Dyer County set to play for Region 7-AAA title

The Choctaws answered that question with a 70-67 hard-fought victory over a tough Cordova team in the Region 7-AAA tournament semifinals in Bolton on Tuesday.

"A lot of people were very concerned when we moved up to AAA this year, but our guys are competitors and that's all they have done all year long is compete no matter who we play," said Choctaw head coach Derek McCord. "Cordova is a very good basketball team, but I thought we did a great job limiting their shot opportunities in the second half."

With the win, the Choctaws secured a spot in the substate game for the fourth consecutive year under McCord, and a shot to win their third region title in four years on Thursday when Dyer County meets Jackson North Side in the title game.

Dyer County was able to defeat the Wolves behind 25 points and 12 rebounds from Choctaw center Cedric "Big Ced" Janes, and a total defensive effort which forced 23 turnovers in the contest.

"You can't say enough about 'Big Ced' -- he is a walking double-double and he has grown so much as a player this season," said McCord. "We hang our hats on defense, and even when we don't shoot it well, we can always play well on defense every night."

The Choctaws continued to shoot the ball well from the free throw line on Tuesday, converting 27-35 attempts, plus 9-11 in the fourth quarter.

"We are starting to shoot the ball better at the line at the right time," said McCord. "We have struggled at different times during the season, but we are starting to knock them down when they count the most."

The matchup started with both squads trading baskets early on, with Cordova's A.J. Cunningham scoring seven of the Wolves' first nine points of the game, but a strong Choctaw run to end the frame allowed Dyer County to take a 16-13 lead into the second quarter.

Cunningham picked up two fouls in the first quarter, sitting out the majority of the first half, but the Choctaws didn't immediately take advantage with the Wolves' biggest star sitting on the bench.

Cordova's Craig Hill picked up the slack for the Wolves in the second quarter, leading a strong run which allowed the Memphis school to take over the lead in the frame.

The Wolves led 31-25 with a minute left in the opening half, when Janes went back to work, scoring five points in the final 60 seconds of the quarter which cut the Choctaw deficit to 31-30 going into the much-needed break.

Both squads continued to trade baskets in the second half, but a thunderous dunk by Janes midway through the period gave the Choctaws a slim 41-40 advantage.

The Wolves led 44-43 with under two minutes left in the third quarter, when the Choctaws went on an 8-3 run to end the frame, giving Dyer County a 52-46 lead going into the fourth quarter.

"Our guys played so hard tonight, they really played with a lot of energy," said McCord. "I thought defensively we were very sound tonight."

The Choctaws increased their lead to 60-51 with six minutes left in the ballgame, when the athletic Wolves started their comeback.

Cordova responded with a 9-2 run of their own, cutting Dyer County's lead to 62-60 with under three minutes left in the game.

The Choctaws had a five- point lead with 52 seconds left in the game, when Cordova's Joshua Walker knocked down a 3-pointer trimming Dyer County's lead to 67-65 with 35 seconds left on the clock.

The Wolves had a chance to knot the game at 67-67 when O'Keeth Barker intercepted a Dyer County pass. However, Barker missed the wide-open layup, forcing Cordova to foul with time running out.

Dyer County connected on 3-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds of the game, sealing the victory for the fast and furious Newbern squad, and punched their fourth consecutive substate ticket under McCord.

Outside of Jane's 25 points, Koty Gross chipped in with 13 points, while teammates Fred Yarbrough and Cedarius Taylor added eight and nine points, respectively.

The 'Choctaw Nation' made Bolton High School's gym feel like a home game, thanks to a large number of supporters who made the trip down to cheer on their squad.

"Our fans are the best in the state of Tennessee," said McCord. "Hopefully they will come back and support us on Thursday, because we are going to need them again."

Dyer County and North Side will square off for the fourth time this season on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Bolton for the region title and the right to host the subsate game at home.

The Choctaws have defeated the Indians three of the four times the two respected squads have met this season, but the right to host the sub-state game should bring out the best from both squads.

"We know a lot about North Side, they are a very good team," said McCord. "We have to do it with defense, because teams that are still around at this time of the season are usually pretty good defensive teams."