By By Ryan Carter
A perfect 10-0 season.
A coveted tournament championship.
That's what the Escambia County Middle school boys basketball team have already accomplished this season.
The Eagles highlighted their season last week by winning the Century Tournament championship.
The Eagles entered the tournament with a perfect 7-0 regular season record. But maintaining that perfect record in the tournament would prove to be no small task.
After a 1 p.m. regular season game with Jackson, the Eagles faced their first opponent in the tournament at 4 p.m. that same day.
ECMS defeated Evergreen 50-48 as Brad Jones scored 14 points. Also scoring were Trenton Barnes with eight points; Franklin Boykin with seven; Derrick Martin and Philip Sharp with six each; Daniel Sands with three; and Trevor Daughtry with two.
The second game of the tournament proved to be another nail-biter for the Eagles, with the game going into overtime. ECMS helped its cause by shooting 6-for-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and the overtime period. Trent Barnes scored nine points during that stretch to lead the Eagles to their second win, 61-54.
Leading scorers for the Eagles were Boykin with 18 points, Barnes with 13, Jones and Sharp with nine each and Sands and Martin with six each.
In its third game, ECMS asserted itself and soundly defeated Century 42-27 to win the tournament championship.
Leading scorers in the final game were Jones with 13 points, Barnes with 10, Martin with six, Sharp with five and Sands and Boykin with four each.
Contributing defensively for the Eagles in the tournament were Craig Montel, Ronald Pettway, Jamison McKibben, Cadaro McBride, Willie Knight and Bobby Montgomery.
Coach Smith attributed much of the Eagles' success this season to their jumping ability and their effective use of the full court press.
According to Smith, his players are not only impressive on the court but also perform well in the classroom.
ECMS will close its season on Jan. 20, when it hosts Grove Hill.