Riverheads Nips RC Boys, 50-49
The Rockbridge County High School boys basketball team dropped two Shenandoah District games last week, falling at Wilson Memorial 87-61 last Tuesday before narrowly losing to Riverheads 50-49 at home on Friday.
The setbacks extended the Wildcats’ losing streak to six games and dropped RC to 3-9 overall and 1-5 in the district.
Against Riverheads (4-5 overall, 2-4 district), the Wildcats got off to a slow start, trailing 22-10 after the first quarter and 34-17 at halftime, but they picked up their level of play in the second half. “As bad as we played in the first half, we rallied in the second half and made it a game,” said RC head coach Rob Winfield.
After outscoring the Gladiators 14-6 in the third quarter to cut the lead to nine, the Wildcats kept battling.
Late in the fourth quarter, RC’s Bradi Ziegler hit a 3-pointer to cut the Gladiators’ lead to one point. Jona- than Soriano Caceres then shot a 3-pointer that missed with 30 seconds left. Riverheads missed two free throws on the next possession, but the Gladiators escaped with the win.
Brayden Camden led the Wildcats with 21 points, while Ziegler scored 14 points, with both players hitting three 3-pointers each. Jaxon Johnson chipped in six points for RC.
Jaxon Duff paced Riverheads with 24 points, making three triples, while Grayson Ward added 10 points.
WM 87, RC 61
Wilson Memorial dealt the Wildcats an 87-61 loss on Tuesday of last week in Fishersville.
The game was close early on, with the Green Hornets (9-2, 5-0) leading 25-19 after the first quarter before extending their lead to 43-28 by halftime. The Wildcats cut WM’s lead to 59-49 by the end of the third quarter, but WM outscored RC 28-12 in the fourth quarter to pull away.
“They’re really good,” said Winfield of the Hornets. “We probably played as well as we can play.”
Mason McWhorter led WM with 25 points, while teammate Keyvon Jones scored 17 points, and Addy Flesher chipped in 12.
Ziegler paced the Wildcats with a game-high 30 points, sinking five 3-pointers, while Fisher Newhall scored nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Camden scored eight points, and Brenden Staley came off the bench to score six points and grab 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play at Fort Defiance last night for their only game this week and will continue district play at home against Alleghany next Tuesday, starting with junior varsity action at 6 p.m.
