Defense propels Eaglettes to key wins
Hannah Manry (center) was named as this year's Chenevert Holiday Tournament MVP and teammates Mattie Tullos and Olivia Norrell were named to the All-Tournament Team after helping the Eaglettes win this year's event championship.
The Canton Eaglettes had little time to rest over the recent Christmas holiday, making their way east to Tyler Dec. 27-29 to compete at the 13th annual Macy Chenevert Holiday Tournament.
Canton also competed in the Chenevert Holiday Classic in 2017, scoring wins over Mt. Pleasant, Grace Community and All Saints before falling just short in the championship game against Gilmer to finish second overall in a loaded field of talented opponents.
The Eaglettes entered play in Tyler riding high, having won first overall in their two previous tournament appearances of the 2018-’19 season. Canton would go on to complete a tournament sweep at the Chenevert Holiday Tournament, winning all three of their games to improve their overall record to 22-1 heading into the start of District 14-4A play Jan. 4.
The Eaglettes breezed through their first game of the tournament Dec. 27, making short work of Bullard Brook Hill in a 59-10 rout.
The Eaglettes maintained their winning ways the following afternoon, punching their ticket to the finals with a hard-fought 55-50 win over Mineola.
Canton built up an early lead in the contest, taking a 16-10 lead after eight minutes of play. An offensive lull in the second allowed Mineola to tie the game at 21-21 entering the half.
The Eaglettes found their touch again in the second half, outscoring the Yellowjackets by a combined five points in the third quarter and fourth quarters to secure the win.
Mattie Tullos led the charge offensively with 14 points, followed by Kayden Prox with 12, Olivia Norrell with 11, Ashley Wood with eight, Hannah Manry with seven, Ashley Riffe with two and Kyndall Nilius with one.
The Eaglettes overcame a slow start in the championship game, showing their trademark resilience in a 40-36 come-from-behind win over Class 5A Jacksonville.
The Lady Indians put together a suffocating defensive effort in the opening frame, limiting the Eaglettes to just three points. Down five points, Canton began to gradually fight their way back in the contest. The comeback began with the Eaglettes outscoring Jacksonville 10-9 in the second quarter to cut their deficit down to 17-13 at the half. Canton powered into the lead in the third quarter, edging Jacksonville 12-6 on the scoreboard to build a 25-23 led with just eight minutes to play.
Despite a game effort by Jacksonville, Canton was able to hang on down the stretch to secure the four-point win and this year's Chenevert Tournament title.
Olivia Norrell finished as Canton's top scorer with 11 points, followed by Mattie Tullos with 10, Hannah Manry with nine, Kyndall Nilius with six, Ashley Wood with three and Kayden Prox with one.
Hannah Manry was recognized as the Chenevert Tournament MVP while Mattie Tullos and Olivia Norrell were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Eaglettes followed up their run in Tyler with their District 14-4A opener on the road in Wills Point Jan. 4. Canton passed their first test with flying colors, scoring a 46-16 win over the Lady Tigers.
The Eaglette defense was again a huge storyline throughout the game, limiting Wills Point to two points in each of the first two quarters, and three points in the second quarter of the rout.
Leading scorers for the Eaglettes included Hannah Manry with 13, Ashley Wood and Kayden Prox with 10 each, Olivia Norrell with eight, Kyndall Nilius and Mattie Tullos with two each, and Chelsey Dollgener with one.
The Eaglettes were scheduled to host Brownsboro Jna. 8 before hitting the road to take on the Mabank Lady Panthers Jan. 11. Canton will wrap up the first round of District 14-4A play with a home date against Van Jan. 15 and a road trip to Athens Jan. 18.
