Covington boys move up to eighth in state poll; Lady Chargers defeat Bolton and Ripley

The Covington Chargers kept a clean slate over the last three games, winning over Bolton, Union City and Ripley. CHS moved up from 10^th to eighth in the Associated Press AA poll this week, improving their season record to 18-3 and 6-0 in District 15-AA. To this point, Covington has not lost to a team in Tennessee.

Bolton fell 82-72 on Friday night. With the Chargers leading 28-8 at the end of the first period, it appeared that it would be an easy win. Looks can be deceiving. The Wildcats made 12 shots from the floor and two from bonus land for a 32-point second period to cut the margin to five at the break.

CHS bounced back to win the third by five and then played even in the final frame.

Both teams had four players in double figures. Covington’s Travontae Powell topped them all with 28 points. TyJuan Smith scored 14, Jaylen Fayne 13 and Myles Stark 10. Bolton’s Jadarius Carter paced his team with 21 and Jamavery Carter had 18. Three-pointers abounded. The Wildcats made 6 and the Chargers 5.

CHS went out of district on Saturday night and defeated the Union City Golden Tornadoes 62-54. Powell and Smith matched one another with a team-high 17 points. Alston scored 13 and Devin Dean nine.

Playing back at home after a 4-0 road trip, the Chargers made short work of the Ripley Tigers 78-50 on Tuesday night. CHS won all four quarters and never trailed in the contest.

Powell had 19 to lead all scorers. Alston was right behind with 18, Smith scored 13 and Stark nine.

In girls’ action:

The Covington Lady Chargers slipped from sixth to ninth in this week’s AP poll as their five-game winning streak was stopped at Union City on Saturday night, but they posted district 15-AA wins over Bolton and Ripley to improve to 17-4 overall and 6-0 in district play.

Friday’s win at Bolton was a lopsided affair. CHS allowed just 15 points to the Lady Wildcats in a 67-15 blowout. The defense was so good that Bolton did not score in the fourth period.

Felia Fayne led the scoring with 17 points. She was joined in double figures by Kalynn Howard’s and DaNiyasia Robinson’s 16-point efforts.

Saturday night’s 42-34 loss at Union City hinged on a poor fourth-period offensive performance. Covington saw a four-point halftime advantage fade to a one-point deficit at the end of the third. Then came a two-point fourth that sealed their fate.

Howard had 13 points for Covington and Robinson scored nine. Union City’s game-high 18 points by Jada Williams and Amari Bond’s 16 matched the Lady Chargers’ total for the game.

The game was decided at the free throw line. Covington shot 75 percent, making 6 of 8, but the Lady Golden Tornadoes were almost perfect, dropping 13 of 14 attempts.

The Ripley Lady Tigers offered little resistance in Covington’s 69-18 taming on Tuesday night. CHS led 47-12 at halftime and had a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Ja’Nile Alston had her most productive night of the season, scoring a game-high 13 points. Fayne chipped in 10, Howard and Robinson nine and 7 each for Trinity Taylor and Pitts.

The teams have three games scheduled through Jan. 31. They play back to back District 15-AA road games at Haywood and Millington on Friday and Tuesday and then close the road trip with a Jan. 31 in-county tilt at Munford.