The Pirates are finished navigating the rough seas of the Potomac Valley docking in Paw Paw to send Moorefield off the plank after a 72-61 victory in the Class A Region II Section 2 semifinal on Thursday.
Paw Paw (17-7) has seen its share of futility in recent years like the Yellow Jackets (4-20) have experienced this season, but the playoffs are a time to erase all doubt with a clean slate.
“That’s a tough year. That’s a tough season. Our kids showed character and never gave up,” Moorefield Coach Scott Stutler commented.
“You saw it tonight, Paw Paw was hitting their shots and we never gave up until the end. That’s all I could ask for as a coach. I’m proud of them on how they worked this year and obviously it’s a tough season. They could have quit and they never do, so that’s a good thing.”
These two squads have a storied playoff history meeting in three region championship games in 1999 (Moorefield), 2000 (Paw Paw) and 2002 (Paw Paw) and section playoffs won by Moorefield in 2006, 2009-10.
However, since 2006 the series has belonged to the Yellow Jackets stinging Paw Paw 16 straight times before the Pirates righted the ship this season with a 65-60 regular season win.
“It’s unimaginable, it’s a good feeling,” Paw Paw Coach Chris Poniris remarked.
“Their effort was commendable all game long. They hustled and I think they wanted it. They came out and took it. Mentally, I think the fact that we are small and haven’t been able to beat Moorefield in years definitely helped. We have been playing well and the guys put the time in and hustle. We took away the high post, tried to stop the drive and protected the corners.”
Paw Paw advances to the Region II Section 2 championship against Tucker County (12-10) this Saturday as the Mountain Lions edged Pendleton County (12-10) 54-52 in the other semifinal.
Paw Paw’s Landon Ridgeway knocked down a couple of jumpers and Dylan Moreland hit a 3-pointer early in the first period, while Moorefield’s Garett Haggerty and Brent Moran notched a couple of shots creating a 7-4 score just three minutes into the semifinal.
Haggerty scored a game-high 30 points in the final game of his Moorefield career, while Ridgeway guided the Pirates to the victory with a 28-point performance.
A free throw by Paw Paw’s Christian Braithwaite made it 8-4 at the 4:43 mark and in a dozen seconds Haggerty nailed a jumper on the ensuing possession.
The Pirates responded with a layup by Braithwaite and a defensive rebound leading to a score by Matthew Kidwell to create a 12-6 edge with 3:42 left in the opening frame.
Both teams missed a pair of baskets, then a save by Paw Paw’s Coby Ridgeway was intercepted by Haggerty, who went in for layup at 2:45, 12-8.
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The Pirates missed and Moorefield’s Chase Vacne went for a rebound with Dylan Moreland on his back deflecting the ball out of bounds.
Haggerty stuffed a shot forcing a jump ball, then blocked the next Pirates attempt as the Moorefield bench roared in approval.
Moreland stole the ball from Moorefield’s Thomas Williams and netted a layup at the 2:03 mark to give Paw Paw a 14-8 edge.
The Yellow Jackets missed a pair of free throws and Braithwaite snatched the rebound for the Pirates.
Paw Paw hit the rim twice, then Haggerty grabbed the latter rebound and scored on the ensuing possession for Moorefield at 1:17.
Haggerty collected a defensive board and lost the ball kicking it off his foot with it being corralled by Moreland, who drained a 3-pointer to make it 17-10.
Kidwell made a defensive rebound and passed to Landon Ridgeway, who was fouled by Moran and netted both foul shots with 16 seconds left in the frame.
After a jump ball, Haggerty knocked down a jumper with three seconds remaining and Paw Paw launched a long distance buzzer attempt which drew iron for a 19-12 score entering the second period.
Starting the second period, Braithwaite fumbled the ball out of bounds for the Pirates before Moorefield lost it.
Williams stole it back, but was chased down by Kidwell making a block,
Haggerty and Vance made offensive rebounds for the Yellow Jackets, then Ben O’Neill assisted Haggerty on a jumper at the 6:41 mark to cut the deficit to 19-14.
