By Jay Neal
sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com
TYLER — Brook Hill, led by a 20-point effort from Jeremy Chappelle, of Jacksonville, earned a hard-fought 61-58 victory over Tyler Chapel Hill in the first round of the TJC/Wagstaff Classic (Apache Bracket) Monday afternoon at Wagstaff Gymnasium. As a result of the Guard’s win, Brook Hill head coach Wally Dawkins becomes the newest member of the 600-win club.
Brook Hill led 37-26 at intermission and 53-39 after three quarters of play before the Bulldogs made a feverish rally in the final stanza, pulling to within a point, 54-53, with 3:38 left.
The Guard (11-3), currently ranked No. 3 in the small private school division of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll, advance to a semi-final contest at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Guard will face Grace Community School in that game. The Cougars downed Arp, 61-54, to earn the right to face Brook Hill. A win over Arp would send Brook Hill into Wednesday’s final, slated to tipoff at 7 p.m.
Ironically enough, Dawkins once coached Chapel Hill, from 1982-87.
Dawkins’s 29-year career record now stands at 600-254. He began coaching at Lueders-Avoca, where he spent one year. From there, he moved over to Clyde High School prior to taking the job at Chapel Hill.
Dawkins, who also doubles as Brook Hill athletic director, came to lead the Guard last year after a 19-year stint at Whitehouse.
Dawkins said getting the monumental victory in the Wagstaff Classic was even more special for him because of the respect he has for the long-standing tournament, one of the most prestigious in East Texas.
