Coach Chaz Wright’s Renfroe Bulldogs never trailed on the way to a 56-40 victory over the Chapel Hill Panthers in the 2018 DCSD Middle School Boys’ Championship game on Saturday at Cedar Grove Middle School.

Chapman Smith, Marquis Hood and Trey Wright each scored a basket in the first 77 seconds of the game to get the Bulldogs (14-3) out to a 6-0 start.

Kourtney Forrest pulled the Panthers within 6-4 with his work under the basket, but Renfroe answered with three-pointers by Denni Lanier and Tony Dawson to finish the quarter on a 10-4 run to take a 16-8 advantage into the second quarter.

Chapel Hill answered the second quarter buzzer with a 6-2 run and pulled within 18-14 on Jordan Sanders offensive put back with 3:12 left in the half.

Wright would stem the run with a drive to the basket and Hood would score three baskets inside to make it a 24-16 lead. Harrison Hannah’s layup with 25 seconds left in the half sent Renfroe to the break ahead 28-18.

Forrest hit a late basket in the third quarter and Warren Armstrong opened the fourth quarter with a three-point to pull the Panthers within six at 34-28 with 5:16 to play.

Lanier hit his second three-pointer of the night with 5:07 to play to start an 8-0 run by Renfroe to take control of the game again. Lanier ended the run with two free throws for the 42-28 with 3:19 remaining.

Omar Taylor’s one of two from the line and a layup with 1:18 closed the gap to 11 (49-38). Dawson would finish the game with five points in the final 1:13, including two layups in the final 41 seconds, to seal the 56-40 win.

Marquis Hood finished he game with 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead Renfroe while Tournament MVP Trey Wright finished with 13 points and several assists and steals. Dawson added 12 points and 7 rebounds and Lanier joined the double figures scorers with 10.

Forrest finished with nine points and eight rebounds to lead the Panthers (11-6).