Wildcats dominate at the Convo; advance to district finals
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
ATHENS — The Whiteoak Wildcats are moving on to the district finals.
No. 6 seed Whiteoak dominated from the second quarter until the final buzzer sounded by using dominating play in the paint, along with a stifling defense, en route to a 67-36 Division IV SE District Semifinal victory over the No. 7 seed South Gallia Rebels, at the Ohio University Convocation Cente, in Athens.
The win means the Wildcats will take on the Manchester Greyhounds, a No. 1 seed, for the district championship, on Saturday, March 12 at 12:30 p.m. at the Convo. Both the Wildcats and Greyhounds are familiar with each other as they split their season series, with each team winning at their home court in Southern Hills League play.
Whiteoak (11-11) broke a five-year district tournament drought, as the win on Thursday was their first win in district play since 2006. Their all-time district record now stands at 10-7.
The Wildcats played Thursday for the first time in nine days. Their last game was the sectional final where they defeated the Green Bobcats in double overtime.
Against the Rebels, the WIldcats showed no rust after the long delay in between games.
On Thursday, WHS was led by five players who scored at least 11 points. Leading the way were senior Joe Michael and sophomore Doc Seip who each scored 15 points. Senior Mike Carraher, along with sophomore Luke Taggert and Gage Carraher, all scored 11 points apiece. Senior Logan Morris and junior Wes Stratton each scored two points in the win.
WHS trailed 14-13 after the first quarter but rallied back in the second frame, outscoring the Rebels (11-11) 15-4 for a halftime lead of 28-18. WHS added 20 more points in the third to lead 48-24, allowing just six points in the quarter. In the final 8:00, the Wildcats added 19 points to their lead to seal the win.
"We tried to use our press. We didn't have as many turnovers as we wanted, but we knew they only played about six guys, so we knew if we could press we thought we could make them tired," WHS head coach Tom Wessner said. "You could see that in the third and fourth quarter. I thought they were more tired than we were with us playing eight and them playing six."
The quarter that turned the game around was the second quarter.
In the second, WHS began with a 3-pointer from Gage Carraher to take a 16-14 advantage. Following a Rebel turnover, WHS came back with two points by Michael, as the senior powered his way to the basket, putting the Wildcats up by four points.
Following two points by the Rebels, WHS was back at it with points by Michael Carraher, which were answered by the Rebels.
After that, the quarter was all Whiteoak, with points from Gage Carraher, Michael Carraher and a three-point play from Michael, putting the Wildcats up 10 points at the half.
Then came the third where the Wildcats put their stamp on the game for good.
Michael began the second half with a layup, followed by a layup by Taggert, who went the length of the court for the two points. Following a second turnover by the Rebels in the third, Seip turned it into two points, as he gave the Wildcats a 34-18 lead with 5:31 left in the third.
The Rebels got on the board in the third with points from Haner. Haner finished with the game-high in scoring with 16 points.
WHS answered with nine straight points, including a 3-pointer from Taggert, along with points by Seip, Michael and Gage Carraher, putting the Wildcats in the lead by 23 points (43-20) with 3:07 left in the frame.
The final WHS points in the third came from Seip, a three-point play and Morris to put Whiteoak, the away team, up 24 points.
"I think Doc got in foul trouble (in the first half), and that takes us a step back in some of our match-ups and things we like to do. We had kids in foul trouble, so we stopped pressing at the end of the second quarter, but in the second half, we got more turnovers off our press because they were tired."
With the game well in hand, WHS scored 19 points in the third, while their defense allowed 12 points. In the fourth frame, Taggert scored six points, as he scored all his points in the second half coming off the bench.
"Luke had a great game," Wessner said as Whiteoak fans cheered in the hallways of the Convo. "In the third quarter, when he came in, he really gave us that spark we needed. He played great at Valley and did a fabulous job. He's starting to step in and getting his niche right now."
The first quarter was the closest of all the quarters with there being a difference of just one point after the first 8:00.
In the opening quarter, the Wildcats led early at 4-2, with points from Seip and Michael Carraher.
South Gallia answered with two 3-pointers from Haner, for a 10-4 lead with 4:50 left in the first.
WHS came back with points by Michael and Michael Carraher, who scored on a steal, taking the ball full-court for a layup with 2:53 remaining in the quarter. WHS regained the lead with two free throws by Michael as the South Gallia student-section shouted in his direction. The Rebels led at the end of the first quarter when Dalton Mattney scored to end the quarter. He finished with six points.
One thing that stood out for the Wildcats was their scoring in the paint, with a majority of their points coming on either second-chance opportunities or scoring in the lane at will.
"We had a lot of days of practice (not playing for nine days), so you try some different things and look at some different things," Wessner said. "We did a lot of pressing, and we tried to go up and down as much as possible. We looked pretty good in practice doing it, so we put it in and it was to our advantage tonight."
The Wildcats will be holding a community pep rally on Friday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Whiteoak High School gym.
Their next game, for the district title, will be Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Manchester.
GAME NOTES: Only one player for South Gallia scored in double figures … WHS is 2-0 in the postseason … South Gallia committed 16 fouls (five in the first half) … South Gallia scored 10 points combined in the second and third quarters …The Rebels were 8-of-14 from the free-throw line ... The Rebels had one technical foul … Michael took a charge ... WHS was 13-of-17 from the free-throw line … WHS committed 13 fouls (six in the first half) … Saturday WHS will be going for their first district title since 2003 … WHS has won a district title three times (2003, '02, '00) … WHS is 41-44 all-time in the sectional/district round … WHS is 10-7 all-time at the Convo in 11 years.[[In-content Ad]]
No. 6 seed Whiteoak dominated from the second quarter until the final buzzer sounded by using dominating play in the paint, along with a stifling defense, en route to a 67-36 Division IV SE District Semifinal victory over the No. 7 seed South Gallia Rebels, at the Ohio University Convocation Cente, in Athens.
