A-J scores win at Cobden, falls against host Nashville
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School boys’ basketball team split in recent action.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 67, Cobden 37:</strong> Ryan Stark scored 15 points and pulled down 4 rebounds to lead the visiting Wildcats to the non-conference win over Union County rival Cobden Saturday, Dec 12, in front of a full house in the Appleknockers’ gym.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Garrett Nimmo added 11 points and 6 rebounds for the Wildcats. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Hunter Garver had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Dakota Earnhart had 9 points and 4 rebounds. Jake Parr had 8 points and 6 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Wyatt Smith had 6 points and 2 rebounds. Sheldon McGrath had 4 points and a rebound. Collin Prather had 3 points and a rebound. Izzy Markovic had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Jake Stark had 3 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Logan Spalt had 14 points and 5 rebounds to lead the Appleknockers. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">John Russell added 10 points. Austin Lewey had 7 points and 2 rebounds. J.T. Moore had 3 points and 2 rebounds. Dylan Duty had a point. Clayton Eck had a rebound.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats built a 7-0 lead at the outset and were ahead 18-8 after one quarter.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J coach Mike Chamness said that playing the day after a loss to Nashville was good for his team.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We got off to a good start. We were 7 of 13 on 3-pointers in the first half,” Chamness said about A-J’s effort against Cobden. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Garver led the way the first half with three 3-pointers.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats led 41-18 at the half and 53-24 going into the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chamness said the Wildcats moved the ball “really well” against Cobden. “They came out and pressured us the second half and we handled it well.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 15 of 23 in shot attempts from the floor, 8 of 15 from 3-point range and 13 of 22 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Appleknockers were 7 of 21 in shot attempts from the floor, 4 of 21 from 3-point range and 11 of 18 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Cobden fell to 4-2 with the loss.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Nashville 65, A-J 35:</strong> The visiting Wildcats had trouble getting untracked in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division game Friday, Dec. 11.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Hornets were ahead 14-5 after one quarter and 33-15 at the half. The Wildcats trailed 50-26 going into the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I thought Friday we physically got beat,” Chamness said. “We were a step slow all night. Nashville does what they do and we messed up and they made us pay for it.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Earnhart had 10 points and 5 rebounds to lead A-J. Jake Parr added 9 points and 5 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">McGrath had 6 points and 3 rebounds. Prather had 5 points and 3 rebounds. Ryan Stark had 3 points and a rebound. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Smith had 2 points and a rebound. Markovic, Nimmo and Jade Gillis had a rebound apiece.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 10 of 26 in shot attempts from the floor, 2 of 15 from 3-point range and 9 of 13 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Hornets were 20 of 26 in shot attempts from the field, 5 of 10 from 3-point range and 10 of 15 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J, 5-2, is scheduled to play at home against Carterville Friday and at home against Massac County Saturday.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“That’s two really good games for us before we play Pinckneyville,” said Chamness, whose Wildcats play Tuesday, Dec. 22, on the road against the Panthers.</span></p>