Isaiah Campbell with the layup.

The Paden City Wildcats under the direction of head coach Kelly Sine played host to Beallsville, Ohio in the last home game for the Wildcats in their long history at Bob Burton Gymnasium on Tuesday, February 25. A standing room only crowd of Wildcat supporters were on hand and were not disappointed as Paden City played one of their best games of the year. Coach Sine’s Cats came out on a mission and easily defeated Beallsville by the score of 67-41. The Wildcats wasted little time jumping on their opponent 11-5 after the first quarter and extending the lead to 22-13 by halftime. The Wildcats would score 14 more in the third and 28 in the fourth to pick up the one-sided win. Brayden Neff was a man on a mission scoring 33 points for the Cats hitting on three from behind the arc. It was the second game in a row in which he scored over 30 points. On the night the Cats would hit six 3-pointers, three by Neff, one each from Luke Anderson, Jessup Higgins and Braxton Yoho. Higgins would total 14 points, Anderson with six, Skyler Wright with five, Jacob Billiter with four, Jacob Goddard with two and Yoho chipped in with his 3-pointer.

Many Paden City faithful filled the stands with multiple players from the past and several from past state championship teams cheering on the Wildcats. The pep band was at its best playing the school fight song and the cheerleaders led the crowd in rooting for the home team. The hometown folks showed great sportsmanship something they are well known for as the trophy case attests too. Several news outlets were in attendance as well to give the game a high profile flair. It goes to show that Paden City has been well known for their sports accomplishments throughout the years. The Wildcats will now wrap up the regular season before entering regional postseason play.

Coach Kelly Sine shared his thoughts concerning the history and energy surrounding the game. “I was very proud of the way our team played with so much heart

and passion. We were extremely aggressive on the boards, and we were not hesitant on our shooting. I was hoping that we would play like that because we have been practicing really well.” The coach went on to say the team knew how important the final game was to the alumni and the town. There was no way they were going to walk out of Bob Burton Gymnasium without a win. “Our parents have been great all year for us. The student body has been awesome, the cheerleaders do a great job of getting the student body going, and the pep band does a super job of playing during timeouts and just creating a great atmosphere in our gymnasium.” Coach Sine shared what he had heard from so many former players and different coaches throughout West Virginia leading up to this game. “I really appreciate everybody that reached out to wish us good luck. We’re playing the best ball of the year right now, and this is the time of year you want to peak.”

As the season winds down, the Wildcat coach took a moment to express his appreciation for those who have contributed to the team’s success both on and off the court. Coach Sine praised assistant coach Kevin Yoho for his dedication and hard work throughout the season. He also gave special recognition to longtime announcer Steve Seago of Sistersville, who has been the voice of the Wildcats at every game, bringing enthusiasm and passion for the team. Additionally, Coach Sine acknowledged Penny Baker, Nathan Anderson, and Josh Billiter for their invaluable assistance on game nights ensuring that everything ran smoothly. He also extended his gratitude to athletic director Stacey Yoho and principal Elliott Kendall for their leadership and support in making this season the best it could be for players and fans alike.