Landon Herrick

On Saturday, Jan. 24 the Magnolia Blue Eagles and River Pilots did battle at New Martinsville, with Magnolia getting the nod 54-42.

It took both teams a little bit to get started as the score after one was 7-6, Eagles. In the second, Magnolia and River both got the ball in the hoop more often, but the Eagles still had the lead at the half by the score of 30-21.

In the third, the teams seemed to match each other bucket for bucket but, the Eagles still held the lead 41-35 going into the final stanza.

In the fourth, the Eagles put the game away for good when they scored 13 points and held the Pilots to just seven to cement the 54-42 victory.

Leading the way for the Eagles was Jared Blatt with 21 points, Andy Huggins with 14 markers, Jon Rine, six, Andrew Robinson, five, Matt Sapp with four, Josh Yost three and Traeh Keller one.

Matt Poling

For River, Jordan Potts sent up 14 points that included a trio of threeballs. Dylan Potts scored 11 points, Tyler Jeffers dialed in with nine, while Tucker Brown had four markers. Cory Wichterman and Sammy Ramsey completed River’s scoring with two points each.

The Blue Eagles hosted the Tyler Consolidated Silver Knights last night after press time.

John Marshall 110,

Magnolia 58

The Blue Eagles were rudely set back to 5-3 on the season when they got chewed up 110-58 by the Monarchs of John Marshall Jan. 21 at New Martinsville.

Magnolia, behind by only eight points after one, was stunned in the second period by a 35-7 scoring frenzy by JM that the Eagles could not stop and from which they would never recover.

Blatt led Magnolia scorers with 18 points, followed by Jonathan Rine with 13 markers. Huggins went 3-5 from the floor and 2-2 at the stripe for eight points.

Sapp contributed five markers, while Robinson and Mason Rine dunked four points each. Magnolia’s scoring was completed by brothers Traeh and Jayson Keller, two points each, and by Yost and Landon Herrick, who yielded one marker each.

Cameron 54,

Paden City 50

The red-hot Paden City Wildcats were cooled down by the Cameron Dragons 54-50 Jan. 30 in an OVAC and Mason-Dixon Conference tilt at Bob Burton Gymnasium.

The Wildcats raced out to a 17-13 advantage after eight minutes of play, but a 30-18 run by the Dragons in the next two periods had the hosts playing catchup.

Relying on outside shooting, the ‘Cats closed the gap a bit, but it was little to late, as Cameron took the series with the win.

Ryan Thoburn and Malakai Anderson each netted 17 markers to lead the Wildcat offense. Wes Cosper netted nine points, while Ricky Wright was held to seven points.

Next up for Paden City is highly ranked Williamstown at home Jan. 29, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. for the junior varsity game.

Paden City 47,

Valley 40

The Valley Lumberjacks played well at home against county rival Paden City Jan. 22 before dropping a hard-fought 47-40 decision to the Wildcats.

The ‘Jacks were playing without the services of 1,000 point scorer Jacob Smith, whose season ended on a severe knee injury.

It looked like the visiting Wildcats were going to blow Valley away after an 11-5 first period. But, cold Paden City shooting and an inspired Valley team kept the game close at the break with the ‘Cats on top, 27-19.

Both teams came out of the break a little cold, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, the Wildcats escaped Pine Grove with the win.

Ricky Wright paced the Wildcat offensive assault with 15 points, including two threeballs and seven boards. Malakai Anderson led the defensive unit with four steals, followed by 12 points, including a pair of triples. Anderson earned his third consecutive double-double with 12 rebounds.

Other Wildcats contributing points include Ryan Thoburn with nine points, while Wes Cosper and Josh Bennett knocked in seven and four points, respectively.

For Valley, Ronald Morris and Alex Henderson each scored 10 points that included a pair of baskets from beyond the arc. Coleman Ueltschy netted seven points, including a triple, while Matt Poling tallied five points, also including a three point basket. Garrett Ueltschy, Jeremiah Burch and Clay Ueltschy, scored four, three and two points respectively.

The Paden City Wildcat boys basketball team has had an exciting year so far this season and is one of the top three teams in Class A in the OVAC and Mason-Dixon Conferences. The players are encouraging Wildcat fans young and old to help them pack the house Thursday, Jan. 29 against Williamstown. The junior contest starts at 6 p.m. with the varsity tip off scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m. Also, the PC Boosters are asking that all Wildcat fans wear a white tee-shirt to show their support for the team.

The ‘Cats will host a white-out for Senior Night on Friday, Feb. 6, with the girls’ game set for 6 p.m. and the boys’ game to follow. PC fans are asked to wear white in support of both teams, with the first 250 fans receiving a free Wildcat Rally towel to cheer on the teams. The towels are sponsored by Hizer’s Mini-Storage, Precision Contracting, WesBanco, Wildcat Boosters Club and the Wildcat Basketball Club.

Beallsville 81,

Valley 52

The Beallsville Blue Devils defeated the Valley Lumberjacks 81-52 Jan. 20, handing the visitors from Wetzel County their ninth consecutive loss of the season.

Although the ‘Jacks trailed by only eight at intermission, Beallsville started pulling out in the third to set up a fourth quarter run of 21-6 that slammed the lid on Valley.

Ronald Morris was true to the Lumberjack cause with 17 points that included 3-5 from the stripe and two of Valley’s five threeballs.

Coleman Ueltschy anted up six points plus one from behind the arc, while Jeremiah Burch added seven points and Alex Henderson sent up six more.

Brothers Garrett and Clay Ueltschy combined for nine points and Matthew Poling and Dustin Bickerstaff brought home two points each.