The Fairfield junior high school Eagles eighth grade A basketball team played a barn burner against Palestine last week while the seventh grade A team faced the Palestine B squad, and seventh and eighth grade B squads combined for action with the Dew Bulldogs.

Palestine does not field seventh grade teams.

"This was a very tight, competitive game all the way through and stayed close all the way," FJHS eighth grade A coach Lynn Caffey says.

Fairfield the Palestine Wildcats 10-14 the first period, but narrowed the margin to a single point at 23-24 by the half-time buzzer.

The Eagles out pointed the Wildcats 12-6 in the third period to secure a 35-30 advantage and the game came down to the wire in the final stanza.

Caffey reports that the Eagles held a 1-point edge in the final seconds of the game until a Palestine player drove inside to put up a desperation shot at the buzzer.

The last second shot handed the Fairfield quintet a 39- 40 loss.

"Our guys played hard. We came up a little shot on a shot that found its way," Caffey says.

In double digits for the Eagles, with 17 points, was Cooper Cole.

Others scoring were: Cody Sell, 9; William Akers, 6; Deonte Carr, 4; Aaron Cain, 2; and Jay Roberson, 1.

Leading rebounders were Sell, Akers and Carr.

Against the Palestine B squad, the FJHS seventh grade A team trailed 6-7 the first period, but managed to tie the contest at 16-all by intermission.

The Eagles fell a couple of points behind in the third period and won the fourth to take a 28-23 victory.

"We were a little rusty coming off the break, but we managed to play good enough defense in the fourth quarter to win the game," coach Clint Elliott says.

Scoring for the Eagles were; Alex Ward, 8; Bryson Gates, 6; Larry Rose, 5; Jacob Gallegos, 4; Luke Rachel, 2; Danny Cockerell, 2; and Byron Mireles, 1.

In the Dew game, Fairfield cagers blanked the Bulldogs 6-0 the first period and added 10 points in the second period for a 16-8 advantage at intermission.

The Eagles blanked the Bulldogs again in a 16-0 third period and added six in the fourth for a 38-10 victory.

"When you suit out 21 kids and 13 of them score, you're doing a good job," coach Michael Posey says.

"I thought everyone contributed to a good win. I am proud of each and every one of them," he adds.

Scoring for the Eagles were: Cullen Lyles, 6; Gerardo Castro, 5; Cody Betser, 4; Coy Pierce, 4; Hayden Hill, 3; Mikey Taylor, 2; Coleman Walthall, 2; Will Doyle, 2; Micah Hubbert, 2; Ryan Knight, 2; Emilio Martinez, 2; Shawnee Alford, 2; and Kolton Gatson, 2.

Defensive standouts were Michael Smaghee, Ju Cheng Li, Nirmal Patel, Cade Carroll, Alex Hoskins, Trenity Keeney, Roberto Aceuedo and Chris Munoz.

The FJHS teams play a tournament at Crockett this week and host Athens on Jan. 22.