By Jay Neal
sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com
RUSK — The Rusk Eagles, ranked No. 25 in the current Class 3A poll, look to be the class of District 18-3A as the Eagles prepare to open loop play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against Diboll at Eagle Coliseum.
Rusk, 17-4 on the year, heading into last night’s final non-conference tilt at New Summerfield, finished second in the Sabine Last Man Standing Tournament that wrapped up on Dec. 19 in Liberty City before pounding Mount Enterprise, 87-46, early last week prior to the holiday recess.
In the Sabine tourney, Rusk beat Central Heights (62-46), Sabine (60-54), Class 4A Mabank (56-47), Tyler Chapel Hill (53-42), before falling to host Sabine, the No. 8-ranked unit in Class 2A, 61-50, in the tournament’s final.
Three Eagles, Mike Katon, Der’rick Sanders and Taj Cleaver were named to the all-tourney team at Sabine.
In the Mount Enterprise contest, Cleaver and Sanders led Rusk with 14-point games respectively, followed by Katon and Kalon Skinner, who had 12 points apiece.
Katon completed a double-double by snatching down 21 rebounds in the game.
Eleven different Eagles scored in the tilt.
Rusk head coach, Tracy Kincade, said he is very happy with his squad’s performance thus far, especially since the majority of the Eagles’ games have been played away from Eagle Coliseum.
“Overall, I am very happy with our effort,” he said. “I was pleased with our defensive intensity in the (Sabine) tournament and I think we are getting better and better.
“We are becoming (real) road warriors — being on the road the last 10 games and going 8-2 in that stretch.”
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