By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The final score of 40-28 might be mistaken for a 2021 Brighton vs. Munford football game.
But Munford Cougar Auvic White and Brighton Cardinal Nick Harvell were not involved in this Friday night contest. Taking place a few yards away from the Brighton Football Field, a defensive showdown took place in the Brighton Gymnasium between Stan Gatlin’s Cardinals and Nic Buford’s Cougars.
Through an array of missed shots and turnovers it was Munford leaving the Tipton County/district clash with a win.
“Ugly — a lot to work on,” Buford acknowledged. “The last week, week and half we’ve had this cloud over us. Just a cloud of believing all the stuff we’re hearing outside of our locker room from other people. It’s like a dark cloud. They are telling them how good they are.
“The last three days we’ve been talking about taking things for granted and that’s talent,moments, teams,” he continued. “We’ve taken a lot for granted and that’s a scary place to be. Now we’re 2-2 in the district. All actuality we should be at least 3-1. I’ll take this because a win is a win at this point. We have a lot of things to improve on and ball protection is key. Being nonchalant and lackadaisical is not going to win another game. And that’s something we have to work on and I guarantee we will.”
In the first quarter at Brighton, Munford made a few field goals to go ahead 12-3.
Murray Norman opened with a three-pointer and Decameron Haynes nailed a triple that made it 6-0. Tyler Alston got the Cardinals on the scoreboard with a free throw. Haynes and Jordan Bell scored in the lane to put Munford ahead 10-1.
Nick Moore scored the Cardinal’s first field goal with a drive to the rim. Munford’s JaDyn Lee made the last basket of the opening quarter with a floater. Munford surged ahead 18-3 with foul shots and a Michael Lee reverse layup. Jalen Terry ended Brighton’s drought with a Euro-step move to the rim for a bucket. The halftime score was 18-5 in favor of the Cougars. Brighton had chances to cut into the Munford lead but the Cardinal kept missing shots.
The Cougars were limited offensively as well. Munford won the third quarter 10-8. The Cardinals won the fourth quarter 15-12.
The Cougars held on for the victory unlike against Covington. The rival Chargers escaped Munford with a 53-49 victory.
“I hope this week isa wake up call,” Buford said . “You let Covington off the hook, byfour-point, especially when you’re up by 10 at half. This one here I would like to say we still had a hangover from Covington. You have to pick up and move on.
“We will take tomorrow off so I can be a husband and a father,” he concluded. “And Sunday we’ll get back to work because this effort — at this point of the season us coaches should not be coaching effort. Coaching shouldn’t be coaching effort and that has been where we were at this week.”
