SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER

The Columbiana Youth Basketball League tournament concluded the season Saturday, Feb. 24.

Younger Girls Division

The top-ranked Sharp Shooters defeated the Wild Coyotes 34-4. &8220;I&8217;m just proud of the girls&8217; hard work and dedication to getting better every time they hit the court. What they did all year long will give them a good foundation for playing good fundamental basketball later in life,&8221; Sharp Shooters&8217; coach Frank Couch said.

Tempest Cantrell led the Sharp Shooters with 17 points followed by Ashlyn Blackerby with nine. Marjorie Head and Anna Morgan Couch combined for a tough defense. Karah Goodwin led the Wild Coyotes with two points followed by Allie Coyte and Payton Jebeles with one each. Sarah Thompson stared on defense.

Older Girls Division

The Tigers, ranked No. 1, defeated the second-ranked Warriors 34-25. &8220;I want to thank my girls for giving their best. It paid off with an undefeated season,&8221; Tigers&8217; coach Wayne Etress said.

Heather Hopkins led the Tigers with 20 points followed by Kelsie Knight with five.

Miranda Snider and Kelsie Shirley combined for an aggressive defense.

The Warriors were led by Alexis Hill, Jennifer Walton, Savannah Upton and Jaselyn Harrison with four points each.

Division One

The top-ranked Wildcats beat the third-ranked Cheetahs 30-24. &8220;We had a lot of fun this season. The kids learned fast and worked hard in practice. The parents were real supportive. This combination led to our championship run,&8221; Wildcats&8217; coach Chris Parker said.

Austin Lucas led the Wildcats with 13 points, seven rebounds followed by Sabrina Hawk with four points and five rebounds.

Ethan Johnson grabbed four rebounds, while Sarah Head, Conner Davis and Cody Davis combined for an aggressive defense.

Lead scorers for the Cheetahs were Joseph Pennington with 13 and Matthew Prosser with seven points and four rebounds.

Aniston Cothran grabbed one rebound and one steal, while Katrice Burns had a rebound and assist. Sereanna Smoot and Kaylen Madison combined for a strong team effort.

Division TWO

The second-ranked Battle Cats defeated the No. 1 Dominators 41-39. &8220;I am proud of the way my children played as a team. They fought back in the game and played hard all season long. I am blessed with great kids and a great assistant coach, Todd Wakefield. I could not have done it without God,&8221; Battle Cats coach Chris Parker said.

Jaylon Woods led the Battle Cats with 19 points followed by Justin Gibson with 12 and Will Prosser added seven.

Andrew Cardwell and Deon Carter combined for a tough defense. Top scorers for the Dominators were Nick Youngblood with 14 and Coleman Beasley with eight. Alex Harrison, Tucker Holley and Adison Couch starred on defense.

Division Three

The second-ranked Ballers beat the fourth-ranked Titans 34-9.

&8220;I am proud of the kids…they worked real hard.

I had a great assistant, Chris Moore.

We combined and came up with good stuff today.

It&8217;s all about the kids who worked hard.

They are the real champions,&8221; Ballers&8217; head coach, Bruce Martin said.

Justus Martin led the Ballers with 10 points and seven rebounds followed by Henry Davis with seven points and seven rebounds. Tucker Youngblood added seven points and five rebounds, while Griffin Moore had two rebounds.

Jacob Pennington led the Titans with five points, two steals followed by Tyrin Johnson with four points, seven rebounds and one block.

Walker Wages grabbed two rebounds while Ty Proctor had two blocks, five rebounds.

Division Four

Top-ranked Ballers beat the No. 3 Rockets 39-19. &8220;It has been a great season. I&8217;ve got a fantastic group of kids and parents. They showed leadership and sportsmanship the whole year…they won without boasting and lost without making excuses. Columbiana Youth Basketball League is one of the best organizations that I&8217;ve ever been associated with,&8221; Ballers&8217; head coach Frostie Shaw said.

Tyler Madison led the Ballers with 33 points and 14 rebounds followed by DQ Swain with four points, three steals and four rebounds. Joshua Pennington grabbed five rebounds and three steals, while Mojo Adams had five rebounds.

The Rockets head coach, Brian Carroll said, Nathan Herrington led the Rockets with six points, four steals and four rebounds.

Dra Dozier grabbed nine rebounds and had three blocks.

Austin Dodson and Ryan Carroll both had a steal