Local News and Views From Area Teams
& Athletes
Eagles’
boys varsity receive first losses
Previously unbeaten,
the Braxton Eagles lost two close games last week, to
Webster and to Oak Hill. The Eagles defeated Calhoun.
The Eagles have been playing without Kyle Warner and Dakota
Wendling.
The Webster County Highlanders, playing on their home
floor, stopped the Eagles’ unbeaten streak last Wednesday
with a 82-80 win. Webster’s victory came on 34 of 60 field
goal attempts for almost 57% from the floor. The Highlanders
made 6 of 16 three-point attempts. The Eagles, who shot
almost 51% from the floor overall and made 7 of 19 from
the 3-point line, led in total rebounds—30-26 and in assists
17-11 and committed fewer turnovers.
Trey Chapman, with 25 points, and Ryan Rexroad, with 22,
led the Eagles. Cord Metz, also in double figures, added
15.
Five Eagles scored in double figures in the 92-49 win
over Calhoun Friday night. Michael Coen led all scorers
with 21 points. Others in double figures included Chapman
with 18, Cord Metz and Rexroad with 15 each, and Chris
Shuman 10. Shuman was 3 for 3 from the 3-point line.
The home team built a quick lead and outscored Calhoun
in every quarter. The Eagles shot 56% from the floor and
over 78% from the line, Oak Hill’s 66-58 win came on Braxton’s
floor Saturday night. In that game, the Eagles overcame
a three-point first quarter deficit and, on Metz’s 3-pointer
just before the buzzer went into halftime tied at 29.
The Eagles led by one going into the fourth and expanded
that to six with two minutes left on the clock but saw
themselves outrebounded on both ends of the court and
the Red Devils’ capitalizing on their rebounds. Oak Hill
pulled down 17 offensive rebounds compared to the Eagles’
5 in the game, and the Red Devils often put the ball back
up and in. Chapman with 30 points and Metz with 19 dominated
Braxton’s scoring.
Lady
Eagles down Gilmer and Wirt
Folllowing two wins last
week, the Lady Eagles varsity carries a 9-3 record.
The Eagles have won their last five games. Their latest
victories came over Gilmer and Wirt.
Braxton’s 49-37 win over Gilmer came with 22 points from
Tiffani Huffman and 12 from Shawnna Pritt. The Lady Eagles
made almost 48 percent of their field-goal attempts and
shot 50% from three-point range. Braxton held a 30-24
edge in rebounds.
Playing at Gilmer, the Eagles trailed by one at halftime
but came back to outscore the home team 27-16 in the second
half.
With Macy Frame’s 19 points leading the way, Braxton defeated
Wirt 54-49 last Thursday night. Frame, who also pulled
down 10 rebounds, was one of three Lady Eagles with double-doubles.
Pritt scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds, and Huffman
ended the game with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Lady Eagles led by eight at the end of one and by
four at halftime. Braxton held a 29-28 edge in the second
half to take the win. Neither team shot well. Braxton
shot 32% while Wirt made just under 25% of their field
goal attempts. Wirt committed 23 turnovers, The Eagles
had 17.
This week, the Lady Eagles host Clay on Tuesday and Webster
Thursday, They play at Wirt Saturday.
Knights
win over Walton and Glade
The middle school Lady
Knights won both of their games last week. On Monday,
they defeated Walton, and they outscored Glade on Wednesday.
Montana Flint scored 15 points to lead the Knights to
a 44-30 win over Walton. Also in double figures, Taylor
Bragg added 13.
After a low-scoring first half, the Knights led 14-7.
A 16-point third quarter gave Braxton some breathing room,
and the Knights were able to hold off Walton’s comeback
effort in the fourth. Coach Lauri Spencer, pleased with
her team’s efforts, commented, “We are starting to play
smarter basketball. We aren’t getting rattled as easily
as we have in the past. I really like the team effort
I saw this game.”
With 10 points each, Hunter Sodaro and Bragg paced the
Lady Knights’ 34-17 victory over Glade Wednesday night.
In that game Braxton built a first quarter lead and used
a good third quarter to insure the win.
