By Thomas Sellers Jr.
TRA’s Ethan Stewart runs into Soulsville’s KT Curry during a game in the TRA Gymnasium.
While the hype increases on the Tipton-Rosemark Academy campus about the potential of the 2017-18 Rebel Basketball team, new Head Coach Chris Anderson keeping his squad focused on basics. Anderson and staff are getting the Rebels to take it one game at time. After winning the season opener Nov. 14 over Magnolia Heights, TRA welcomed the Soulsville Tornadoes to the TRA Gymnasium last Thursday. The Rebels established an early advantage and managed to maintain it for a 75-54 victory to improve to 2-0. “For an opening week, we played a good program like Magnolia Heights,” Anderson said. “A team that’s going to challenge for the State championship. They brought a veteran team. They have most of their kids back. And we played a great first half. Actually a great three quarters. The defense was there. “Tonight we did not have the intensity we needed starting the game out,” he added. “But that’s what happens with a team learning how to win, a team learning how to be a front-runner. We have to get better and that will be on us the coaches.” The Rebels led 20-9 after one quarter with Carter Weakley getting things started with a triple to make the score 3-0. TRA big man Kameron Collier added a bucket followed by an Ethan Stewart three-pointer. After an Alex Anderson foul shot the score was 9-0. The rest of the opening period TRA got buckets from Anderson, Weakley, Tysen Banks and Ryan Knight. Soulsville scored 13 points in the second quarter. The Rebels matched their first quarter effort with 20 points. Anderson drove to the rim and made a layup that made the score 22-11. Weakley hit another three-pointer that made the score 25-11. After a Tornado bucket, Anderson made back-to-back baskets to make the tally 29-13. Down the stretch of the first half TRA received points from Seth Cannon, Parker Heavener and Collier with a three-point play. The Rebels’ 40-22 halftime advantage transformed to 53-37 by the end of the third quarter. TRA picked up the offense in the fourth quarter with 22 points. But Soulsville tallied 32 points in the second half.
Coach Anderson said his team will get back to basics like alert eyes, footwork, good posture, proper position and focusing on one play at a time.
