Ripley Tigers win county tournament using coach Adam Kirk’s defensive philosophy

Ripley Tiger coach Adam Kirk has a tried and true philosophy when it comes to winning basketball games.

It all starts with defense.

Watching his team play masterfully on the defensive end, both individually and as a team, is a thing to behold.

Teams are averaging 38 points per game against the Tigers this season, among the lowest in the state of Mississippi.

In the county tournament, in 4 of the 8 quarters the Tigers competed, teams scored less than 8 total points.

The on ball brilliance of Cam Rucker, quick hands of Jesus Ruedas and ability of Montrae Mason to play all 5 positions make the Tigers a dangerous defensive unit.

In the County final against Falkner, Ripley’s defense led to offense as 9 Tigers scored. Rucker and Ruedas led with 17&16, respectively.

Yes, Coach Kirk is a defense first kind of coach.

As the old saying goes: defense wins championships.