Gideon and Holcomb take center stage at 'The Forum'

MEMPHIS, Tn. - Monday was a night of basketball at the FedEx Forum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis fans awaited a match-up between their home team and the San Antonio Spurs. However, prior to the anticipated NBA game, two Dunklin County high school teams would battle it out at the Forum.

The Gideon Bulldogs faced off against the Holcomb Hornets in an MSHSAA Official game held on Tennessee soil. The Bulldogs would walk away victorious on the NBA floor with a 59-38 victory over Holcomb.

Pleased with their win, Gideon head coach Keenan Buchanan still thinks his team could have performed better. Still, he took in and enjoyed the opportunity to coach on an NBA court.

“It feels neat to play here,” Buchanan said. “The court is longer and I don’t think we played very well today, just get used to the dimensions. The kids were more excited about this than they were trying to win a ball game but I am glad we got another victory.”

Gideon had two players score in double-digits.

Senior center Drake Montgomery led the Bulldogs with 15 points, including two dunks on the NBA rim. Jacob Plunkett, also a senior, trailed right behind Montgomery with 14 points.

According to Montgomery, He enjoyed the opportunity and was excited to get a couple of jams on the same rim many professional basketball players have dunked on.

“It was hard to adjust to the court, but it was fun,” Montgomery said. “This was a great team-building opportunity for us.”

Both Holcomb and Gideon got to spend the entire day in Memphis, exploring the historic city. Not only did they perform at the Forum, but they also got to experience Beale Street and stay for the Monday night Grizzlies game against the Spurs.

Holcomb junior Stephen Bradshaw, despite the loss, was excited to experience a day in Memphis with teammates.

“I don’t even know if I can call them teammates,” Bradshaw said. “This is my family. We do everything together and getting a chance to be here with them is very special.”

Bradshaw would finish the game with six points, knocking down a few NBA-deep three-pointers.

Sophomore Braxton Wiggins led the Hornets with 11 points.

These two Dunklin County and Tri-County teams seem to be rivals. However, even through the competitiveness, they were able to enjoy a break from their high school gyms and play like the pros.

“This was really cool,” Bradshaw said. ‘Just to get an experience to come out here and play is something we don’t get to do every day. I’m thankful for our two schools and the faculty members who helped put this together. Also thankful for Grizzlies Nation for letting us come do this.”

These two teams are set to face each other again in the opening round of the Tri-County Conference Tournament. This will be played on Monday, Feb. 10 at Southland High School with a 3:30 p.m. start time.