Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS Varsity, 78
Richwood Varsity, 16
The Class A #9 (AP Preseason Poll) Pocahontas County High School Girls Varsity Basketball team hosted Richwood December 18. Late last season when PCHS played in early February at Richwood, ten Lady Jacks played in the varsity game and seven in the JV game. This year RHS only had six varsity players and no JV team. Early in the third quarter on Wednesday, the only Richwood senior, Becca O’Dell, sprained her ankle and had to leave the game. One has to hope they can finish their season.
Kira Bircher led the home team with 12 points in the first period, and the first frame ended 30-6 in favor of Pocahontas. PCHS made 15 of 28 field goals (54%) in the first and went on to shoot 43% for the game. Coach Mike Kane played all nine Lady Warriors the rest of the game. Kira Bircher was game high scorer with 19 points followed by seniors Alexa Taylor – 17 and Laila Calhoun – 16. Seniors Cloey Sharp and Jerica Reed plus junior Kierstin Taylor (two treys) all scored six points each. Rounding out the scorers were junior Sienna Bir-cher and senior Charity War- der, both with four points each. High scorer for Richwood was junior Trinity Amick with 9 points.
PCHS out-rebounded RHS 38 to 28 and committed 13 turnovers vs 44 for Richwood. PCHS grabbed 39 steals and dished out 24 assists while deflecting 19 times. RHS’s record drops to 1-6. PCHS was called for six fouls and shot no foul shots. RHS only committed two fouls and connected on two of six foul shots.
PCHS Varsity, 52
Allegheny VA Varsity, 42
A large crowd attended the second game of the season with Allegheny High School located in Covington, Virginia. Unlike the first game of the season at AHS on December 3, a 21-35 loss by Pocahontas, this game, played December 19, was much closer and a lively affair.
The first quarter saw a tie at 5-5 with five lead changes. The Mountaineers of AHS took the first canto 17-11 when Maggie Rouklin made three treys. The second frame saw another tie at 19-19 after AHS had led by as much as eight points. At the half, the score was 24-21 PCHS. Alexa Taylor made seven points in the 13-4 second quarter effort. PCHS had an 18-8 third quarter and hit three treys (one – Jerica Reed and two – Kira Bircher). Allegheny hit two more of their six threes in the fourth, and the 13-10 final period was not enough to beat us a second time. AHS dropped from the undefeated ranks and is now 6-1.
The top four PCHS scorers, all seniors, were: Kira Bircher – 17, Alexa Taylor – 10, Laila Calhoun – nine, and Charity Warder – eight. AHS high scorers were Rouklin – 14, including four treys, Gracie Conner with two second half threes – eight and Erin Harden – seven. PCHS hit one less three, five versus six for AHS.
PCHS made nine of 16 four shots (56%) to 4 of 13 (31%) for AHS. The five game series that started in 1993 is now 3-2 in favor of the Warriors. The student cheering section, cheerleaders and fans were all at the top of their game leading the team to victory.
PCHS JV, 40
Allegheny VA JV, 43
PCHS lost their earlier game in Covington 21-35, so the Warriors JV scored 19 more points at home in this game on Thursday, and the Mountaineers JV produced eight less. AHS made 15 of 28 foul shots (54%), and hit only five of 17 (29%), so that was the difference in the game. PCHS was called for five more fouls, 19-14. PCHS won the second and fourth quarters, and AHS won the first and third. The game was tied at 15-15 in the second, 20-20 in the third and 34-34 in the fourth.
Abbie Fridley of AHS was game high scorer with 23 of her team’s 43 points. Macyn Cash was second with 15 points. PCHS top scorers were: senior Chloe Sharp – 11, junior Tessa Kiner – 10, and sophomores Makayla Ervine – 9 (one three), Macaden Taylor – 6 and Allyson Alderman – 4.
PCHS Varsity, 51
Summers County Varsity, 66
Class A #4(AP and Coaches Polls) Summers County hosted PCHS December 21. Both squads came into the game with 4-1 records, and the only Bobcat loss was to Class AAA Greenbrier East 56-88. East is ranked #2 in Class AAA and undefeated. East beat James Monroe by 63 points and scored 100 points versus Bluefield.
We lost 35-46 to Summers in the Region III Co-final last season that would have sent us back to states, and Taylor Isaac scored 23 points in that game. We held Taylor to 17 points on Saturday. Isaac and Gavin Pivont averaged more than 20 points per game last year as sophomores, and both were named All-State. We held Pivont to only nine points at the regional and to 16 points on Saturday. Laila Calhoun equaled Pivont’s game-high scoring with a double-double of 17 points, 13 rebounds and six steals.
Kierstin Taylor scored 14 points with eight rebounds, and Kira Bircher tallied 13. SCHS junior Riley Richmond added 13 points for the Bobcats.
The PCHS Varsity will travel to Parkersburg Catho-lic December 27 for the two-day Mary’O Crusaderette Classic and will play Class AA Herbert Hoover at 6 p.m. Class A #2 Parkersburg Catholic will play at 7:30 p.m. vs Class AA Liberty Harrison. The two winners will play on Saturday at 1:30, and the losers will play at noon.
PCHS JV, 34
Summers County JV, 49
The JV game involved shooting 63 foul shots. Both squads were called for 24 fouls each, and one foul was a technical for a Summers County player’s behavior. We made 12 of 29 foul shots (41%), and the Bobcats made 15 of 34 (44%). The Lady Warriors made 13 of 47 field goal attempts (28%). The two teams made a total of 26 points each in the second and fourth quarters. SCHS won the scoring total of the first and third quarters with a 23-8 effort that was the 15-point game difference in scoring.
Summers top three scorers were: Liv Meador – 20, Jessica Ward – 10 and Kaylei Plumley – 8. PCHS top three scorers were: Macaden Taylor – 10, Sara Stull – 6 and Cloey Sharp – 6. PCHS committed 50 turnovers to 43 for SCHS, and PCHS won the rebounding effort 35 to 28.