By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

The Heard County Braves arrived at LaGrange High Tuesday evening armed with a 4-0 record, and they’d beaten every team they’d played by at least 16 points.

The Grangers also came into the game at 4-0, and they were coming off an impressive, double-digit victory over Callaway Saturday night.

What on paper looked like a classic showdown instead turned into a classic mismatch, though.

Playing stifling defense while attacking the rim on offense, the Grangers controlled the action from the get-go en route to a 66-29 victory.

The Grangers moved to 5-0 heading into a tournament at Carrollton this weekend.

“It feels great to be undefeated,” said senior guard Kerun Hill, who was a key part of the Grangers’ defensive effort. ”We’re trying to have a perfect season.”

Going the whole way without losing a game may be a long shot, but there’s no question the Grangers are rolling right now.

The Grangers’ lead was just 15-9 after the first quarter, but they were up 31-14 at the half.

Any hope the Braves had of a comeback was quickly squelched in the third quarter when the Grangers scored the first nine points to build a 26-point lead, and they were ahead 53-20 by the time the period came to a close.

“I thought our defensive game plan was exceptional,” LaGrange head coach Mike Pauley said. “I thought Randazzero (Chaney) and Kerun Hill took care of their guards. And boy, they frustrated them. They never had anything clean.”

On the offensive end, all 14 players who got on the court scored, including Dionte Mains and Qua Hardy, who had 11 points apiece.

Royal Thomas added eight points.

Pauley liked the way the players didn’t settle for outside shots.

“We executed to run the ball to the rim,” Pauley said. “We only took three, four or five 3-pointers. Everything else was running to the rim. We feel pretty good about that.”

Heard County didn’t have anybody score in double figures, and standout guard Santez Emory was limited to two points.

“We were talking about containing their best players,” Hill said. “We did that.”