After a Raider turnover, they missed on a trey again but got the rebound and the put back points to earn the 14-12 lead. A wide-open Wise layup tied the game back at 14.

Cornersville missed on a three and Hill rebounded. He dribbled down and passed to Martin who drained the three, 17-14. The two teams traded several turnovers then Morey found space underneath to build the lead to five with 3:25 to play in the second.

The two teams played a little fast-and-loose for the next minute with multiple turnovers.

Martin then made a man miss and went up for two to give them two more, 21-14. Cornersville answered then Martin went back up for the shot and the “and one” to the delight of the home crowd. He missed but Wise snagged the rebound to keep the possession. He found Martin, who went up strong, twice, but it wouldn’t fall. On the other end, Martin then spiked the Cornersville shot with no call with 2.3 seconds to play in the half – eliciting ohs and ahs from the student section.

Cornersville went up for a buzzer beater two to make it Moore County 23, Cornersville 18 at the half.

Moore County came out of the break swinging. They put up 19 points including treys by Hill, Morey, and Sparkman to get up by 11 at the end of the third.

Cornersville attempted a comeback in the fourth but it was a little too little a little too late. At the final buzzer, Moore County notched a Region 5A Tournament round one victory by a final score of 63-50.

Martin led with 25 points

Peyton Martin led Moore County with 25 followed by Colton Morey (13) and Jay Sparkman (9). Brantley Hill and Gavin Wise added six each. Tristn Gray and Deacon Liles swished a basket each.

The Raiders will move on to a round two game against Richland (11-1) on Tuesday at MCHS. Tips off will happen at 7:30 p.m. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a locally owned and locally operated community newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee. We’re the only newspaper that publishes new stories every morning as well as breaking news as it happens. We’re also one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. We’re supported by both readers and community partners who believe in independent journalism for the common good. You can support us by clicking here. }