Both sides hit the rim, then Braithwaite drove into the paint and scored at 5:15.
Vance nailed a fadeaway jumper on the next Moorefield series before a timeout at 4:44, 21-16.
Moorefield’s Blake Watts snatched a defensive rebound, then Vance passed to Williams for a 3-pointer which bounced off the rim and Coby Ridgeway collected the board and missed his shot with it deflecting out off of Kidwell.
Haggerty crashed into the paint and got the bucket plus the harm, but didn’t connect on the free throw to make it a one possession game at 3:33, 21-18.
Braithwaite completed an old-fashioned three-point play on the next Pirates sequence to boost the lead, 24-18.
Haggerty was quick to the hoop to net another jumper at the 3:04 mark.
Paw Paw answered with a 3-pointer from Landon Ridgeway, then Coby Ridgeway stole the ball and Landon Ridgeway was sent to the line adding two free throws for a 29-20 advantage with 2:34 left in the half.
“It’s great and we get to go to the sectional championship this Saturday. This is the first time in a long time we get to do that and it’s great to be a part of the team,” Paw Paw guard Landon Ridgeway noted.
“We hustled, we hustled all game long. We just hustled hard and that’s the best you can do every night. We knew would have to play hard and it that it would be a battle start to finish and it was, but we came out on top.”
Moorefield missed two baskets with rebounds going to Haggerty and Braithwaite, then both teams lost the ball out of bounds prior to a timeout.
After the timeout, Coby Ridgeway drilled a 3-pointer for the Pirates.
Haggerty grabbed an offensive board and drew a foul leading to one free throw made and Kidwell collected the carom and scored on the next series to put Paw Paw up 34-21 with 1:20 remaining.
Braithwaite hauled in a defensive rebound, then Watts blocked the shot attempt with Moran corralling the ball and losing it going down the baseline.
Kidwell and Moran grabbed rebounds, then Vance made a dive for the ball and his pass was intercepted by Landon Ridgeway en route for a layup.
Williams drilled a 3-pointer on the next possession for the Yellow Jackets and got a defensive board with the last second attempt going awry as Paw Paw carried a 36-24 lead into halftime.
Opening the third period, Paw Paw’s Coby Ridgeway deflected a pass and Moreland swiped the ball leading to a missed shot and rebound by Kidwell which was knocked loose by Williams and fell out of bounds going to Moorefield.
Moorefield worked the ball to the corner for Williams to nail a 3-pointer for a 36-27 score at 7:13.
Landon Ridgeway netted a jumper for the Pirates, then Braithwaite went for a rebound and it was nudged loose by Haggerty with it going out off of the Pirates and Haggerty scored on the next play.
Vance and Kidwell snatched defensive rebounds, then Watts blocked a shot and the Pirates missed the next attempt with Moran fielding the board with a foul assessed on Braithwaite on a steal.
Ridgeway stole the ball and added to the Paw Paw lead at the 5:31 mark, 40-29.
Vance was bumped along the baseline by Kidwell and lost the ball out of bounds, then Kidwell made a jumper on the next Pirates possession.
Vance found Williams open for a Yellow Jackets 3-pointer at the 4:45 mark to slice the deficit to 42-32.
One minute later, Williams would drill another trifecta to make it 43-35.
After a block by Haggerty, Braithwaite collected a rebound and made a putback.
Moorefield decided to stay with the perimeter shooting as Watts knocked down a 3-pointer at the 2:33 mark to make it 45-38.
The Yellow Jackets were buzzing for a rally, but it was quieted by back-to-back jumpers from Paw Paw’s Braithwaite and Kidwell to build a 47-38 lead with 1:20 left in the third period.
Eight seconds later, Watts made one free throw for Moorefield and Lane Ours blocked a shot.
Moreland grabbed a loose ball off a tip and passed to Landon Ridgeway for a basket.
The Yellow Jackets hit the rim twice as time expired in the frame trailing 51-39.
