Posted on December 1, 2016.
By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Trojan forward Justin Austin tries to defend the basket against a Germantown player last week in the William Osteen Gymnasium.
The loaded Germantown Red Devils lineup came into the William Osteen Gymnasium Nov. 22 and left Flag City scoring only 44 points. The host Millington Trojans even held the Red Devils to 2 points in the second quarter going into the break with the lead. But Germantown did manage to leave Millington victorious 44-33 winners. “I’m so hard to satisfy,” Millington Head Coach Jewel Gates said. “I don’t believe in moral victories. Moral victories doesn’t put anything in the left column. They put something in the right column which are for losses. “We’re learning how to fight,” he added. “But you have to learn how to win. Those are two big different things. We’re fighting, I will say that. We have to learn how to win those types of games. You don’t win a game like that turning it over. You don’t win a game like missing a layup. You don’t win a game like that being timid. Those are things we just can’t do.” Turnovers doomed the Trojans in the opening quarter falling behind 12-2 with only a jumper from Mac Coulter. Millington trailed 17-10 entering the second quarter. The Trojans’ defense suffocated the Red Devils only giving up a layup that made the score 19-16 in favor of Germantown. Millington scored the final 6 points of the period including a Jonathan Mattox triple. The Trojans were ahead 22-19 at halftime. Germantown rallied in the third quarter with a 8-1 run to regain the advantage. The Red Devils maintain the lead going into the fourth quarter ahead 33-28. The Trojans’ offensive woes continued in the fourth quarter with only free throws from Hunter Klutts and Mattox. Germantown managed to score 11 points in the fourth quarter to win by that total. While some fans left the gym that night seeing progress in the young Trojans, Gates saw his next teaching point for his squad. “Listen to every single word — every single word,’ he concluded. “They listen but they’re not completely getting it to were they soak up every single thing that is coming out of my mouth. They’re listening and I’ll give them that. But you’ve got to listen every single day.”
BOX SCORE
Germantown (44) — Baker 1, Taylor 6, Mitchell 14, Long 4, Wright 2, Johnson 17.
Millington (33) — Bryce Mattox 3, Cameron Tubbs 2, Hunter Klutts 4, Justin Austin 3, Jonathan Mattox 5, Bobby Macklin 6, Deandre Jones 7, Mark Coulter 3.
