By: Adam Freeman
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams from Tucker County’s only two middle schools, Tucker Valley and Davis Thomas, squared off against each other last Friday at TVMS. The boys’ teams got the night started as Tucker Valley jumped out to a 17–4 lead over the Bears after one period of play and led by 20 at 32–12 going into the break. The Wildcats grew their lead to as much as 23 going into the final period, but the Bears showed a no-quit attitude, battling to the final horn as Tucker Valley took the win with a final score of 47–21.
Quinton Teter led all scorers with 19 points for the Wildcats, while Legend Harper and Titus Bowley followed with 8 points each. For the Bears, Kevin Kerr led the team in scoring with 8 points. Elijah O’Brien had 7 points, with Nolan Luzier and Jarrett Dearborn scoring 2 points each. Tucker Valley will compete next at Tygarts Valley on February 3, with Davis Thomas playing South Preston at home on February 2.
The girls’ matchup followed immediately after, with the Lady Bears holding the Wildcats scoreless and taking a 6–0 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Davis Thomas had their best scoring quarter of the night in the second period, outscoring Tucker Valley 11–4 to push their lead to 17–4 at the break. Tucker Valley followed up with their best quarter of the night in the third but still trailed 26–15 heading into the final frame. The Lady Bears’ experience showed in the fourth as they put the Wildcats away for a final score of 31–17.
Addy Johnson led all scorers for the Bears with 13 points. Morgan Simmons followed with 9 points, while Harper Wilt and Hadley Nestor scored 4 apiece. For the Lady Wildcats, Mia Lambert led the way with 6 points. Marlee Evans chipped in 4 points, with Maci Owens and Ally Wright scoring 2 points each. Davis Thomas will play again at home on February 2 against South Preston, with Tucker Valley hosting Green Bank on February 4.
