High school boys’ summer hoop action was in full swing at Felicity-Franklin High School on June 19, as the home standing Cardinals played host to a basketball shootout.

Of the six teams competing in Wednesday’s shootout, three were from high schools in Brown County – the Western Brown Broncos, the Georgetown G-Men, and the Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Blue Jays.

Games were played in two, 20-minute halves with a running clock.

Kicking off the action in Felicity-Franklin High School’s main gymnasium were the RULH Blue Jays and the Miami Valley Christian Academy Lions.

After losing some key players to graduation, RULH varsity boys basketball coach Rex Woodward has been allowing some young players to see significant time on the court this summer in preparation for the 2019-20 winter basketball season.

The Lions rose to a 22-13 lead in the first half, but the Blue Jays rallied behind the play of senior guard Nigel Royal to cut the MVCA lead to 30-25 before the first half reached an end.

The Lions expanded their lead to 35-25 early in the second half, but once again it was Royal stepping up for the Jays, sinking a three-pointer and snatching a steal that led to an easy bucket to quickly trim the MVCA lead to 35-30.

The Lions heated up to lead 43-32, but Ripley’s Kobe Rigdon grabbed a steal and hit a field goal to narrow the margin to 43-34.

The Jays sliced the Lions’ lead to seven as Quincy Ellis dished out an assist to TK Whaley for an easy score.

Braiden Bennington picked up a steal and drained a three-pointer to leave the Jays’ trailing by just one, 51-50 late in the second half, but back-to-back three’s lifted the Lions to a 57-50 advantage.

Another three by Bennington cut the MVCA lead to 57-53 with just under a minute to go.

The Lions were able to hold on for a 60-58 win.

After a short break, the MVCA Lions were back on the court to face off against the Western Brown Broncos. The Broncos were quick out the gate, rising to a 38-25 lead in the first half en route to a 78-33 victory.

Western Brown’s Yani Williams kicked off scoring with a bucket down low, getting the Broncos off to a good start.

The Lions answered with a bucket of their own, but a three-pointer by Western Brown’s Zyon Tull put the Broncos on top 5-2.

Tull had an excellent day of shooting from beyond the arc, while Williams cleaned the glass for the Broncos for several rebounds and put-backs.

The Broncos took on the RULH Blue Jays in their second contest of the day.

The Jays put together a fine performance while outsized at nearly every position. The Jays trailed by only two, 27-25, until Tull scored on a drive late in the first half to lift the Broncos to a four-point lead.

At the end of the first half, the Broncos held a 31-28 advantage.

The Jays climbed to a 46-44 lead in the second half, but it was Williams pulling down an offensive rebound and burying the put-back to tie the game at 46.

Buckets by Whaley and Royal put the Jays on top 50-46, but the Broncos rallied back to tie the game at 50.

The Jays were clinging tight to a 58-57 lead late in the second half, but it was Tull rifling in a three-pointer to seal a 60-58 victory for the Broncos.

The battle between the Georgetown G-Men and the Felicity-Franklin Cardinals ended in a 42-42 tie, and to keep the games on schedule there was no overtime.

The G-Men then faced off against the RULH Blue Jays.

The game was knotted at four until field goals by Cody Germann and Royal put the Jays on top 8-4.

The Jays continued to heat up, and it was Whaley hammering down a dunk to expand the Ripley lead to 10-4.

With Royal draining a three to end scoring in the first half, the Jays held a 33-20 lead heading into the second half of play.

The G-Men picked up the intensity to rally back in the second half, cutting the Ripley lead to 56-52 with Blaise Burrows coming through with an old fashioned three-point play.

The Jays expanded their lead to 59-52 late in the second half, but it was Burrows burying a shot from beyond the arc to cut the Ripley lead to just four with 29 seconds left on the clock.

The Jays were able to hold on for a 61-55 victory.

Western Brown’s Yani Williams buries a put-back after pulling down an offensive rebound in the Broncos’ win over Miami Valley Christian Academy during the summer shootout held at Felicity-Franklin High School, June 19.
https://www.ripleybee.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_yani-williams.jpgWestern Brown’s Yani Williams buries a put-back after pulling down an offensive rebound in the Broncos’ win over Miami Valley Christian Academy during the summer shootout held at Felicity-Franklin High School, June 19.

Georgetown’s Blaise Burrows shoots from three-point land as the G-Men faced Felicity-Franklin during the June 19 summer shootout.
https://www.ripleybee.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_blaise-burrows-1.jpgGeorgetown’s Blaise Burrows shoots from three-point land as the G-Men faced Felicity-Franklin during the June 19 summer shootout.

By Wade Linville