Cougars move to 8-1 in district with win

The Rosebud-Lott Cougars travelled out to Waco on Friday, Jan. 28, to take on the Meyer Ravens. They defeated Meyer 48-39. 

Rosebud-Lott was going to host the Chilton Pirates on Friday, Feb. 4, but due to inclement weather conditions, the game was moved to Saturday at 2 p.m. The Cougars handily defeated Chilton 61-40.

The Cougars got off to a hot start that was aided by a three pointer from Kam Finan (23) for an early 10-5 lead. That was soon followed with a layup by Easton Fulton (25) for a 14-5 lead. The Cougars continued to push the ball up the court with a fastbreak layup by Finan off an impressive assist by John Reyna (33) making the lead 18-7. They would keep at it with a successful three-point play by Fulton increasing the lead to 21-7. The first quarter ended with Rosebud-Lott way ahead 23-8.

“We played really good team defense,” Coach Marvin Whitfield said. “We smothered them; we didn’t allow them to get good looks.” 

The lead in the second quarter increased to 29-8, then to 33-13 as a result of a layup by Reyna. The Cougars continued the barrage with a basket by Preston Hering (32) for a 36-18 lead. Rosebud-Lott then scored on a buzzer beating layup by Hering to go into halftime with a commanding 39-20 lead.

The Cougars stayed aggressive in the third quarter with a three pointer by Jordan Landrum (3) to make the score 42-20. That was followed with a fastbreak layup by Breon Lewis (5) off an incredible assist by Reyna for a 44-20 lead. The Cougars did not let up and kept the pedal to the metal to grow their lead to 49-23. They followed that with a layup by Caleb Butler (20) for a 52-27 lead. The third quarter end with Rosebud-Lott winning 54-27. 

The Cougars continued to dominate the game with a layup by Reyna for a 61-35 lead. With the time in the fourth quarter winding down the Cougars were content to pause the offense and drain the clock. Rosebud-Lott would be the victors, winning 61-40 in a game that Coach Marvin Whitfield feels his team played well against a tough defense. 

“They play an aggressive 1-2-2 defense and they like to trap,” Whitfield said. “We just moved the ball. We moved the ball quickly and we cut, and we got to the right spots on the floor, and that allowed us to keep them spread out and get layups.” 

This win gives them an overall record of 19-10 and a district record of 8-1. The next opponent will be in Waco as the Cougars head on the road to face the Bosqueville Bulldogs. 

“If we play with the same effort and energy, we’ll have a good shot of winning that game,” Whitfield said. “Also, our unselfishness. That’s also part of it, playing unselfishly.” 

The game will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Results were not available at press time.