Maplesville’s varsity boys basketball squad is entering the county championship game with a ton of momentum following a 58-38 defeat of No. 2 seed Verbena.

Three players finished the game in double figures scoring for Maplesville.

Nathanial Watson held his own down low for the second time in as many games during the county tournament, as he had a team-high 16 points in the semifinals.

“We went inside a lot more in the second half than we did in the first half,” Maplesville head coach Stacy McGehee said. “Feeding the ball inside and letting them go to work was really what helped [extend the lead].”

Fellow senior Chaz Morris also continued his hot streak with 14 points, while Jackson Abbott tallied 13 points that included two makes from beyond the arc.

Turnovers affected Verbena’s offense. However, Xavier Dejarnett proved to be a bright spot and finished with a game-high 26 points and scored multiple baskets in all four quarters.

Now the Red Devils turn its focus to knocking off the top seeded Chilton County Tigers.

“We’ve got to make sure that we make shots and stay on the boards,” McGehee said. “We’ve just got to play a real good ball game to at least have a chance, because Chilton County’s playing pretty well. We don’t mind going up and down the floor, but we’ve got to be able to maintain as it goes.”

The boys championship will be held on Jan. 6 and scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. following the girls game.