Bob Madison

Chronicle Sports

The mostly inexperienced Jefferson boys basketball team opened its season with three games — all against private schools — in three nights and won twice by close scores and lost by 17 points to Mercersburg Academy.

The Cougars started the 2015-16 season at home against Silver Oak Academy (once Bowling Brook Academy) from Keymar, Maryland. With Jimmy King leading the scoring parade, the Cougars managed a 77-73 win in overtime against a team that dressed only seven players. Freshman center Justin Hill was one of Coach Richard Lewis’s starters against the short-handed Marylanders, who had two players foul out of the game.

The next night in the Musselman Mixer, the Cougars were stopped, 49-32, by Mercersburg Academy’s Blue Storm, a team that would fall to Musselman by 20-plus points the next night. The Blue Storm had a 3-1 record after their win over Jefferson.

On Saturday evening in the Musselman Mixer, the Cougars edged Broadfording Academy from nearby Hagerstown, 57-54, to move their record to 2-1. Broadfording Academy was left with a 3-6 record after its second loss in the Mixer.

Jefferson’s inconsistent shooting from the field and lack of offensive rebounds were evident in both games in the Musselman Mixer.

The Cougars are back at home on Saturday, Dec. 19, for a game in the Cougar Boys Tournament.

Seniors Zach Larue, Marcus Roper and Ryan Popkins helped King with the scoring in Jefferson’s win over Silver Oak Academy.