COTTLEVILLE The moment wasnt too big for Kyle Younge. <\/p>\n
The Jennings junior guard drove the ball toward the basket and executed a tough scoop shot to give his team a one-point lead with 1:58 left in an intense Class 4 boys basketball sectional against Liberty. It was a lead the Warriors didn't relinquish as they went on to a hard-fought 56-54 win at Francis Howell Central. <\/p>\n
These are the moments I live for, said Younge, who led Jennings with 24 points. My team depends on me, so I gotta do what I gotta do. <\/p>\n
Jennings (24-4), the No. 6 team in the STLhighschoolsports.com small-schools rankings, advanced to face Parkway Central (21-8) in a Class 4 sectional at 1 p.m. Saturday at Washington High School. <\/p>\n
But not before the Warriors got all they wanted from a talented Liberty team that is in just its fourth year of existence and was playing its first sectional. <\/p>\n
Theyve got two guys that can get in the paint and theyve got shooters out there. They won 20 games, so I knew they were good, Jennings coach Travis Wallace said. But, I thought our kids battled the adversity, came back and played hard. We just had to be players. <\/p>\n
Liberty (21-7), which saw a nine-game winning streak end, got a game-high 25 points from Kaleb Overall, 14 points from fellow junior Jaylen Sims and 10 points from senior Brian Jones. <\/p>\n
They just made a couple more plays down the stretch. Give credit to Jennings, Eagles coach Chip Sodemann said. I thought our game plan was solid. I was proud of the way our guys battled. I dont think a lot of people gave us a chance. <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) moves the ball against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Kaleb Overall (23) moves the ball under pressure from Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Kyle Younge (10) puts up a shot against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Latrell Jones (15) puts up a shot under pressure from Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) moves the ball against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) puts up a shot under pressure from Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Kyle Younge (10) puts up a shot against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Kaleb Overall (23) moves the ball against Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Jaylen Sims (11) puts up a shot over Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) moves the ball against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Kaleb Overall (23) moves the ball under pressure from Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Kyle Younge (10) puts up a shot against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Latrell Jones (15) puts up a shot under pressure from Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) moves the ball against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Terran Jackson (5) puts up a shot under pressure from Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Jennings' Kyle Younge (10) puts up a shot against Liberty at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Kaleb Overall (23) moves the ball against Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty's Jaylen Sims (11) puts up a shot over Jennings at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo., on March 7, 2017. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com <\/p>\n
Liberty fans had a reason to be concerned just 3:26 into the game when Overall hit the deck hard while attempting to block a shot by Jennings Rajea Johnson. Overall appeared to hit his head on the floor and was down for a minute or so, but he returned to the game a little over two minutes later after being checked out. <\/p>\n
And after Jennings enjoyed a 15-10 lead after one quarter, Overall went to work in the second. <\/p>\n
He scored five points in the first 71 seconds to tie it at 15 and later punctuated the quarter by converting a 3-point play with 23.4 seconds left to give the Eagles a 21-19 lead at halftime. <\/p>\n
Hes been our guy all year. Its no secret, Sodemann said. Him and Jaylen are the two guys who carried us. <\/p>\n
The lead changed hands seven consecutive possessions in the third quarter. The Eagles finally seized control of the quarter by tallying eight of the final 12 points to take a 41-38 lead into the fourth. <\/p>\n
Liberty maintained that lead for the first 6:02 of the quarter until Younge made his game-changing drive to the basket that gave the Warriors the lead for good at 49-48. Its a shot Younge said he practices. <\/p>\n
Practice makes perfect, he said. So, whatever you practice you perform in the game. <\/p>\n
After a Liberty turnover on the next possession, Younge calmly knocked down a jumper to give Jennings a three-point lead and he added two free throws with 17.4 seconds left to bump the lead to four that provided the winning margin after the Eagles hit a last-second bucket. <\/p>\n
Hes been doing big stuff all year, Wallace said his standout When hes on, were on. He opens up everything for everybody else. <\/p>\n
Sodemann said: Down the stretch, he just took over the game. And thats what good players do. <\/p>\n
Sodemann must now say goodbye to the first group of seniors he and the school have had since he came over from Washington four years ago. <\/p>\n
I havent had to do this in four years. One of the hardest things as a coach is to say goodbye to seniors, Sodemann said. Our first couple years on varsity, we were getting thumped pretty good. It would have been easy to quit. But, Im really proud of them for sticking it out. Theyll always be a really special group of kids because they were the first ones to go through. <\/p>\n
And Jennings can say hello to an old friend the state quarterfinals. <\/p>\n
It will bring back memories, Wallace said. I went to Jennings. I played at Jennings. The last time we went to state (2000), I was the starting point guard. Im looking for an opportunity to go back as a coach. <\/p>\n
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Jennings pulls out intense sectional win against Liberty - STLtoday.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" COTTLEVILLE The moment wasnt too big for Kyle Younge. The Jennings junior guard drove the ball toward the basket and executed a tough scoop shot to give his team a one-point lead with 1:58 left in an intense Class 4 boys basketball sectional against Liberty. Continue reading