The Lady Panther and Panther boy’s teams as well as the CCMS Mustang basketball team have ended their regular season of play in these last two weeks. First up was the Lady Panthers who for all intents and purposes had the talent and momentum going their way going into Sectionals against the Lady Dots of Poca. The Lady Panthers were coming off a big but close win against the Lady Huskies of Hoover followed by a close loss against Tolsia, and moving into Sectionals seemed like it would be taking candy from a baby against Poca. The Lady Dots, however, came in and pressed the Lady Panthers and somehow threw them off their regular game of bagging the nets to not being able to get a point to drop. The Lady Dots were on a bombing run, hitting threes at will. None of the Lady Panthers hit the double digits in scoring during the game; Summer Alley and Erica Boggs notched nine points to lead the Lady Panthers in scoring. The final score was Lady Panthers 35, Lady Dots 48, thereby ending the season for the Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers had a season with both ups and downs and finished with a 16-6 regular season.
The CCHS Panthers came into Sectionals off of a set of great wins against Nicholas and Sissonville. Early in the week, the Panthers defeated the Grizzlies with an air show led by Isaac Workman with 17 points and Noah Taylor with 15. It was a great win, and with momentum going their way, Sissonville came into town and met the same fate as did the Grizzlies. This time it was Noah Taylor setting the pace with 18 points and Zach Ahart with 14. Isaac Workman shot the eyes out at the cheat line hitting six out of seven free throws. When the smoke cleared, it was the Panthers on top by the score of 62-57. With that kind of momentum, going into Sectionals against Nicholas on Grizzly turf didn’t matter a lot. As one person said, it wouldn’t be an easy task; it would be a battle from the first gun to the last. That was an understatement as the Grizzlies came out fast and started putting points on the boards. At the end of the first half, the Grizzlies had an 18 point lead. The Panthers had a rough time getting the shots to drop, but came out in the third period on fire and couldn’t miss, scoring 25 points and closing the gap to just eight points back. However, the scoring didn’t last, and in the fourth period, the Panthers managed just six points on the boards. They had plenty of looks, but the wheels fell off. The final score was 57-73, ending the season for the Panthers. Noah Taylor scored 18 points in the game followed by Isaac Workman with 16. It was a tough loss for the Senior basketball veterans who played their last game on the hardwood as a CCHS Panther. For the entire season the Panthers fought every game with full intensity and all out, in your face basketball, and you can’t ask for more than that. Every game was well worth the money, and for most of each game, the action set you on the edge of your seat. It may not have been a winning season for the Panthers, but it was a good one none the less.
The Mustang basketball team ended their season much the same as the Panthers. They had to play the tough Summersville Bears in the semi- finals of the CWVACC Championship tournament. The Mustangs hit the floor hungry to bring the gold back to CCMS. The Mustangs played in the very same manner – tough, fast and furious – against the Bears, but points win games, and at the end of the first period the Mustangs were down by 13. They just couldn’t seem to get zeroed in; early mistakes plagued them and the Bears capitalized on those mistakes. However, if there was a plus in the game, the Mustang defense held the bears to just 37 points when they were averaging over 60 a game. The offense kicked it in gear late in the game but just couldn’t catch up. Take away the early mistakes and add a few of the missed point opportunities and the game would have been different for sure. The boys had a great season and will return next season ready to play. The final score was Mustangs 21, Bears 37.
With these seasons ending, indoor sports have come to a close, and it can only mean one thing – outdoor sports, spring, warm weather, fishing, and yes, baseball and softball. The shoals in the mighty Elk River will turn to small jaw heaven and bend the poles of the fisherman who will line the banks. Baseball and softball are gearing up, as well, with both the CCHS and CCMS getting ready to hold tryouts. There is some real talent in this year’s teams all around the diamond, and it will be a great season to be sure. The Panther baseball and Lady Panther fast pitch softball teams are oiling up the mitts and rotator cuffs in preparation for their fun in the sun. The CCMS softball and baseball teams are also setting up for tryouts. All of the schedules will be posted on wvssac.org or you can just pick up a schedule at the school. Little League will also begin pretty soon, and the future big leaguers will show what they are made of. Clay County will indeed be the place for spring and summer action, and there will be lots to do to get us out of those winter time blues. So, shake the spiders out of those lawn chairs, put batteries in the boom box, and clean the mold out of the coolers, you don’t want to miss all the opportunities this county has to offer. No excuses, the great outdoors of Clay County are heating up.
off the jumper.
.
