The Leopard Tamers

by: Kelly and Heather

DeQueen vs. Ozark

So far the DeQueen Lady Leopards have had the state tournament in their hands. They have not lost a game so far, until today. The upsetting defeat was handed to the Leopards by the Ozark Hillbillies. These two teams went head to head in the first game of the semi-finals.

Despite an early lead by the Leopards the Hillbillies fought back within one the closing minutes of the first half. A trip to the free throw line with nine seconds left on the clock gave DeQueen a two point lead, but a foul shot by Ozark cut the lead to one.

Call the fire department people, because we have a real barn burner going here in the third quarter. The fans from both DeQueen and Ozark are keeping the teams supplied with plenty of energy as they chant "Defense", "Lady Leopards", and "Ozark Hillbillies". At the end of the third quarter DeQueen finds them selves trailing by one with the score being 33 to 32.

Energy in the gym rises, and the intensity on the court does the same. You can tell by the expressions on the player's faces that this game means everything in the world to them. With the help of the three point shot by player number twelve, the Hillbillies stretch the lead to nine, the biggest lead of the second half. Aside from the battle on the court a battle takes place in the stands as fans see who can chant their mascot the loudest. In the closing minutes of the game the Lady Leopards tried to "claw" their way back into the game, but when push came to shove, the Lady Hillbillies came out on top with a score of 57 to 45.