By Allen Hamrick
Since the beginning of the month the Panthers have played some great basketball, losing only one match to Buffalo mid-month. They defeated Richwood twice along with Gilmer and Roane. This past Friday night they faced their rival – the tough Eagles of Braxton County. Panther JV came out swinging to open the night.
They would set the pace for the rest of the night, and it was a fast one with plenty of defense and offense. Lathan Brown was nothing short of outstanding on defense as he stole the ball and crammed the net with points. The whole team played like it was their Final Four game, and when it was all over Panther JV sent the Eagle team packing and licking wounds by the score of 54-48.
With the Panther Varsity, it is non-stop action from the opening buzzer to the final whistle. The Panthers came out swinging and held their own in the first period. They kept the game close, trailing by a mere six points at the end of the period. After that, the Eagles went on a run, and by the half, they were up 36-19. As with all Panther games, they are full of heat from the get go – calls seemingly being called and not called on both sides of the coin and a civil war ready to erupt at any time. The game, however, went on, and the Panthers struggled to get the ball in the net. Fouls were adding up on both sides. By the end of the 3rd period, the Eagles were up on the Panthers 54-30. Panther defense picked up the pace in the 4th, but the deficit was too big, and the Panthers couldn’t catch the growing gap in the score.
When it was over, the Panthers took the loss by the score of 36-64. The Panthers will have a three-game road trip this coming week, weather permitting, at Calhoun, Nicholas and Raveswood. Come out and catch a game.
Friday night was also the time to crown the 2026 Basketball Homecoming Queen of CCHS. The CCHS cheerleaders, dressed in their finest, got busy lining up in formation to welcome the new queen to the court and her cheering fans. Cadence “KK” Williams was crowned the 2026 queen by principal Angela Nichols. Her escort was Eli Metheney and crown bearer was Lunta Atanoa with her escort Ezekiel Ataonna. Williams will no doubt be a queen that represents the school well. Congratulations to Queen Williams and the rest of her court. Freshman Princess was Autumn Rapp with escort Collin Elliott. Sophomore Princess was Peyton Johnson with escort Joel Elliott. Junior Princess was Jada Stricker with escort Blake Coleman. Senior Princess was Jaeci Nottingham with escort Kaden Fitzwater.
