Whitehouse junior high boys end year; B team knocks off #1 seed in tourney

Photos/Charlotte Smith Connor Stubbs (above) cuts off the passing lane in the Whitehouse eighth grade B team's come-from-behind win over Hallsville. At left, Andrew Struble (32) and Heath Richardson battle for a rebound as Dylan Koster looks on.

After a difficult season, the eighth grade B team had unexpected success in the district tournament, claiming an upset over the #1 seeded Hallsville Bobcats in the first round.

The thrilling 35-34 overtime win capped a 3-11 overall season for the B team, while the A squad finished 7-6.

The A team fell 19-52 to eventual tournament champion Kilgore in the first round.

Corey Davis led with 6 points (two treys).

The B team also lost to tournament champion Kilgore, falling in the second round.

Nacogdoches Moses finished second in both brackets.

In the game of the tournament, the Whitehouse B team roared back from a 2-point first quarter to force an overtime period.

Brandon O'Neal, who has been the top scorer all season, finished with 13 points, followed by Nathan Wood with 7.

The following is a summary of the B team's season:

WH 22,

Nac McMichael 34

The Wildcats lost their season opener by 12, with O'Neal chipping in 6 points and Andrew Struble adding 5.

Quinton Mackey and Jacob Van de Carr both scored 4 points.

WH 24, Jacksonville 23

O'Neal and Adam Smalley led the way in game two with 6 points each as the Cats evened the young season at 1-1.

Van de Carr added 4, while Connor Stubbs, Dylan Koster, Matt Malcolm and Ryan Tapely each had 2.

WH 22, Lufkin 34

Game three played like a rerun of the season opener with Whitehouse losing by 12 despite a fourth-quarter rally.

O'Neal poured in 11 points, with Stubbs adding 5, Smalley 4 and Heath Richardson 2.

WH 26, Moore 42

Struble had 7 points and Smalley chipped in 4 secondhalf points to lead the Cats.

Mackey and Richardson had 3 each.

WH 16, Lufkin 32

Brandon O'Neal and Matt Malcolm attempt to strip the ball in the closing seconds of the B team's loss to Kilgore.

Facing off for the second time, Lufkin handily defeated the Cats.

Van de Carr was the top scorer with 9 points, followed by Koster with 3.

WH 16, Henderson 28

O'Neal scored 6 fourth-quarter points and Malcolm 4 in the third as the Cats tried to rally from a four-point first half.

Mackey added 2 in the fourth.

WH 19, Nac Moses 23

The Cats made their seventh outing a closer match, coming within five points of a win.

Struble finished with 6 points, with Smalley, Mackey and Van de Carr adding 3 each.

WH 23, Nac McMichael 21

The Cats avenged their game one loss and, more importantly broke a five-game losing streak with this close victory.

O'Neal led with 8 points, followed by Smalley with 5.

De Carr, Malcolm and Struble combined for 6 points in the team effort.

WH 24, Jacksonville 27

Jacksonville avenged its own earlier defeat with this narrow win over the Cats.

Corey Davis scored 6 points in the fourth (plus one early free throw) to keep it close.

Wooded added 6 points and Smalley finished with 5.

WH 14, Lufkin 21

The Cats suffered their third defeat at the hands of Lufkin. With deficits of 12 and 16 points in the two prior games, however, the Cats showed improvement in this seven-point loss.

WH 18, Henderson 23

The Lions proved too much for the Cats, who failed to score in the first quarter.

Richardson led Whitehouse with 6 points.

WH 20, Nac Moses 26

Whitehouse dropped its last regular season contest. Scoring highlights included treys from Smalley and Richardson.