The regular season ends this week for boys high school basketball. Teams in West Virginia will now set their sights on Sectional and Regional play, hoping to prolong their seasons and compete on the state level in Charleston. Both the Tyler Consolidated Silver Knights and the Paden City Wildcats have seen difficulties throughout their seasons, but have a chance at redemption with Sectional competition.

Silver Knights

The Silver Knights played host to the Weir Red Riders on Monday in their last home game of the season. Consolidated seniors on the team, Corey Lowe, Boone Kehrer, Zack Knowlton, Jeremy Van Der Verren, and Ian Garrison, along with their parents, were recognized before the large crowd in attendance for their dedication to the basketball program.

The Red Riders, 13-8, were looking to stop their own drought of wins of late and started off the game in fine fashion, leading by 10 at one point. The Silver was not quick to lay-down for the loss though, and played catch-up for the majority of the first half. At the break, the visitors led by five, 32-27.

The Red and Black moved ahead in the third period and though the Consolidated team totaled 30 points in the second half, it was not quite enough to get the win. The Knights collected their 19th loss of the season to the tune of 72-57.

Fittingly, three seniors led the Knight scorers in the game: Lowe, 18; Kehrer, 14 and Knowlton, 11. Hunter LeMasters scored five; Justin Carpenter added three; and Drew Casey, Evan Cline and B.J. Eastham scored two points apiece in the effort.

The Silver Knights will see Class AA – Region I, Section I action on March 1 at Magnolia as they take on the number one seeded Blue Eagles. Game time is set for 7 p.m. The winner of this game will take on the winner of the Weir-Oak Glen game.

Wildcats

The Paden City Wildcats have been busy with regular season play of late, fitting in three games before Sectional play-offs dominate their goals.

On Feb. 15 the team traveled to Hundred to take on the Hornets. A sluggish first half eventually determined the outcome of the game for the Green and White, with the Hornets outscoring them, 26-11. In the second, Paden City stepped up, but it was too-little-too-late, allowing the home team to take the win, 44-29.

Paden City senior, Zach Yost, led all Wildcat scorers in the game with 13 points. He also recorded nine rebounds, one steal, and two assists. Geoffrey Bidwell tallied 10 points for the ‘Cats, hauled in two rebounds, and stole the ball twice; Trey Leonard scored four, grabbed three rebounds, and was credited with one steal; Taylor Still had two points, two rebounds, and one steal; Drew Bidwell had four boards; Jamie Billiter, five rebounds, one steal, one assist.

The ‘Cats headed to Toronto on Feb. 18 and played to their potential, but still faced the agony of defeat as they fell to the Red Knights, 45-39. A sparse scoring first period of only five points told the story of the game for the Green and White, forcing them to play more forced offense in the second half.

Zach Yost led the Paden City scorers in the game with 22 points. He pulled down six rebounds and also had one steal. Still scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds and had one assist; Geoffrey Bidwell scored eight, had six rebounds, and one steal; Billiter, one point, six rebounds, one assist; Drew Bidwell, three rebounds, one assist; Leonard, seven rebounds.

In another good effort by the Green, Paden City played host to Clay-Battelle on Feb. 21, unfortunately another five point first period had the home team taking the loss again, 50-38.

Yost totaled 26 points in the effort, had four rebounds, one steal, and two assists. Still chipped in six points, brought down three rebounds, and had one steal; Geoffrey Bidwell was credited with five points on the scoreboard, one steal and four assists; Billiter, one point, one rebound, three steals and two assists; Drew Bidwell, one steal, two assists; Leonard, eight rebounds, three steals

The Paden City boys will begin Class A – Region I, Section II action on Feb. 25 at Ritchie County. The ‘Cats are scheduled to play in the second competition of the night against number three seeded Williamstown at approximately 6:30 p.m.

The first game, between seven seed Calhoun County and number two, Gilmer County will begin at 5 p.m. A win against the Yellow Jackets will pit the Wildcats against the winner of game one. That game will be played on March 1 at Ritchie County.