Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS Varsity, 66
Midland Trail Varsity, 49
Pocahontas County High School Lady Warriors and Midland Trail High School played the first of two scheduled match-ups January 3, and Head Coach Mike Kane reported that his players had their best first quarter of the season. Seniors Charity Warder, with nine points, and Kira Bircher’s eight led six scorers in the 27-9 first frame domination. Trail’s top scorer and the eventual game high-scorer, with 26 points in this game, junior Emily Dickerson, was held to only two points in the first. Pocahontas made 75% of their field goals, 12 of 16 attempts, and their lead lasted for the rest of the game.
The next three quarters were close with Trail winning the second, 13-11, and the fourth, 18-17, while PCHS took the third 11-9. By the time the game was over, one player had five fouls, five had four fouls and four had three. MTHS was called for 22 fouls and nailed 15 of 22 foul shots (68%), while PCHS was whistled for 19 and hit 14 of 29 foul shots (48%). Dickerson shot 18 foul shots and made nine of 10 in the fourth. Coach Kane reported that several of his players got into foul trouble and had to sit on the bench. The winners’ field goal accuracy decreased in the last three quarters and was 40%, 30% and 60% respectively while finishing with 54% for the entire game.
Three PCHS seniors scored in double digits for 45 points: Warder – 17 plus seven rebounds, Kira Bircher – 15 plus eight de- flections, five steals and four blocks; and Laila Calhoun – 13 plus five rebounds. Senior Alexa Taylor accumulated eight assists, five deflections and four points. Junior Sierra Bircher tallied eight points and six rebounds. PCHS (6-3) out-rebounded (6-2) MTHS, 32-30, and only had four fewer turn-overs, 28 to 32.
PCHS hosts Summers County Friday, January 10, (JV – 5:45 p.m., V – 7 p.m.), and then travels to Midland Trail Tuesday, January 14 (JV – 5:45 p.m., V – 7 p.m.).
PCHS JV, 54
Midland Trail JV, 16
PCHS dominated in the JV game from start to finish. The junior Warriors took both the first and second quarters by the same score 10-5 for a 20-10 half-time lead. All 11 Lady Warriors scored in the game, and they must have worn out the seven junior Patriots. Pocahontas took the third quarter 12-2, and the fourth was their best effort, 22-4.
Freshman Sarah Stull was game-high scorer, the only player with double-digit scoring and a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) and the only player to score in every quarter. Three more PCHS girls were next in line for game-high scoring: freshman Makenzie Moyers – 7, sophomore Macaden Taylor – 6 and freshman Jazzlyn Teter – 6. Mia Nuckols was team high-scorer for MTHS with five points, and that was matched by junior Tessa Kiner and sophomore Rayna Smith of PCHS.
PCHS (4-3) had more fouls, 14 to 7, more rebounds, 32 to 26, more treys, 3 to 0, and fewer turnovers, 15 to 19.
