The Russell County Middle School 7th and 8th grade teams played Adair County on Monday in the CKMSAC tournament championship games in Columbia.

The 7th grade Lakers battled hard and won 38-32 down the stretch.

They were awarded with a CKMSAC championship trophy as well as cutting down the net following the games.

“I thought our team did a good job of getting mentally prepared for the game,” said Laker coach Michael Carpenter. “We carried out our game plan against a very good Adair County team.”

He said the 7th grade Lakers took care of the basketball and got back in transition defense, limiting Adair County from scoring easy baskets.

“We were led in scoring by Nick Coffey with 23 and Ben Roy with 7,” he said. “We finished our season with an overall record of 15-4 and the CKMSAC tournament champions.”

The 8th grade team played it down to the wire but were defeated 41-34 with several last minute free throws made by Adair County. They received the CKMSAC Runner-Up trophy.

“I thought our team had a great season from start to finish,” Carpenter said. “It is a great accomplishment to get to the tournament championship game two years in a row. We battled hard throughout the game coming up short at the end.”

Carpenter said it was very hard to overcome Adair County shooting 19 free throws in the fourth quarter alone.

“I am very proud of our boys and the way they stepped up all season long,” he said. “We were led in scoring by Nick Coffey with 11 points and Alex Turner with 10 points.

The 8th grade finished the season with an overall record of 16-4 and will travel to Lexington to compete in the KBA 8th grade state tournament on Feb. 19-21

“Special thanks to the cheerleaders and everyone who made the trip over to support the boys,” he said.

Middle school parents said they were so proud of these teams for their hard work, dedication and good sportsmanship throughout the year.