The win means the Wildcats will take on the Manchester Greyhounds, a No. 1 seed, for the district championship, on Saturday, March 12 at 12:30 p.m. at the Convo. Both the Wildcats and Greyhounds are familiar with each other as they split their season series, with each team winning at their home court in Southern Hills League play.
Whiteoak (11-11) broke a five-year district tournament drought, as the win on Thursday was their first win in district play since 2006. Their all-time district record now stands at 10-7.
The Wildcats played Thursday for the first time in nine days. Their last game was the sectional final where they defeated the Green Bobcats in double overtime.
Against the Rebels, the WIldcats showed no rust after the long delay in between games.
On Thursday, WHS was led by five players who scored at least 11 points. Leading the way were senior Joe Michael and sophomore Doc Seip who each scored 15 points. Senior Mike Carraher, along with sophomore Luke Taggert and Gage Carraher, all scored 11 points apiece. Senior Logan Morris and junior Wes Stratton each scored two points in the win.
WHS trailed 14-13 after the first quarter but rallied back in the second frame, outscoring the Rebels (11-11) 15-4 for a halftime lead of 28-18. WHS added 20 more points in the third to lead 48-24, allowing just six points in the quarter. In the final 8:00, the Wildcats added 19 points to their lead to seal the win.
"We tried to use our press. We didn't have as many turnovers as we wanted, but we knew they only played about six guys, so we knew if we could press we thought we could make them tired," WHS head coach Tom Wessner said. "You could see that in the third and fourth quarter. I thought they were more tired than we were with us playing eight and them playing six."
The quarter that turned the game around was the second quarter.
In the second, WHS began with a 3-pointer from Gage Carraher to take a 16-14 advantage. Following a Rebel turnover, WHS came back with two points by Michael, as the senior powered his way to the basket, putting the Wildcats up by four points.
Following two points by the Rebels, WHS was back at it with points by Michael Carraher, which were answered by the Rebels.
After that, the quarter was all Whiteoak, with points from Gage Carraher, Michael Carraher and a three-point play from Michael, putting the Wildcats up 10 points at the half.
Then came the third where the Wildcats put their stamp on the game for good.
Michael began the second half with a layup, followed by a layup by Taggert, who went the length of the court for the two points. Following a second turnover by the Rebels in the third, Seip turned it into two points, as he gave the Wildcats a 34-18 lead with 5:31 left in the third.
The Rebels got on the board in the third with points from Haner. Haner finished with the game-high in scoring with 16 points.
WHS answered with nine straight points, including a 3-pointer from Taggert, along with points by Seip, Michael and Gage Carraher, putting the Wildcats in the lead by 23 points (43-20) with 3:07 left in the frame.
The final WHS points in the third came from Seip, a three-point play and Morris to put Whiteoak, the away team, up 24 points.
"I think Doc got in foul trouble (in the first half), and that takes us a step back in some of our match-ups and things we like to do. We had kids in foul trouble, so we stopped pressing at the end of the second quarter, but in the second half, we got more turnovers off our press because they were tired."
With the game well in hand, WHS scored 19 points in the third, while their defense allowed 12 points. In the fourth frame, Taggert scored six points, as he scored all his points in the second half coming off the bench.
"Luke had a great game," Wessner said as Whiteoak fans cheered in the hallways of the Convo. "In the third quarter, when he came in, he really gave us that spark we needed. He played great at Valley and did a fabulous job. He's starting to step in and getting his niche right now."
The first quarter was the closest of all the quarters with there being a difference of just one point after the first 8:00.
In the opening quarter, the Wildcats led early at 4-2, with points from Seip and Michael Carraher.
South Gallia answered with two 3-pointers from Haner, for a 10-4 lead with 4:50 left in the first.
WHS came back with points by Michael and Michael Carraher, who scored on a steal, taking the ball full-court for a layup with 2:53 remaining in the quarter. WHS regained the lead with two free throws by Michael as the South Gallia student-section shouted in his direction. The Rebels led at the end of the first quarter when Dalton Mattney scored to end the quarter. He finished with six points.
One thing that stood out for the Wildcats was their scoring in the paint, with a majority of their points coming on either second-chance opportunities or scoring in the lane at will.
"We had a lot of days of practice (not playing for nine days), so you try some different things and look at some different things," Wessner said. "We did a lot of pressing, and we tried to go up and down as much as possible. We looked pretty good in practice doing it, so we put it in and it was to our advantage tonight."
The Wildcats will be holding a community pep rally on Friday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Whiteoak High School gym.
Their next game, for the district title, will be Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Manchester.
GAME NOTES: Only one player for South Gallia scored in double figures … WHS is 2-0 in the postseason … South Gallia committed 16 fouls (five in the first half) … South Gallia scored 10 points combined in the second and third quarters …The Rebels were 8-of-14 from the free-throw line ... The Rebels had one technical foul … Michael took a charge ... WHS was 13-of-17 from the free-throw line … WHS committed 13 fouls (six in the first half) … Saturday WHS will be going for their first district title since 2003 … WHS has won a district title three times (2003, '02, '00) … WHS is 41-44 all-time in the sectional/district round … WHS is 10-7 all-time at the Convo in 11 years.[[In-content Ad]]