The Junior Hardy Hardwood Boys reign over the Potomac Valley League as East Hardy Middle School 7th grade Boys Basketball opened the championship doubleheader edging Warm Springs 39-37 for the crown and the Yellow Jackets 8th grade squad capped off the night with a 44-20 championship victory over the Wolves at Moorefield Middle School last Thursday.
It was a tough challenge for the Cougars (13-3) having only five players on the roster, but they have become accustomed to disciplined play and won five consecutive games without anybody fouling out as this quintet proved they had the heart of champions.
“I am very proud of the whole team’s effort they have given all year and the progression I have seen from the first week to the end of the season,” East Hardy Middle School Boys Basketball coach Derek Brill remarked.
Luke Holliday scored a championship game-high 14 points for East Hardy Middle School 7th grade squad, followed by Zach Weaver with 12 points, Dalton Nicholson with nine points and Chance Hahn with four points.
Messiah Mitchell led the Wolves with 11 points, followed by Thurman Moss with 10 points.
Warm Springs Middle School started with a 4-0 lead a minute and change into the championship game with free throws and a field goal by Messiah Mitchell.
East Hardy Middle School responded with a 7-nil run sparked by Zach Weaver’s 3-pointer at 4:27.
Both teams lost the ball and hit the rim, then Luke Holliday netted a layup for the Cougars lead at 3:25.
A minute later, Holliday recorded a putback for the 7-4 lead.
Garrett Gloyd hit a jumper for the Wolves to close the gap to 7-6 with 1:52 left in the first period.
East Hardy Middle School’s Colton Aylor made a steal before a double dribble.
Weaver intercepted a pass, but the Cougars failed to convert.
Both teams missed shots twice sandwiching a block by Holliday.
Holliday scored on a putback to put the Cougars up 9-2 with 24 seconds left in the opening frame.
A steal by Weaver led to a layup from Dalton Nicholson as East Hardy Middle School closed out the first period up 11-6.
The Wolves howled back in the first two minutes of the second period to take a 13-11 lead as Rylan McCuster and Thurman Moss hit jumpers and Mitchell knocked down a 3-pointer.
The Cougars tied the game on a pair of free throws by Chance Hahn at 4:01, 13-all.
Warm Springs Middle School rattled off six more points over the next minute on buckets by Moss, Mitchell (off steal by Moss) and Elijah Briscoe for a 19-13 advantage at 3:10.
East Hardy Middle School’s Chance Hahn netted a jumper at 2:57 to spark a 7-0 run to close out the first half for a 20-19 edge.
Weaver made a steal and scored the breakaway layup at 2:09, then Hahn collected a defensive rebound and dished to Nicholson for a game tying bucket at 1:45.
Both teams nit the rim, then Isaiah Hobday got a steal for the Wolves and it was snatched away by Hahn for the Cougars prior to another turnover.
Nicholson swiped the ball and drew a foul and made one free throw to put East Hardy Middle School ahead 20-19 with a minute remaining in the first half with the score standing at the break after a handful of missed field goals.
East Hardy Middle School opened the third period with a jumper by Holliday at 5:53.
Warm Springs Middle School answered with a layup on the ensuing series.
The Wolves got a steal by Roman Omps, but came up empty.
Holliday garnered a putback to give the Cougars a 24-21 edge at 4:57.
Mitchell collected an offensive rebound and took a trip to the line making both shots for the Wolves.
A steal by Holliday led to a layup as East Hardy Middle School went up 26-23 at 4:19.
Both teams committed two turnovers apiece and hit the rim twice over the next minute and change, but Hahn did record a block for the Cougars.
Weaver notched a jumper for the Cougars at 2:45.
Hahn garnered another block and recovered the ball prior to a foul.
Holliday scored in the paint to put East Hardy Middle School up 30-24 with 1:46 to go in the frame.
The Wolves stepped out of bounds, then Weaver drilled a perimeter basket for the Cougars at 1:20 for a 33-24 lead.
Briscoe added one field goal for the Wolves in the final minute of the third frame as East Hardy Middle School carried a 33-26 advantage into the fourth period.
The Cougars commenced the final stanza with a layup by Nicholson, then Aylor stole the ball and it was snatched away by Moss leading to an errant attempt and rebound by Holliday.
Holliday located Nicholson for a jumper as the Cougars took a 37-26 lead at 5:25.
The Wolves added a free throw at 4:48.
East Hardy Middle School missed five shots despite forcing three turnovers including steal by Holliday and Hahn over the ensuing minute and the Wolves drew iron twice.
Warm Springs Middle School made a furious comeback going on a 10-nil run to tie the game at 37-all with 37 seconds remaining.
Hobday started the run with a jumper, then forced a turnover and Omps grabbed an offensive board before having the ball swiped by Weaver.
The Cougars slowed the game down passing around, then McCuster made a steal for the Wolves prior to a walk on hop before shooting.
A steal by Mitchell led to an old-fashioned three-point play pulling the Wolves to 37-32 with 1:33 left.
