By Quintin Harlan, Herald Bulletin Sports Writer
ANDERSON, Ind. — On a day when the college kids were beginning the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Anderson’s children were deciding the boy’s city elementary championship.
The Edgewood Eagles will have their names as the final team to win the Anderson City Championship in boys basketball in the current format for the tournament after beating East Side 38-26 at Anderson Elementary on Thursday.
The budget crunch facing Anderson Community Schools will change the lineup of elementary schools in Anderson and with fewer schools means an end to the current format of the city tournament.
“It was fun and exciting,” said Edgewood’s Cameron Sembly.
For Edgewood coach Chuck Graybiel, a born and bred Andersonian, winning the final city title in the current format had special meaning.
“It means everything to win it this year. To me it’s wonderful that these kids get to be the last ones (to win the city championship in the current format), but it’s also kind of sad,” said Graybiel. “These kids worked so hard for this. They played so unselfish, sometimes we had to get on them to shoot the ball.”
Edgewood was led by the 15 points from Ronnie Williams. Zacaree Owens was also in double figures with 12 points. Williams and Owens each hit six shots from the floor in the game.
Trajan Dixon scored seven for the Eagles and Sembly chipped in with four points.
“It means a lot to win this because we lost (in the title game) last year,” said Owens.
“We worked hard and we played hard,” said Williams. “We just had fun.”
The East Side Explorers’ Wesley Erny hit eight field goals and led all scorers with 17 points. Erny was named the Mental Attitude award winner.
He was described as “a coaches dream” during the awards presentation.
East Side’s Chayce McDermott was next with seven points. Landis Hollingsworth scored two points for the Explorers.
Edgewood finished the season unbeaten with a 7-0 record.
“It means a lot,” said Dixon, who said his favorite part of the game is the jumpshot. “We just had fun.”
