Jack Clayton Invitational – Day One Recap
The I-20 town of Haughton began day one of the annual Jack Clayton Invitational on Wednesday afternoon. Although none of the area heavy hitters are in this tournament, there was still plenty of action. Here is a recap of what went down on day one during the Invitational.
Plain Dealing vs North Desoto – Game One
In the first game of the day, Plain Dealing moved to 3-0 with a twenty point victory over the Rebels. Definitely not the highest scoring affair. North Desoto had a two point loss to Haughton on Tuesday night and has lost every other contest by 20-plus points. On the opposite end, Plain Dealing has won all three of their contest by double digits. They will face the winner of game three between Haughton and Magnolia.
Lakeside vs C. E. Byrd – Game Two
The Yellow Jackets garnered their first win of the season in game two of the Jack Clayton Invitational. Sparked by 6’4 senior Jamoria Cooksey’s (6’4″) team high 11 points, Byrd executed their offense to perfection confounding the Warriors. Prep Hoops top 40 player (#33) BraAnthony Brown (6’5″) scored ten points in the loss. The 6’5″ forward never could get on track offensively missing more shots than he made. Byrd beat up Lakeside on the boards as well. With the win, the Yellow Jackets would play the winner of the last game of the night between Minden and Parkway.
Magnolia Charter vs Haughton – Game 3
The Buccaneers got a major scare from the Mariners of Magnolia Charter during the night session on day one. 2020 guard Tyler Lewis (5’11”) scored 25 points and was a big reason why the Mariners were fighting tooth and nail for the win. Haughton got a layup in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime. From there, 2020 guard Kentrell Parker (6’0″) took over with four points and a key assist to guide his team to victory. They will play Plain Dealing in the semifinals on day two.
Parkway vs Minden – Game 4
2019 forward/wing Joe Wiggins (6’5″) had a game high 21 coupled with eleven boards as Parkway gained their second win of the season. Minden’s guards shot the ball well from three in the first half and fought back to be down seven at the half. However, they could not quite make the push to come out with the victory. Parkway will face district foe C.E. Byrd in the last semifinal of the night on day two.
This Jack Clayton Invitational will be a key to early season tournament to establish momentum for all the teams involved. The championship will be played on Friday night at 8:30 at Haughton’s gym. If Haughton makes it to the final, they will undoubtedly have the home court advantage against district foes Byrd or Parkway. We will see if they can make it to face either. Of the rest of the teams involved, Parkway is the favorite to take the tournament title.