The Forrest Rockets travelled to Fairview High School to open the Region 6-AA Tournament on Saturday night versus the District 11-AA Tournament winners.

The Rockets, having beaten Giles County on opening night of district play, were hoping to repeat their success in the region contest, but fell short to a hot-shooting and aggressive defensive Yellow Jackets’ team 57-43.

“They battled to the very end and I couldn’t be prouder,” Forrest coach Corey Bishop said. “They will be part of the legacy of rebuilding this team that will include winning a district (tournament) game for the first time.”

Forrest fell behind to a fast and furious Yellow Jackets team as Garrett Wooten and Bill Eads quickly put Fairview in the lead 4-0.

Cole Villazon and CJ Sanchez countered for the Rockets, sandwiched around another Eads basket for Fairview to make the score 6-4.

Fairview then went on a 14-4 run as Eads and Wooten carried the load for the Yellow Jackets.

Cameron Curtis scored the final two baskets of the first quarter for Forrest as the Yellow Jackets led 20-8 when the horn sounded.

Having dug themselves a hole, the Rockets began to climb out as the second quarter began with Curtis, Spencer McCown and Walker Herring leading the way, accounting for 14 points of the 17 points that Forrest scored in the quarter.

Using a tighter defense and attacking the basket with under a minute left in the quarter, McCown scored down low and after a Fairview missed shot, Curtis came up with a rebound and put-back as time ran out in the half, cutting the Yellow Jackets’ lead to eight points at 33-25.

The Rockets were within striking distance.

The Yellow Jackets came out fired up and focused in the third quarter as they attacked the Rockets much like the way they did to start the game.

Wooten and his guard teammate Ryan Stannard slashed their way around and through the Forrest defenders.

Stannard drew fouls and sank six free throws and Wooten bombed a 3-pointer.

The aggressive approach paid off and the Yellow Jackets had extended their lead to 15 points at the end of the third quarter.

Leading 45-30, the Yellow Jackets dialed back the pressure, content on running Wooten and Stannard with the ball attacking the basket and taking time off the clock.

Villazon added a 3-pointer and two free throws, but Forrest could not reel in the Yellow Jackets in the space of eight minutes and saw their season end in a 57-43 loss.

For the Rockets, it was a long season and their record (4-27) was not what they wanted, but they never quit, they stayed together.

“We played as hard as we could and coach (Bishop) gave us a good game plan,” said Curtis, who scored over 1,000 points in his Forrest career. “I played four years here and I wouldn’t trade those four years for anything in the world. I love all my teammates.”

“They are going to be good basketball team in the future. The Giles County game was the first time we played really together the whole year. That win in the first game of the district was special.”

Fairview lost 70-52 to Creekwood in the semifinals, while the Vikings beat Murfreesboro Central Magnet School 74-62.

The Vikings (31-1) host the Red Hawks (22-6) in the Region 6-AA Tournament title game tonight in Unionville at 7 p.m.

Forrest 8 17 5 13-43

Fairview 20 13 12 12-57

Forrest (59): Spencer McCown 13, Cole Villazon 9, Cameron Curtis 7, Andrew Timmons 4, Walker Herring 4 , Joel Burton 4, C J Sanchez 2.

Three-Point Goals (2): Villazon, McCown.

Free Throws (7-for-16): Timmons 4-for-6, McCown 2-for-4, Curtis 1-for-2, Sanchez 0-for-2, Burton 0-for-2.

Fairview (57): Bill Eads 17, Garrett Wooten 13, Ryan Stannard 13, Easton Huddleston 9, Carter Durham 2, Kennedy Pendergrass 2, Jacob Neal 1.

Three-point Goals (3): Eads, Wooten, Huddleston.

Free Throws (16-for-27): Stannard 9-for-14, Eads 2-for-2, Wooten 4-for-6, Huddleston 0-for-2, Neal 1-for-2, Victor Jones 0-for-1.

Halftime Score: Fairview 33, Forrest 25.