By Betty Gandee

Months of practice and dedication could be seen on the court Sunday for the Clay County Youth Basketball League’s Championship games and cheer competition.

These young boys and girls worked hard to represent their elementary schools in the county.  For the past few weekends each school’s second and third grades and third and fourth grade teams played in double elimination tournament games to decide who would play in the championship games.

First up it was the second and third grade B-Team game, where the Lizemore Lions and the Big Otter Braves battled it out on the court.  In the end the Lizemore Lions took home the first place trophy and the bragging rights.

Taking a break in the basketball action, the cheerleading squads for Big Otter, Clay, H.E. White, and Lizemore took the floor to show the fans what they had been working on all season.  Each school had a great looking group of cheerleaders and put on an exciting performance.  Clay placed fourth, H.E. White came in third, Lizemores placed second, and Big Otter Elementary won first place.

Finishing up the events was the fourth and fifth grade A-Team championship game. Lizemore Lions took the court against the Clay County Panthers, and Lizemore pulled off another win for their school and took home the A-Team first place trophy.

It was an exciting day of youth sports at the high school.  You could tell how hard these kids had practiced and how much the coaches had worked with them throughout the season. It’s always a successful season when the kids love what they are doing.  Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to the coaches who make it possible!