Williams deflected a dribble out of bounds to start the final stanza, then stole the ball from Coby Ridgeway and the ensuing attempt drew iron and Braithwaite collected the board.
The Pirates hit the rim twice, then Haggerty stole the ball and went to the line adding one free throw.
Kidwell grabbed there rebound and passed to Landon Ridgeway for a layup at 6:47, 53-40.
Over the next minute and change there were some miscues including a steal by Watts and a block by Kidwell before Vance snatched an offensive rebound and drilled a 3-pointer at 5:26.
Moran appeared to have a steal at mid-court and went in for a layup, but a late whistle nullified the play as Coby Rideway fell during the sequence and it was ruled a foul which was the last on Moran.
Paw Paw scored as a result with Landon Ridgeway running inside for a layup.
The Pirates broke the press and Moreland completed a three-point play to go up 58-45 with 4:23 remaining.
Haggerty sliced into the paint for a layup on the next series in a matter of ten seconds.
Vance fouled Kidwell to stop the clock and one free throw was added, then Haggerty collected the rebound and went in for another layup at 3:47, 59-49.
Paw Paw sandwiched free throws by Coby Ridgeway and a field goal by Braithwaite around a basket by Haggerty for a 63-51 game with 3:16 to go.
Braithwaite took a defensive board and Moreland was fouled by Moorefield’s Jaydon See leading to one foul shot.
Paw Paw pressed and the Yellow Jackets made it over the challenge, then Haggerty netted a putback at 2:52, 64-53.
Haggerty notched a block and stumbled collecting the ricochet creating a turnover, then Braithwaite made two free throws.
Williams passed to Vance for a 3-pointer, then the Pirates walked and Moorefield was back in business fighting through the press and a deflection culminating in an assist from Haggerty to Vance for another trey slicing the deficit to 66-59 with 2:01 left.
Kidwell grabbed a rebound and Watts blocked his shot, then Haggerty snatched a defensive board and the ensuing attempt went off the rim and Braithwaite got the carom.
Haggerty fouled out preventing a shot by Braithwaite, who only managed to add one free throw with 1:24 on the clock and Vance collected the rebound for the Yellow Jackets.
Moorefield would miss a 3-pointer attempt, then Ours and Moreland wrestled for the rebound forcing a jump ball.
Kidwell collected a defensive rebound and Watts went for a block hitting the ball with the sound vibrating through the gym, yet a foul was called sending Ridgeway to the line making one free throw.
Watts snatched the rebound and Braithwaite committed his last foul, but the one-and-one was off the mark and a tip by O’Neill went to Coby Ridgeway with 50 seconds to go.
Williams fouled Landon Ridgeway in five seconds and both free throws were made to crate a 70-59 score.
Vance scored on a putback with 33 seconds remaining, but Moorefield was still in a hole, 70-61.
A foul with 18 seconds left put Moreland at the line hitting both to seal the Pirates win, 72-61.
The Yellow Jackets missed one last opportunity and Paw Paw’s Toby Raignor collected the board.
“[Garett] Haggerty had a real nice game and he had a real nice career. We are going to really miss him next year. He’s a great kid and a great kid to have around. He just did a great job, until he fouled out. Thomas [Williams] and Chase [Vance], you’re going to hear those two names a lot over the next two years. They have unbelievable range. We just had too many turnovers tonight and gave them too many opportunities with offensive rebounds,” Coach Stutler concluded.
Moorefield was led by Haggerty with 30 points, followed by Vance with 13 points and Williams with 12 points.
“It means a lot to be a Yellow Jacket, this school is awesome and the town is awesome. I’m going to miss it, I know I am,” Moorefield senior captain Garett Haggerty stated.
“We played hard and that’s all I could ask for. We gave it our all, but they beat us. We couldn’t stop them on defense. Our defense was awful, but it is what it is.”
Paw Paw was led by Landon Ridgeway with 28 points, followed by Braithwaite and Moreland with 16 points apiece.
The Pirates live to sail another day in the regional championship waters, while Moorefield exited to prepare for the next season.
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