Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
PCHS V, 55
Covington V, 47
Covington High School traveled to Pocahontas County High School December 7 after the Lady Warriors beat the Cougars 55-28 in Covington on December 1. The Lady Warriors matched their 55 point scoring effort in this second encounter at home. CHS tried their best to win their first game after four straight losses at the beginning of their season, and the Cougars came within four points of winning with three minutes to go. CHS senior Lauren Bragg was game high scorer with 26 points after only scoring nine points in the first game.
Senior Kelsi Taylor was PCHS high scorer with a double-double of 11 points, 15 rebounds and 5 steals. Junior Olivia Vandevender contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 deflections, 5 assists and 4 steals, while sophomore Riley Pollack compiled 10 points, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Junior Kynlee Wilfong had her high point game with 9 points. Senior Haley Spencer grabbed 9 rebounds and was one of two players to get 2 blocks.
Four Cougars and two Lady Warriors fouled out of the foul fest with five fouls each. CHS amassed 32 fouls to 22 for PCHS. PCHS made 16 of 44 foul shots (36 percent), and CHS hit 15 of 23 (65 percent). The Warriors made 18 of 74 field goals (24 percent). PCHS lost the rebounding effort 46 to 52, but PCHS committed fewer turnovers, 38 versus 51. PCHS won two quarters (1 and 3) and lost two (2 and 4): 20-9, 12-14, 12-8 and 11-16.
PCHS V, 26
Midland Trail V, 44
Class A PCHS point guard Olivia Vandevender and Class AAA Midland Trail High School freshman guard, #23 Addy Issacs were the only two players to finish with double digit scoring of 14 points each in their December 9 game at Hico.
Vandevender’s points included making 10 of 12 free throws (83 percent), and she nailed 7 of 8 free throws in just the second quarter. Isaacs shot the most foul shots for MTHS, and she made 4 of 8. PCHS made 12 of 22 foul shots (55 percent) while the home squad made only 6 of 19 (32 percent). The Warriors were called for only five fouls in the first half versus the Patriots’s 10 fouls. Those fouls explain Olivia camping at the foul line in the second quarter.
Head coach Mike Kane, in his 11th year coaching at PCHS, and assistant Chloe Bland tried their best to guide and rebuild their young team after only a seven win record last season plus they lost another three talented seniors to graduation.
PCHS struggled to get the ball up the floor at this game, and also struggled to guard without fouling MTHS junior 6’ center Brylee Stehenson who was always under both baskets. Five Warriors and six Patriots scored in single digits in the game adding only 12 points for PCHS and 30 for MTHS. PCHS lost all four quarters: 7-12, 9-14, 4-8 and 6-10.
Team leaders in other statistics were: Kelsi Taylor – 13 rebounds 4 steals and 3 deflections; senior Haley Spencer – 8 rebounds; Vandevender – 6 rebounds, 4 deflections and 2 assists; Riley Pollack – 5 rebounds, and 3 steals; junior Adelyn Warner – 5 rebounds; and senior Mackenzie Taylor – 3 steals.
There were some bright spots. PCHS out-rebounded MTHS 42-40 but committed nine more turnovers 36-27. PCHS was called for 16 fouls while MTHS was called for 19 fouls. PCHS made only 7 of 53 two-shot attempts (13 percent) and zero of only 6 three-shot attempts (0 percent) so PCHS made 7 of 59 in the game (12 percent). Trail also missed all their attempted threes.
PCHS JV, 54
Covington JV, 16
When PCHS JV team and CHS met at Covington six days earlier, PCHS won 41-12. The game high scorer in this second encounter at home with CHS on December 7 was freshman Shayla Bennett. Bennett scored in every quarter and hit nine twos on her way to a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Mallori McCoy scored 11 points, hit 1 three, and grabbed 8 rebounds while being the only other player in the game in double digits. Freshman Mackenzie Sewell also grabbed 8 rebounds and hit 1 three. Other games highs were: sophomore Ella Johnson – 2 blocks, junior Mileya Bircher – 4 deflections, and freshman Calli Propst – 6 assists and 3 steals.
PCHS out-rebounded CHS 43 to 26 and had fewer turnovers 25-37. All nine Warriors scored in the game (a very rare occurrence), and three Cougars scored. PCHS won all four quarters: 11-5, 13-1, 12-4 and 18-6. PCHS was called for 16 fouls and made 6 of 9 foul shots (67 percent), while CHS was called for only 8 fouls and hit 4 of 19 foul shots (21 percent). PCHS made 21 of 55 two-shot attempts (38 percent) and only 2 of 20 three-shot attempts (10 percent), so PCHS made 17 of 83 in the game (27%).
PCHS JV, 40
Midland Trail JV, 27
The game high scorer in this matchup at Hico was junior Andrea Alderman, and her 14 points (included 2 threes) was the only double-digit scoring in the game. Andrea just missed a double-double with a team-high 9 rebounds. Mileya Bircher was the next highest scorer in the game with 9 points including 3 of the team’s 7 treys, and team highs of 6 steals and 9 rebounds. Calli Probst had a team-high 6 deflections and 1 three. Mallori McCoy hit 1 three also.
MTHS out-rebounded PCHS 41 to 38 and had more turnovers, 38-30. Seven of nine Warriors scored in the game, as did five of eight Patriots. PCHS won three quarters and tied one: 11-6, 7-6, 10-3 and 12-12. PCHS was called for 16 fouls and made only 3 of 14 foul shots (21 percent), while MTHS was called for 13 fouls and hit 8 of 23 foul shots (35 percent). PCHS made only 8 of 46 two-shot attempts (17 percent) and 7 of 27 three-shot attempts (26 percent) so they made 15 of 73 field goals in the game (21 percent).
The PCHS V record is now (2-1) while the JV is (3-0). PCHS will next play at #2 ranked (AP Preseason Poll) Tucker County on Friday, December 16, (JV – 5:45, V – 7:30 p.m.), at Highland County, Virginia, Monday, December 19, (JV girls – 5:30 and V boys 7:00 p.m.), and at Tygarts Valley Wed-nesday, December 21, (JV – 5;45, V – 7:30).
