Mitch Wilson Classic kicks off season

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CCHS Coaches Jonathan Odom, left, and Matt Rigsby thank Mitch Wilson for his sponsorship of the annual Mitch Wilson Classic scheduled for November 25 and 26 at Cannon County High School.

DAVID HUNTER
The Cannon Courier
The Cannon County High School basketball teams tipped off the 2016-17 season last week by playing in two road games at Coffee County and Van Buren County with mixed success.
Cannon County will get their first look at the Lions and Lionettes during the Thanksgiving Week with three home game at Robert A. Harris Gymnasium, including the 10th annual State Farm Mitch Wilson Classic this weekend.
The Lionettes opened the season on Nov. 15 with a tough loss at Coffee County, 48-45. However, a mix of youth and experience was on full display as second year head coach Jonathan Odom started three freshmen, Taylor Meeks, Anna Grace Sissom and Kristen Fann to go with returning All-District star junior Maleah Scott and sophomore point guard, Tori Knox.
Most of the freshman for the Lionettes got significant playing time, and they played a key role in the opening week action. Meeks finished with 14 points, and Scott added 12 in a losing effort.
CCHS worked on fixing their mistakes during the practice on the Wednesday in between the games. Odom was pleased with effort during it, and it helped the Lionettes bounce back on Nov. 17 with a 58-42 win at Van Buren County. VBCHS advanced to the TSSAA State Tournament in 2016, so the Lionettes were excited to get their first win of the season, especially against a quality opponent in a tough road environment.
"They are very accountable," Odom said. "A day after the Coffee County loss we had an outstanding practice. We worked on the things that plagued us, and the most pleasing thing to us as a coaching staff is we put all those things into practice, and it led to a very successful victory against a Van Buren team, who was a quarterfinalist last year. I am very pleased they took the coaching, held each other accountable, and the way we played on Tuesday was unacceptable. That was the old us, and this is the new us. They came out with a big win on Thursday.
Scott finished with 27, but she got injured late in the contest, and Odom said she is day-to-day heading into this week's action. Sophomore Olivia Walkup added 12, and Meeks had another solid outing and she chipped in with 10.
As for the Lions, it was a tough two road losses last week at the same locations. CCHS fell at Coffee County 70-50 on Nov. 15, and 75-42 two nights later at Van Buren County. Junior Cole George led the way from very long distance as he hit two buzzer beaters from half court to end the first half in both games. He finished with 17 points on Nov. 15, including five threes, and 12 points two nights later as he connected with four threes.
This week, the Lions and Lionettes return home with three games, including a matchup with hated rival Warren County on Nov. 22, and then back-to-back games on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 as part of the 10th annual State Farm Mitch Wilson Classic.
Both CCHS head coaches, Matt Rigsby and Odom are excited for the chance to open the home portion of the basketball schedule this week.
"We are very excited to be here," Odom said. "Our fans are so great, and that was our message to the girls was on Tuesday to try to calm their nerves. I said we are playing on the road, and we have a bigger fan base than the home team. So, our fans are truly outstanding with great support at home and on the road. The biggest advantage, hopefully playing at home is we are used to our rims and our floor. So, hopefully, we are going to have a home court advantage in that way."
After the Thanksgiving holiday, a tradition makes its return to Cannon County with the State Farm Mitch Wilson Classic on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 as a combined 29 teams will play at CCHS and Woodbury Grammar School during the two days.
The Lionettes will face Cookeville on Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., and Red Boiling Springs a night later at the same time, and same location at Robert A. Harris Gymnasium, while the Lions will host Johnson County at 8:30 on Nov. 25, and Smyrna a night later at the same time and location.
This event is something, which Wilson, and the CCHS basketball program are very proud of hosting each year during the past decade, especially with the quality of teams coming in, and a chance to showcase the community.
"I am thankful we get to host an event like this," Rigsby said. "It is pretty neat to say; Woodbury is hosting the largest Classic or Hall of Fame Tournament in the state of Tennessee for this weekend. Big thanks, which could not be done without Mitch Wilson and State Farm for helping us put this thing together. We are still thankful they are all coming for sure."
Wilson added, "I am really excited, they got some really good teams coming in. It is not anything I have done to make this thing grow. Being the 10th anniversary, this thing has grown to being the largest Thanksgiving tournament in the state of Tennessee, and I attribute all of that to Coach Rigsby and Coach Odom. They built this thing to what it is today, and I had nothing to do with it. I am excited to come watch our schools play and compete. It is not only a great thing for the community, but also for the middle Tennessee area.

Mitch Wilson Classic Schedule
Nov. 25 CCHS
11:30 am Girls- DeKalb County vs Murfreesboro Oakland
1 p.m. Boys- Smyrna vs Shelbyville
2:30 p.m. Girls East Nashville vs Moore County
4 p.m. Boys East Nashville vs Murfreesboro Riverdale
5:30 pm. Boys Nashville Central Christian vs Cookeville
7 p.m. Girls CCHS vs Cookeville
8:30 p.m. Boys CCHS vs. Johnson County

Nov. 25 WGS
10 a.m. Boys- Lead Academy vs Glen cliff
11:30 am Girls Warren County vs Lighthouse Christian
1 p.m. Girls Upperman vs Nashville Central Christian
2:30 pm Boys Upperman vs Warren County
4 p.m. Girls Providence Christian vs Lighthouse Christian
5:30 pm. Boys DeKalb County vs Greater Gwinnett

Nov. 26 CCHS
10 am Boys- Greater Gwinnett vs Glencliff
11:30 am Girls- Cookeville vs. Moore County
1 p.m. Boys- Cookeville vs Station Camp
2:30 pm. Girls- Upperman vs Oakland
4 pm Boys- Upperman vs. Lexington
5:30 pm Boys- Lead Academy vs Shelbyville
7 p.m. Girls- CCHS vs Red Boiling Springs
8:30 pm. Boys- CCHS vs Smyrna


Nov. 26 WGS
10 am Girls- Providence Christian vs DeKalb County
11:30 am Boys- Johnson County vs DeKalb County
1 p.m. Girls- Warren County vs. Nashville Central Christian
2:30 pm. Boys- Warren County vs. Nashville Central Christian

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