This week’s games include an away game at Summersville
on Tuesday and home games against Glade Wednesday and
Spencer on Thursday.
Braxton
wrestlers finish sixth in Calhoun Tournament
With one champion and
four other wrestlers placing, Eagles matmen placed sixth
in the Calhoun County wrestling tournament last Saturday.
Braxton totalled 113.5 points. Host Calhoun, with 177
points, easily won the championship trophy. Berkeley Springs
placed second and Greenbrier West third. Ten varsity and
ten jv teams competed.
Kevin Tanner, the Eagles’ 171 lb. grappler, was Braxton’s
sole champion.Tanner defeated Tommy Little of St. Marys
to earn first place. Two of coach Sterling Beane’s wrestlers,
Tyler Cottrill and Anthony Crist, placed second. At 119,
Cottrill lost the championship bout to Bradley Reed of
Berkeley Springs. Calhoun’s Ben Lauglin defeated Crist
at 135.
Finishing third was Sam Given, 152, who won over Logan
Bowie of St. Marys in the consolation finals. Jacob Foster
placed fourth at 140 after losing to Greenbrier West’s
Tyler Midkiff in consolation finals.
Lady
Knights jv overtakes Walton, falls to Hacker Valley
Regarding her junior
varsity’s 52-3 win over Walton’s jv girls last Monday
night, middle school coach Lauri Spencer commented, “Kayla
Pritt was out with an ankle injury. Jazmine Valdieveso
stepped in and did a nice job running the office for us.
We are improving each game.”
Three Lady Knights scored in double figures against Walton.
Cassidy James led with 12 points, and Caitlin Rhodes and
Chelsie Huffman each added 10.
On Thursday night Hacker Valley stopped the Knights’ usually
prolific offense and handed Braxton a 21-14 loss. The
Lady Knights were held to six points in the first three
quarters.
Upcoming games include Summersville on the road Tuesday
night and Spencer at home Thursday.
Eagles
jv win over Gilmer and Roane, lose to South Harrison
Going into last week’s
play, the high-school j-v boys carried a 6-1 record. In
games the week before Jan. 14, coach Chris Haney’s team
defeated Gilmer and Roane but lost a close game to South
Harrison.
In a 54-43 win over Gilmer on Jan. 7, the Eagles took
a first quarter lead and went into the dressing room at
halftime up 29-21. Three Braxton players scored in double
figures. Alex Valdieveso led with 17 points. Ristie Nicholas
added 15 and Stacy Jirles 11. Coach Haney noted that the
Eagles “shot the ball very well——51% compared to Gilmer’s
35%,” but added, “Gilmer out rebounded us 16-4 on offensive
rebounds. We must correct this to be able to continue
winning.” The Eagles also committed 21 turnovers compared
to Gilmer’s 13.
A 63-41 win over Roane two nights later put the Eagles
at 6-0. Braxton’s best play came in the second quarter
when the team outscored the young Raiders 20-6. The Eagles
cut turnovers down to 15 in this game. With 15 points,
Jirles led the scoring.Coach Haney commented that the
Eagles had “good balanced scoring” and that the players
“are starting to play better as a team.” Rebounding was
still a problem, according to the coach, and he said,
“They are still turning the ball over too many times.
Too many of them are unforced turnovers.” Then he added,
“This team is still 6-0, though, so they are finding ways
to win.”
The 44-43 loss to South Harrison came in a road game on
Jan.11. After being down 14-8 at the end of one, the Eagles
came back to take a one-point halftime lead and were up
by three going into the final period. Braxton’s coach
attributed the loss to two factors. “Hustle was there,
but shooting percentage was only 29%. We were also out
rebounded 35 to 23. They had 19 offensive rebounds compared
to our 23.” Jirles and Valdieveso each contributed 15
points to lead the Eagles.
In much earlier action, Braxton, paced by Valdieveso with
20 points, defeated Clay 54-48 on Jan. 4. A 57-51 win
over Lincoln came on Dec. 21. Jirles recorded seven steals
in that game.Spencer at home Thursday.