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Bumpy tournament trails ahead for Jefferson teams

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Mar 11, 2022

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — What has Jefferson done to narrow the gap between itself and the Wheeling Park girls basketball team that ran past it, 75-30, not too long ago?

The Class AAAA version of the state tournament was where that question could have been answered. The teams just met yesterday in the quarterfinal round of that event to see if the Cougars have solved all the problems that cropped up when the Patriots turned them away during the regular season.

Sixth-seeded Jefferson (16-5 record) met third-seeded Wheeling Park in the opening game of the big-school State tournament.

In the previous game, the Patriots were obviously too quick and too aggressive for the Cougars. Spreading the court to wield their offensive might, the Patriots stormed out to a lead they only expanded on thereafter.

After regrouping to some extent, Jefferson eliminated Washington in the Sectional tournament and qualified for the State event with a win over Hedgesville in the one-game Regional.

Both of Jefferson’s pre-State games were played in Shenandoah Junction.

When Wheeling Park ousted Buckhannon in a Regional win that qualified it for the State tournament, it had 26 points from Alexis Bordas, 18 points from Lala Woods, 14 points from Natalie Daugherty and another 14 points from Sophie Abraham. The youthful Patriots have only two seniors on their roster.

Jefferson will hope Justus Lee, Heaven Murray, MacKenzie Brezovec, Taliyah Lindsey, Jazmyn Taylor, Amaura Washington and Olivia Hedrick are enough to turn the tempo and momentum their way this time.

The winner of the Jefferson vs. Wheeling Park game will play the winner of the Morgantown versus Spring Mills game in the semifinals.

Midweek found Jefferson at home playing Hedgesville in a Regional boys game where the winner qualified for the Class AAAA State tournament.

Jefferson should be at full strength with the return of junior Will Shively from a leg injury that kept him from playing for about three weeks. Shively returned for the Sectional championship win over Musselman (65-54) that kept the Cougars undefeated. It was Jefferson’s third win in three games against Musselman this season.

The Cougars already own 59-43 and 71-47 wins over Hedgesville this season. The 71 points Jefferson counted in beating the Eagles were the most points any team scored all season long when the Cougrs swamped Hedgesville by 24 points.

Rallying behind its pressure defense and a blistering pace has kept Jefferson ahead of all of its opponents. The youth-oriented Cougars usually can prevail with fastbreak scoring or an avalanche of long-range, three-point baskets.

Jamari Jenkins, Daion Taylor, Cam Johnson and Jaiden Gladney usually join Will Shively as Jefferson’s five starters. Evenly spread scoring, all five starters able to score on three-pointers, turnover-causing pressure and a quick pace brought by the Cougars have been enough to bring an undefeated season. Bryson Fleming has given the Cougars reserve strength.

The Eagles want the slowest pace possible and want their halfcourt possessions to take a minute or more in order to have some say in how fast or slow the tempo is. In a mostly halfcourt game, Hedgesville would try to make its overall height advantage become integral in getting more rebounds and second-shot baskets.

The winner of that Regional game qualifies for the State tournament, where eight teams will be brought together in Charleston.

Jefferson would receive a high seed in Charleston if it should beat Hedgesville a third time.