10 Best: Clopton vs. Monroe City (Clopton Tournament Semifinals)
On Thursday night, I made the trip to the small town of Clarksville, Mo. to take in the action at the Clopton Tournament. This semifinals matchup featured undefeated and state-ranked Monroe City against the host Clopton Hawks. Clopton was more…
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Continue ReadingOn Thursday night, I made the trip to the small town of Clarksville, Mo. to take in the action at the Clopton Tournament. This semifinals matchup featured undefeated and state-ranked Monroe City against the host Clopton Hawks. Clopton was more than up to the challenge as they forged to an early advantage and held that lead to well into the fourth quarter when Monroe City finally caught up and took a 47-44 lead with about four minutes left in the game. Clopton responded with some big shots, hustle plays and key free throws down the stretch to pull off the 57-54 upset and knock Monroe City from the ranks of the undefeated.
Now, here are some of the best from Clopton-Monroe City.
MVP: Stephen Talbert (Clopton): The 6’2″ 2017 forward scored a team-high 20 points to spark the Hawks to the upset victory. He was very resourceful on offense with a nice mid-range jumper off the catch, some drives to the basket and a 3-pointer. He was also a good free throw shooter who captured some big offensive rebounds down the stretch.
Best Offensive Player: CE Talton (Monroe City): The 6’1″ 2019 point guard is a talented offensive performer with nice handles and a good skill set. He scored a game-high 22 points for the Panthers. Talton is smooth off the dribble and he can get to his spots to shoot his short jumper or get to the basket. He also hit a nice pull-up 3-pointer late in the game. This youngster has plenty of game.
Best Shooter: Landon Hall (Clopton): The 6’1″ 2018 guard knocked down a couple of 3-pointers in the game, including a huge one that will be discussed later in this story. He finished with 15 points. Hall is a very good all-around player who can shoot it, handle it and pass it.
Best Bench Player: Jamon Graham (Clopton): The 5’10” 2017 guard was a whirling dervish from the moment he entered the game in the first quarter. He really made things happen with his speed and quickness. He scored six points and helped create a lot of turnovers on the defensive end.
Best Young Prospect (2019, 2020): CE Talton (Monroe City): The 2019 point guard is smooth with good size and a lot of offensive skills. Excellent up-side.
Big Shot of the Game: Landon Hall (Clopton) – After leading for virtually the entire game, Clopton suddenly found themselves trailing 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter with big momentum on Monroe City’s side. In desperate need of a bucket, the Hawks turned to Hall, who knocked down a huge 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 47-47. The Hawks regained the momentum and went on to pull the upset.
Best Defensive Player: Zach Osborn (Monroe City): With the Panthers trailing at halftime, they turned up the defensive intensity in his half court defense to battle back into the game. A big part of this was Osborn, a 2018 guard, who played some tremendous on-ball defense that really had the Clopton ball handlers flustered for awhile.
Best Rebounder: Michael Speaks (Monroe City): The 6’3″ 2017 forward was saddled with foul trouble for much of the game and his absence hurt Monroe City. When he was in the game, I really like his tenacity on the boards.
My favorite moment: Watching Lailah Smith, the second-grade daughter of Clopton head coach Craig Smith. She was like an assistant coach. She had her own chair behind her father’s chair on the bench and she held his clip board. She lived an died with every possession, including a classic moment when she threw down her father’s clip board in disgust after a late-game turnover. It was a scene right out of the football movie, “Remember the Titans,” when the assistant coach’s daughter, Sheryl Yoast, followed every step of the team like a little assistant coach.