Thirty-one of the 38 seventh-grade Clear Creek Middle School Bobcats points against the Christian Heritage Lions last Friday came from Braden Jenkins.

That stat alone was enough to propel the seventh-grade squad to a 38-25 victory and improve to 6-6 in the process.

Meanwhile, the eighth-grade Bobcats continued their trend of dominant wins by toppling the Lions 43-24, putting themselves at a 10-2 record for the season.

Seventh-grade

Seventh-grade Bobcat Braden Jenkins shoots for three last Friday against Christian Heritage. He put up 31 points against the Lions. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)

Jenkins started his showcase early in the game, scoring six points within the first minute of the game. Thanks to rebounds from Isaiah Hopper, Brady Sanford and Cameron Weaver, he finished the opening period with 12 points.

Ahead 14-8 after the first quarter, the offense slowed immensely before halftime. Christian Heritage outscored Clear Creek 6-5 before halftime, leaving the Bobcats with a 19-14 halftime advantage.

Jenkins came back to life in the third quarter, scoring nine points to go with a three-point shot from Lewis Mulkey. The Lions only mustered four third-quarter points in response, putting CCMS out front 31-18 by the end of the period. The deficit proved to be too much for Christian Heritage to overcome, eventually giving Clear Creek the 38-25 victory.

“We know he (Jenkins) can score and a lot of our offense is based off of him,” boasted seventh-grade coach Tim Davis after the win. “Everyone else is included too, but he’s our scorer. It was a team effort and the team helped him set up some of the shots that he got. It’s a credit to them that he got all of those shots. They were all working together.”

Eighth-grade

Clear Creek eighth-grader Connor Thompson looks to complete a pass to Alex Snelgrove (25) last Friday against Christian Heritage. He led the Bobcats with 17 points against the Lions. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)

The eighth-grade Bobcats struggled to build momentum throughout the first half of the game. Despite 16 first-half rebounds, Clear Creek was only able to boast a 13-11 halftime lead over the Lions.

The second half of the game was the exact opposite of the first. A strong Bobcat defense and a 10-point third quarter from Connor Thompson put Clear Creek ahead 29-13 by the end of the period. The effort carried over into the fourth, as CCMS went on to claim the 43-24 win.

“I told them at halftime that I thought they were playing hard; it’s just execution (was missing),” said eighth-grade coach Michael Crocker after the win. “I didn’t yell at them or do anything. I told them if they weren’t playing hard, I’d be worried. They were rebounding and getting shots. All I can say is … we were playing with no execution and couldn’t get anything to go in, but we were still winning.”

Clear Creek finishes the season Thursday against Fannin. The Bobcats host the Rebels, while the Lady Cats head to Blue Ridge to face the Lady Rebels. Tip-off for both sets of games is scheduled for 4 p.m.

STATS (seventh-grade): 

Braden Jenkins: 31 points, one rebound, two steals, 4/4 on free throws.

Lewis Mulkey: Three points, two rebounds.

Brady Sanford: Two points, two rebounds.

Jacob Rhodes: Two points, two rebounds.

Cameron Weaver: Seven rebounds.

Isaiah Hopper: Two rebounds, 0/2 on free throws.

STATS (eighth-grade):

Connor Thompson: 17 points, six rebounds, 3/4 on free throws.

C.J. Streicher: Eight points, eight rebounds, one steal.

Alex Snelgrove: Eight points, six rebounds.

Luke Wimpey: Seven points.

Mason Hadden: Three points, two rebounds, 1/2 on free throws.

Nathan Jones: Two rebounds.