North claimed both varsity games against South on November 2 in a nearly full Franklin County High School gym, pulling away late for a 34–27 girls victory before winning a boys game that came down to the final fraction of a second.
Zyion Eady’s free throw with 0.3 seconds remaining broke a tie and gave the North boys a 40–39 victory after South erased a late seven-point deficit.
North Girls Finish Strong
North carried a 16–14 lead into halftime after a tightly contested opening half, then created separation late in the fourth quarter to secure the seven-point win.
Olivia Perez led North with 12 points, while Rylee Owens added eight with gritty, active play. Macie Hill scored six, Jada Hartman four, Presley Carter three and Karli Branch one.
Perez and Branch also made an impact defensively in the paint against South’s Shay Simmons and Peyton Pendergrass.
South adjusted early when Maddie Clark got into foul trouble and went to the bench. Addison Champion provided relief as South stayed close.
Baelyn Short paced South with nine points. Clark finished with five, Ellie Sons and Pendergrass scored four apiece, Jade Battle added three and Simmons had two.
Eady Delivers At The Line
The boys game stayed tight through the first half, with North taking a 23–22 advantage into the break. Ty Worley supplied big second-quarter three-pointers, Dylan Stovall handled point guard duties, and Declan Kelley quietly contributed alongside them.
North eventually built a seven-point lead late in the game, but South rallied and briefly moved in front.
In the closing sequence, the ball was knocked loose from South. North advanced up the floor, and Eady was fouled underneath the basket with the score tied and just 0.3 seconds left.
After struggling at the foul line earlier in the game, Eady made the first of his two free throws. That shot provided the winning point in North’s 40–39 victory.
Eady finished with a team-high 14 points. Worley, Stovall and Kelley each scored eight, and Jacob Sons added two.
Peyton Mason was South’s athletic standout, scoring a game-high 21 points. Zac Cole added eight and contributed a strong defensive effort. Cruz Traylor scored three, and Kejandre Kennedy had two.
The two close varsity games gave the nearly full gym plenty to follow, with North’s late execution making the difference in both.
Graphic: 931Go. AI-generated illustrative background with original mascots and logo; not a game photograph.
