By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Reporters

TUSCALOOSA- The Shelby County Wildcats season ended on Feb. 10 at the hands of Central-Tuscaloosa by a score of 54-51. The game, which pitted the 5A Area 7 winners Central-Tuscaloosa against the 5A Area 8 runners- up Shelby County, came down to the wire, but the Falcons were able to pull out the victory on their home floor to end Shelby County’s impressive season.

The Wildcats were coming off of an equally tough defeat in the Area 8 championship game to Talladega, where a late push saw Shelby County lose by a final of 62-57. Talladega was the third-ranked team in class 5A as of the latest ASWA rankings, while Shelby County was ranked sixth.

The Wildcats finished the season with a 25-8 record and will lose seniors Nick Youngblood and Justus Martin. Brandon Green, the Wildcats leading scorer, will return as a junior and Quinterrious Montgomery will return for his senior year to lead the Wildcats.