Good Hope’s varsity boys cut down the nets at Wallace State once again.
It’s a feeling that never quite gets old for the No. 1 Raiders, who won their fourth Cullman County Basketball Tournament title since 2019 following a 69-55 victory over second-seeded West Point on Saturday.
Coach Drew Adams’ squad set the tone early in the championship, scoring the first 10 points and controlling the court against the second-seeded Warriors most of the way inside Tom Drake Coliseum.
Good Hope led by as many as 22 points in the second half, though West Point made it tough on the eventual champion with a quick spurt that cut the deficit to 13 late in the final period.
In the end, though, the Raiders cemented their status as the county’s best varsity boys team this season.
Player Speak
“Last year, I broke my wrist and was all in my head. Coming back this year and helping the team wins feels pretty good. We had some mistakes here and there, but we all came together.” — Tucker Malin
“It’s been a grind to get here and it’s a great win for us. Everyone wants to win a county championship. We look forward to hosting area and hopefully getting back here and going to Birmingham. It’s a great feeling to come back, get the gold ball and cut down the nets.” — Weston Hancock
Coach Speak
“The county tournament is a weird week for me. We really stress postseason play, but there’s no denying how big is to everyone who lives in Cullman County. We’ve been able to get to the finals the past six years, and even though you want to be there, it ramps up pressure. But I’m proud of the guys. They showed their experience tonight. They made plays, and in a county tournament final, you’ve just got to go take it. You have to embrace the moment. That’s what they did tonight.” — Drew Adams
“For as much time as we had off last week, I thought we played about as well as we could have played against two tough 5A opponents.” — Drew Adams
Top Scorers
Good Hope: Kmal Bell (23), Tyler Cone (19), Tucker Malin (14)
West Point: JD Cochran (20), Kolten Perry (12)
Records
Good Hope: 17-8
West Point: 16-9
All-Tournament Team
Kollin Brown, Holly Pond
Kobe Payne, Fairview
Jay Lamar, West Point
Kolten Perry, West Point
Tucker Malin, Good Hope
Kmal Bell, Good Hope
Tyler Cone, Good Hope
Landun Smith, Fairview
All-County Team
Cole Bales, Cold Springs
Kollin Brown, Holly Pond
Blake Rickard, Fairview
Kobe Payne, Fairview
Isaiah Jones, Vinemont
Jordan Eller, Vinemont
Kolten Perry, West Point
Jay Lamar, West Point
Carson Garrett, Hanceville
Noah Jones, Hanceville
Weston Hancock, Good Hope
Kmal Bell, Good Hope
Tyler Cone, Good Hope
Tucker Malin, Good Hope
Joe Shultz Award
Kollin Brown, Holly Pond
Eli Thomas Memorial Scholarship
Cole Bales, Cold Springs