BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tug Valley made it back-to-back Class A state championships Saturday night with a convincing 65-45 victory over No. 2 seed Tucker County. The Panthers proved they are the best Single A team in West Virginia.
Coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson’s Panthers team entered the state tournament at the Charleston Coliseum as the No. 1 seed. They finished the season on an outstanding 21-game winning streak and an impressive final record of 25-2.
The Panthers led 15-11 after the first quarter and 26-22 at the halftime break.
Tug Valley went ahead 20-11 after a steal and layup by all-state guard Braydun Ferris. But the Mountain Lions hung around for a while.
Ferris scored 14 first-half points to lead Tug Valley. Meanwhile, Garrett Wilfong scored 11 points and had eight rebounds for the Mountain Lions in the half.
The game was fairly close until the third quarter. Tug Valley turned up their patented defense and outscored Tucker County 24-9 to take control. The defending state champ led 38-22 with just over 4 minutes to play in the third quarter and upped their lead to 50-31 by the end of the period.
The Panthers recorded 10 steals and forced 16 turnovers in the game.
Coach Thompson and his staff emptied the bench in the final quarter so everyone got a taste of how it feels to play in a state championship. The Panthers outscored Tucker County 15-14 in the final quarter.
“It was a close game after the first two quarters,” Thompson said. “But we came out in the third quarter and scored on 10 of 12 possessions.”
That is when his Panthers took command of the game, and a sea of black and silver erupted from the Panthers fan section. The momentum was entirely with Tug Valley from that point on.
“I am so blessed to coach these guys and to coach at Tug Valley,” Thompson added. “I’m proud of all of them.”
The coach credited the team’s close bond and lifelong friendships.
“They love each other and have played together since they were knee-high,” Thompson said of his squad. “They trust each other—hang out together. If one of them gets down, they pick him up.”
Ferris led Tug Valley with 27 points and he dished out six assists. The junior point guard also had three steals.
“He is the best guard in the state,” Thompson said in the postgame press conference.
Thompson also thanked the die-hard Tug Valley fans for their support all season and at the state tournament.
Senior Kaden Hale scored 15 points, while fellow senior Ashton Davis added 10 points and six rebounds. Junior Bryson Elia scored seven points and contributed four rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocked shots.
Ethan Ferrell, Cam Slone and Braxton Farley each added a basket to round out the scoring for Tug Valley.
The Panthers shot 55% from the field, hitting 27 of 49 attempts. They went 7 of 14 from beyond the arc (50%) and made 4 of 6 free throws (67%).
Wilfong led Tucker County with 15 points, while Trever Bonner added 10.
Ferris, Davis and Elia were named to the All-Tournament team for Class A.
The Panthers have won back-to-back state titles two times now. TVHS last won consecutive state titles in 2012 and 2013. It was the fifth title in school history. This year’s win marked the fifth title in school history. The first two came in Class AA in 1999.
Thompson has coached the last four championships, including both sets of back-to-back titles. Frankie Smith coached the Panthers to their first title in 1999.
Tucker County finished the season with a strong 21-3 record. The Mountain Lions have now finished as Class A runners-up for three consecutive seasons.
Score by quarters:
Tucker: 11 11 9 14 – 45
Tug: 15 11 24 15 – 65
Semifinals: Tug Valley 71, Greater Beckley Christian 63
Tug Valley placed four players in double figures in a hard-fought 71-63 victory over Greater Beckley Christian in Class A state tournament semifinals Friday evening.
Senior Ashton Davis got hot in the second half, giving the Panthers a boost after GBC cut the TV lead to two points. Davis finished with 21 points and swished some big 3-pointers to help his team build back a lead.
“They got back in it, but thankfully Ashton Davis got on fire and carried us,” Panthers’ head coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson said. “I’m so thankful for him and I’m glad to see him have that type of game.”
Davis’ momentum-shifting performance electrified the crowd.
“Once you see one go in and see that Tug Valley crowd, they go crazy and it’s the greatest feeling ever,” Davis said. “It’s hard to explain.”
Davis said the team’s unselfish play is a big reason for their success and the energy they feed off during big moments.
“We always hit the open guy,” he said. “It’s a really special team and we like sharing the ball.”
Junior point guard Braydun Ferris was close behind with 20 points and dished out eight assists. Junior forward Bryson Elia scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Kaden Hale added 10 points. Carson Newsome chipped in six points and Ethan Ferrell two to round out the Tug Valley scoring.
Tug Valley forced 14 turnovers and committed eight.
The Crusaders had a 34-23 rebounding advantage.
The Panthers were out-rebounded in both of the first two state tourney games.
Drew Fitzwater led the Crusaders with 26 points, while Keegan Davidson scored 12.
The win advanced Tug Valley to face rival Tucker County in the championship game. The Panthers narrowly defeated the Mountain Lions in the finals last season. The two teams split their regular season games this year.
Quarterfinals: Tug Valley 67, Montcalm 36
The Class A No. 1-ranked Tug Valley boys extended their winning streak against No. 8 seed and unranked Montcalm in Class A quarterfinals Thursday at the Charleston Coliseum. The Panthers won this battle against the Generals 67-36.
For the first quarter and a half, Montcalm kept the game close. But the Panthers gained total control during the final 4 minutes of the first half and carried it over into the second half.
“I am thankful we won against a very good Montcalm team,” Tug Valley head coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson said. “They have not been here since 1978.”
After acknowledging Montcalm’s historic run, the coach turned his focus to his team.
“I thought our kids were active defensively and we got a few transition buckets,” he said. “Didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but defense always carries the way for this team.”
The Generals (17-7) fell behind 6-0 early before settling in and countering the slow start with six straight points to pull even.
Point guard Braydun Ferris led the Panthers with a game-high 26 points. He also dished out seven assists.
Ethan Ferrell made 5-of-7 shots as the 6th man and scored 12 off the bench. Teammate Bryson Elia finished with 11 points and four blocks.
Ashton Davis scored five points and Kaden Hale added three for TVHS.
Carson Newsome, playing with several stitches in his hand, led all players with six steals in the win. He and Cam Slone both scored two points, while Braxton Farley had six off the bench in the second half.
The Panthers shot 48% for the game and only turned it over six times.
Donovan Reed led Montcalm with 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting to go with eight rebounds, while Tristen Cline scored 10.