Jennings County High School

The Jennings County Lady Panthers traveled to Franklin Community High School to compete in the Walt Raines Classic, joining Franklin, Carmel, and South Bend Washington in the four-team field. The varsity squad finished the day 1–1, earning a victory over Carmel before falling to host Franklin in the championship game. Jennings County opened the day against Carmel in its first matchup of the Walt Raines Classic. Despite an off night from three-point range, the Lady Panthers relied on lockdown defense to stay in control, carrying a 28–14 lead into halftime. Jennings County maintained its momentum in the second half, cruising to a 49–37 victory and avenging last season’s loss to Carmel. Etta Young led the way with 21 points. Scoring vs Carmel Etta Young 21 Mollie Ernstes 10 Riley Byford 7 Aniston Kent 6 Kaydence Lowman 3 Addison Petro 2 Jennings County advanced to the championship game to face Franklin after they defeated South Bend Washington earlier in the day. The Lady Panthers struggled offensively in the first half, managing just 13 points, but remained within striking distance at the break, trailing 22–13. Jennings County’s offense began to find its rhythm in the second half, though Franklin maintained control and built a double-digit lead for much of the half. A late fourth-quarter surge brought the Lady Panthers back into the game, sparked by Mollie Ernstes’ 16-point fourth quarter, but the comeback fell just short as Franklin held on for a 55–51 victory. Scoring vs Franklin Mollie Ernstes 30 Etta Young 9 Aniston Kent 4 Riley Byford 3 Addison Petro 3 Kaydence Lowman 2 The JV squad finished the day 0–2, falling to Franklin and Carmel. Jennings County opened JV play with a 47–35 loss to Franklin before also coming up short against Carmel, 62–40. Jennings County moved to 11–3 on the season. The Lady Panthers will return to action on Friday, January 2, when they travel to Batesville High School to face a potential sectional opponent in the Lady Bulldogs.