By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
The Bulldogs chomped down on the Yellow Jackets for a 36-14 halftime lead and kept chewing for a 58-32 win in Moorefield during a Saturday afternoon matinee.
Doddridge County JV team kicked off the afternoon with a 47-23 win then the varsity squad barked loudly.
Tommy Walters led the Bulldogs JV squad with 13 points, while the Yellow Jackets were paced by Anthony Vetter with six points.
Depite the loss, Shawn Reed netted a game-high 19 points for Moorefield.
Doddridge County was paced by Jerod Trent with 13 points.
“Simply put, we couldn’t dribble or pass. Doddridge County is a good team and they proved it,” Moorefield coach Scott Stutler remarked.
In the opening two minutes and change, Doddridge County’s Jaden Solomon poured in six points as the Yellow jackets hit the rim thrice and lost the ball once.
Moorefield’s Shawn Reed blocked a shot after a missed free throw, then scored in the paint at 5:05 to end the run, 6-2.
Moorefield’s Jackson Helmick made two steals and Reed created another, but none converted into points over the next couple minutes.
Doddridge County’s Landon Thomas made a steal prior to a walk.
Reed left the court briefly to change jerseys due to blood from a collision.
Blake Mitchell swiped the ball for the Bulldogs, but it was snatched back by Diego Taylor with a dish to Reed for a layup at 1:48.
Trent and Brysen Dixon made back-to-back steals with layups made by Trent within 20 seconds to estne the Doddridge County lead to 10-4.
Trent swipe the ball again and found Dixon with 19 seconds left.
Moorefield’s Guyan Kahangirwe garnered a free throw to cut the deficit to 12-5 withs seven seconds left in the opening frame, then Reed blocked a shot at the buzzer.
The Bulldogs went on an 11-nil run to start the second period led by Heston Hayes’ five points, while the Yellow jackets hit the rim four times and had three turnovers.
Reed sandwiched two jumpers around a bucket from Thomas as the Yellow Jackets made it 25-9 with 4:55 left in the second stanza.
Doddridge County crept up to a 30-11 lead before the yellow Jackers got a 3-pointer from Helmick with under two minutes left in the half.
Solomon added an old-fashioned three-point play on the ensuing Bulldogs possession.
Solomon got a block and steal and Will Adams hit a 3-pointer for a 36-14 halftime lead.
Moorefield started the second half passing the ball around before being tied up for a jump ball, then Doddridge County’s Will Adams netted jumper at 6:47.
Taylor garnered a layup for the Yellow Jackets on the next series at 6:07, 38-16.
The Bulldogs kept finding the net over the next few minutes to build a 47-17 lead with 2:40 remaining in the third frame and Moorefield came up empty four times with a couple turnovers.
Kahangirwe hit a jumper for Moorefield with 1:59 to go.
Moorefield’s Brady Vetter blocked a shot, then made a steal after a swat by Helmick which resulted in a buzzer beating 3-pointer by Kahangirwe for a 47-22 score entering the fourth period.
Kahangriwe added a jumper for the Yellow Jackets to commence the final stanza.
Reed drilled a pair of perimeter buckets within 30 seconds as the Yellow Jackets closed the gap to 53-30 with 4:18 remaining.
Reed would add one more field goal for Moorefield as the Bulldogs chomped down for the 58-32 win.
The evening concluded with Moorefield Middle School facing off against Elkins Middle School.
The 7th grade Hornets earned a 23-14 halftime deficit to beat Moorefield Middle School 44-34.
Hunter Wimer led MMS 7th grade team with 10 points.
The Yellow Jackets 8th grade team defeated Elkins Middle School 43-36.
Luke Stutler led MMS 8th grade with 16 points.
