The Long County High School Blue Tide basketball teams tipped off the 2018-19 season Thanksgiving week and it certainly did not go the way the teams would have hoped in the opening games. The Lady Tide fell to Ware County 44-19 after a tight first half while the boys fell to Glynn Academy after a big second quarter for the Red Terrors. Both games took place on Monday, Nov. 19, as part of the annual Jeff Davis Tip-Off Invitational. 

The girls led the Gators 9-6 at the end of the first quarter. The second was just as competitive as the teams went into the locker room at halftime tied at 13. However, Ware County turned on the jets in the second half, shutting out the Lady Tide in the third quarter and only allowing six points in the fourth. The girls fell to 0-1 after the 44-19 loss and their first home game of the year not much different for them as they fell to South Effingham 53-29. 

The boys’ team had about the same luck as the girls against Glynn Academy. It was a tight 11-9 contest for the Red Terrors at the end of the first quarter, but they turned it on in the second, outscoring the Blue Tide 21-2 and taking a 32-11 lead into halftime. 

The big halftime lead was too much for Long County to overcome as they fell 49-28 to start the season 0-1. However, their first home game of the year on Tuesday, Nov. 20 went much differently for the boys. 

They host the South Effingham Mustangs and quickly jumped out to a big lead that they never really conceded. The Tide were up 19-5 at the end of the first and continued their offensive onslaught in the second as they were up 44-18 going into the half. 

The Tide caught fire from behind the three point mark in the third quarter as Dederick Stewart and Tostadas Pouncey each hit two. The Tide never looked back from their big lead as they moved to a 77-43 win over the Mustangs. 

Khy Collins, who is returning from an ACL injury that kept him out the entire 2017-18 season, led the team with 14 points, five rebounds and three steals. Junior Trajan Weatherspoon just missed recording a double-double as he finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. 

As of press time Tuesday, the two Tide teams will face off against New Hampstead Nov. 27, before hosting Richmond Hill on Friday, Nov. 30, and traveling to Wayne County on Saturday, Dec. 1.