A defensive rebound by Omps led to 3-poiner by Moss as the Wolves rally continued, 37-35 at 1:12.
A Cougars miss and steal by Hahn led to another miss.
Warm Springs Middle School forced a jump ball and Moss scored in the paint to tie the game with 37 seconds to go.
Weaver knocked down jumper at the top of the key for the Cougars going back on top 39-37 with 20 seconds left.
Holliday intercepted a pass for the Cougars and was fouled with four seconds on the clock.
The Wolves got a steal, but didn’t have the time for a clean shot as East Hardy Middle School claimed the Potomac Valley League 7th grade boys basketball championship, 39-37.
The Yellow Jackets 8th grade team (15-1) started off the Potomac Valley League Championship with a 9-nil run against the Wolves.
Moorefield Middle School 8th grade team was led by Matthew Iman with 11 points, followed by Luke Stutler with 10 points, Edison Metheny with nine points and Hector Lea-Davy with seven points.
Levi McFarland netted a championship game-high 12 points for Warm Springs Middle School.
“I’m proud of all Moorefield Middle School players on the PVL Championship team this year. It was the big victory as the team, because each player contributed to the team by making each other better in practices. It made a huge difference in competing with other teams all season. All players deserve to be acknowledged on this team which I had a great pleasure of coaching those players for past two and three years. I’m looking forward to seeing their continuous improvement and success through Moorefield High School basketball for the next four years. It was nice to win the PVL championship at our gym in front of our great hometown crowd,” Moorefield Middle School Boys Basketball coach Paul See commented.
Warm Springs Middle School commenced the game with a steal by Jackson Shives, but failed to convert.
Brody Simmons drilled a 3-pointer for the Yellow Jackets to start the run at 4:51.
The Wolves hit the rim twice, then Moorefield Middle School’s Matthew Iman netted a layup at 4:10.
The Yellow Jackets forced a turnover out of bounds, then Edison Metheny crashed into the paint scoring a basket for a 7-0 edge at 3:27 and drew a foul with Iman collected the ensuing rebound.
Moorefield Middle School and the Wolves missed their next attempts.
Metheny scored off an inbound pass at 3:03 for the 9-0 lead.
The Wolves got on the board with jumper from Levi McFarland at 2:52.
The Yellow Jackets answered with a layup by Metheny within seven seconds.
McFarland notched two free throws for the Wolves at 2:25.
Iman recorded a free throw and two field goals in the last two minutes and change of the first period for a 16-4 lead, surrounding a combined seven missed field goals.
Moorefield Middle School’s Luke Stutler garnered a free throw and scored on a putback for a 21-6 lead in the second period at 4:27.
Both teams missed shots over the next minute before a jumper by Ben Frank for the Wolves at 2:54.
Iman created a putback for the Yellow Jackets on the ensuing possession.
A steal by Metheny didn’t create a point, then Iman hauled in a defensive rebound and found Stutler for a basket at 1:45 for a 25-8 Moorefield Middle School lead.
After a block by Iman, Hector Luna-Davy intercepted a pass for the Yellow Jackets which led to a score by Iman coming after a rebound and assist from Stutler with under a minute to go, 27-8.
Warm Springs Middle School’s Jackson Shives added a foul shot on the next series as the Yellow Jackets carried a 27-9 lead into halftime.
Moorefield Middle School closed out the first half with a block by Bill Ware.
Warm Springs Middle School missed four field goals in the first minute of the third period, while the Yellow Jackets added two free throws from Stutler.
The Wolves finally broke the ice with an old-fashioned three-point play by McFarland at 4:33 for a 29-12 score.
There were a combined eight missed field goals over the next two minutes and two turnovers, plus a block by Luna-Davy for the Yellow Jackets.
Shives made a jumper for Warm Springs Middle School at 2:16, then stole the ball and missed the shot and collected a tipped rebound leading to one free throw by McFarland.
Metheny netted a free throw, then stole the ball and dished to Luna-Davy to put Moorefield Middle School up 32-15 with 1:17 remaining in the third period.
Ware snatched a defensive carom and passed to Luna-Davy for a basket with 56 seconds to go.
Brennen Anderton scored in the paint for the Wolves on the next series.
Ware recorded a putback for the Yellow Jackets creating a 36-17 lead entering the final stanza of the PVL championship.
McFarland garnered a jumper for the Wolves to begin the fourth period.
A steal by Luna-Davy led to a perimeter shot from Stutler at 4:38 as the Yellow Jackets took 39-19 lead.
The Wolves got a free throw from Bentley Mullin on the ensuing possession.
Luna-Davy drilled a 3-pointer for the Yellow Jackets going up 42-20, then Metheny forced an over-and-back mid-court turnover before the bench substitutions.
Moorefield Middle School’s Vance Simmons recored the last points of the PVL championship for the 44-20 victory.
The Junior Hardy Boys reign as the Potomac Valley League champions for the year.
