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The CCMS Lady Raiders turned in another stellar performance on defense with a 27-17 victory over Oakland, but a late game-winning shot by Stewarts Creeks sunk the Red Raiders in a 19-18 loss in the 3A Section 2 Quarterfinals on Wednesday night in Smyrna.

CCMS Lady Raiders: 27, Oakland Chargers: 17

Coming off of an Area 6 Championship, the 22-0 Lady Raiders would face off against the Oakland Chargers in the Section Quarterfinals. The two teams had previously met in last year’s Section Quarterfinals on Jan. 31, 2024, with Coffee County winning that matchup 29-23.

In Wednesday night’s matchup, the result would prove to be similar, as the Lady Raiders utilized their patented defense in a 27-17 victory over the Chargers.

Eighth grader Avery Pruitt led the way for the Lady Raiders in a 16-point performance with 10 of those points coming in a first half where Coffee County outscored Oakland 16-7.

Coffee County’s defense would hold Oakland to just 10 points in the second half, and the Lady Raiders would complete a 27-17 victory to advance to the Section Semifinals.

“It was an ugly win and I think our defense really carried us again tonight,” said Coach David Vinson. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well and I think we were one for 10 on our free throws, but I think we were a little rusty after not playing for almost two weeks. Now we’ll get ready and get back at it tomorrow night.”

The now 23-0 Lady Raiders will return to Stewarts Creek Middle School to take on Brentwood in the 3A Section 2 Semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.

Coffee County: 10, 6, 8, 3 – 27

Oakland: 3, 4, 5, 5 – 17

Coffee County (27) Avery Pruitt 16, Kinsley Pruitt 5, Harper Crosslin 3, Jenslee Nogodula 2, Brylyn McAdams 1.

Oakland (17) Zaniyah Benford 11, Charlotte Huggins 4, Victoria Lester 2.

CCMS Red Raiders: 19, Stewarts Creek Falcons: 18

After laying claim to the Area 6 Title last month, the Red Raiders set their sights on a Section Quarterfinals matchup with host Stewarts Creek. The Falcons swept both matchups with Coffee County in the regular season, winning 24-21 in Manchester back on Dec. 10 and 38-33 in Smyrna on Jan. 9.

The third contest of the season between the two teams would prove to be the closest, but the Red Raiders would fall in a hard-fought defensive battle 19-18.

Stewarts Creek would have the edge in the first half, outscoring Coffee County 7-6 in the first quarter and even though both teams combined to score just six points in the second quarter, the Falcons would still hold an 11-8 advantage at the half.

Coffee County would fight back in the third quarter, holding the Falcons to just two points while taking a 15-13 lead heading into the fourth.

The Red Raiders would hold on to a slim lead throughout the fourth quarter, but Cam Sandridge would play the role of hero for Stewarts Creek in the fourth, scoring a three-pointer that banked off the backboard and through the hoop with 1.9 seconds remaining to give the Falcons a 19-18 lead. The Red Raiders would be unable to get up a shot attempt with the limited time remaining, and the Falcons would hold on for the victory.

“From the previous two matchups with them, I knew it wasn’t going to be very pretty from an offensive standpoint,” said Coach Jason Creek. “Our defense wasn’t really an issue at all tonight, we just couldn’t seem to attack, find some cutters and some easy buckets. I wasn’t disappointed in their effort at all, I just wish we could’ve been a little cleaner on the offensive end.”

With the Red Raiders’ season coming to an early end, Coach Creek reflected on his first year at the helm in Coffee County and what it meant to him.

“It has been very enjoyable and it’s been very rewarding for me personally,” he said. “It’s been frustrating at times, no doubt, but whether it has been the JV squad or the varsity, it was a great run and I’m proud of them all.”

The Coffee County Middle Red Raiders end the 2024-25 campaign with a 19-5 overall record.

Coffee County: 6, 2, 7, 3 – 18

Stewarts Creek: 7, 4, 2, 6 – 19

Coffee County (18) Ethan Arnold 6, Jo Jordan 6, Kanon Creek 3, Rylan Abellana 2, Jaxon Pruitt 1.

Stewarts Creek (19) Cam Sandridge 8, Kaleb Crow 4, Jackson Stewart 3, Braylen Cole 2, Josiah Thomas 2.