Will Shively goes up against a Hedgesville player for the tip off, starting the EPAC game on Tuesday night in Shenandoah Junction. The Cougars lost the game, 66-56. David Pennock

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — As long as any game’s pace is moving along rapidly, Jefferson High School is comfortable and ready to trade fastbreak scores and up-tempo themes with most opponents.

The Cougars press. The opponents attempt to beat that press with some fast-paced play themselves. And the race is on, with Jefferson usually winning.

Outscoring troubled Musselman, 26-8, in the second quarter was the reason Jefferson eventually downed the Applemen, 86-54.

Steals, Musselman turnovers and Jefferson’s guards were the difference in the Cougars winning against a Sectional opponent.

Perimeter scoring from Jaiden Gladney (20 points), Jamari Jenkins (15 points) and Kylan Johnson (10 points) plus enough breakaway layups exacted by its pressure helped the Cougars drown any chances Musselman ever had to mount any comeback. Will Shively added his 14 points on a variety of shots to compliment the work of the smaller guards.

Jamari Jenkins penetrates the Hedgesville defense looking for a shot, in Jefferson High School’s home game on Tuesday night. David Pennock

Jefferson had 23 steals in the comfortable win and staked itself to first-half leads of 26-15 and then 42-22.

Matt Mahood’s 17 points led Musselman in scoring.

In Jefferson’s 84-52 win over Washington, it was more success from the full-court press and a moving pace that again troubled another opponent.

Johnson scored 18 points, Gladney 13 points and Tay’Shaun Roper another 12 points as the Cougars ran away from the struggling Patriots.

With its record at 6-3, the Cougars came back home to play Hedgesville in a game where the teams had much different philosophies and ideas on how to put their stamp on the tempo and scoreboard.

Jefferson High School senior Moses Talley jumps off the bench to make some valuable efforts in Tuesday night’s game against Hedgesville High School. David Pennock

Jefferson pressed. But Hedgesville did not wilt in the face of pace-altering defense.

Hedgesville scratched out an 18-14 lead after one quarter and quickly extended its advantage to 33-21 at the half.

Once ahead by 15 in the second half, the twice-beaten Eagles finished off a 66-56 win.

Gladney totaled 19 points and Jenkins had 11 points but the Eagles showed Jaxson Ruest with 19 points and Stephen Barclay with 14 points in getting the Regional win.

Jefferson then took a 6-4 overall record to St. James School in Washington County, Md. to play a private school with only a 2-11 record.

Jefferson High School freshman Chet Gore puts up a three-point shot, in an effort to keep up with Hedgesville High School’s points in Tuesday night’s home game. David Pennock

St. James could menace the Cougars with guards Kyle Simon-Guerin and Jayden Yates, but little else. Both teams tried their versions of pressure defense, with Simon-Guerin getting steals for his side and Jefferson taking its pressure toll behind the guard play Gladney, Jenkins and Johnson.

Jefferson won, 83-68, to move to 7-4 just before seeing Spring Mills, a team that had just two losses, this past Tuesday in Shenandoah Junction.

The loss to Hedgesville was Jefferson’s only defeat when seeing a Berkeley County or a Jefferson County rival.

The Cougars face a two-game, two-day trip to faraway Kanawha County, where they will play South Charleston and George Washington on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 in games against highly-ranked opponents.