By Stephen Smoot
A team that had only five days of full practice together has so far met an unforgiving early season schedule. Thankfully, the length of the basketball season allows for getting into the right shape, growth, and development between early December and the onset of sectionals three months later.
Less than 24 hours separated from a tough loss to Tygarts Valley, the Wildcats had to unsheathe their claws to battle again.
The Luray Bulldogs made the drive from Page County, Virginia to contend with the Wildcats. They opened their season with a loss to East Rockingham, who currently boasts a 4-1 record, but prevailed in their last two, including another game against East Rockingham.
Additionally, if Luray were a Mountain State high school, they would compete in Class AA
Despite hosting a bigger school from the Old Dominion, Pendleton County showed no intimidation. The Wildcats won the tip. Less than 30 seconds into the game, Zykijah Wright from the right corner found Chase Owens on the post for a layup and a 2-0 lead.
Josiah Kimble at just over the six minute mark hit a 10-footer to extend the early lead to 4-0. Luray, however, answered quickly and tied the score on a layup, then two free throws.
The Bulldogs, as Wildcat girls head coach Donnie Kopp did last season, used a shift rotation. They started five players, then replaced them with another unit of five a few minutes into the game.
Luray’s second unit found a little more traction against the Wildcats. After Kimble tied the game at 10 with a three, the Bulldogs scored five and held a 15-10 advantage at the end of the first.
Owens opened the second quarter with a steal, then took a pass from Travis Owens to score a layup to cut the lead to 15-12. Later, with 5:35 to go in the first half, Chase Owens buried a three-point shot to knot the score at 18. A Wright steal helped to lead to a Chase Owens layup and a 20-18 lead.
The Bulldogs took the lead with a three, but Jaydon Hess answered back with a layup for a 22-21 Wildcat advantage at the 4:20 mark. Luray, however, surged with two three-point shots. Jeremy Bodkin, head coach, responded by temporarily changing his defense to a 1-3-1 zone, which led almost immediately to a Travis Owens steal.
On the strength of its outside shooting in the second quarter, the Bulldogs nursed a slender 35-32 lead going into the half.
To open the third quarter, Chase Owens swiped the ball and scored on a spin move to the basket. The Bulldogs outside shooters then quickly hit two threes to push their lead to seven.
Just when Luray appeared to take momentum in the game, however, Chase Owens and Kimble both scored two-point shots to close the lead to four. Then the Bulldogs put Chase Owens on the line where he hit two free throws and brought Pendleton County to within one. Hess then hit him with a pass inside, which led to a layup and a 43-42 lead for the home team.
Over the next several minutes, the teams punched and counter-punched as they traded leads. Hess hit two free throws with 3:16 left in the fourth to open up a 56-52 lead for the Wildcats. Meanwhile, the fresh legs that had powered so many outside shots for Luray in the first half tired somewhat, leaving many of their attempts off the mark in the second half.
The Bulldogs answered with yet another three-point basket coupled with a free throw from a Wildcat foul. They hit the charity shot to knot the game at 56. Kimble willed his team back into the lead by driving to the hoop and taking a foul. He hit both of his free throws.
Luray answered with a layup to tie the game again, so Kimble followed the same formula as the last possession. Even though he was sent to the floor even harder than the previous drive, the officials declined to blow the whistle. A Pendleton County foul on the other end with 1:21 left gave Luray a two point lead with made free throws.
With a tick under 40 seconds left and his team down by three, Chase Owens buried a deep shot to tie the game at 61. Luray drove to the basket, scored a layup, and got a foul call that allowed them to hit a free throw and take a 64-61 lead.
With 2.1 seconds left and a three point lead, Luray appeared to inbound the ball at the Wildcat end of the floor to a player who stepped out of bounds. The official on the spot did not make that call and the game ended with a narrow Bulldog lead.
Despite the loss, Pendleton County took the game to the very final seconds against a bigger school with a strong early season record. As Bodkin stated the week prior, his team was fun to watch and fought hard to the end. It also showed both the balance and the mettle they will need to make the 2024-25 season a success.
