By:
Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
In a game that was desperately needed to win, the Woodruff boys’ basketball team rose to the occasion against one of the top 3A teams in the state.
Last Friday, the Wolverines played their most complete game of the season, fending off Chapman on the road for a 60-55 region victory against the first-place team in Region 3-3A. It was the signature victory of the season for the Wolverines.
After falling behind by five points early, Woodruff rallied to tie the score at 15-15 after one quarter. The second period was nip and tuck, and with the Wolverines holding a slim 25-24 lead in the final seconds of the first half, senior Jackson McCarley swished home a long three-pointer at the buzzer to send Woodruff into the locker room with a 28-24 lead.
The Wolverines would never trail in the second half.
A stifling defense stymied the normally hot-shooting Panthers, and Grayson Patterson and Dre Jenkins began to take over on the offensive end. Patterson knocked down a huge three-pointer midway through the fourth, along with another long ball from McCarley, while Dre Jenkins scored multiple times around the rim to build the Wolverines’ largest lead of 53-43 with just over three minutes to play.
Chapman (18-4, 7-1) would trim the margin to five on two occasions in the final minutes but could not get closer. Jenkins, McCarley, and Zy Stewart all hit big free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Woodruff (9-10, 4-4).
“(This win) means a lot to us because, you know, we haven’t had a good win as a team in a long time,” said McCarley. “Now, we finally put all the pieces together. We played as a team, and it was a great environment and great team chemistry.”
Patterson finished the night leading all scorers with 22 points. McCarley added 16 in one of his best games, along with 15 from Jenkins. Kelan Hunter and Jayden Hunter each contributed significant minutes off the bench.
“Before the game, our mentality was just different,” explained Patterson. “Just coming out, our aggression was on another level. So, when (Chapman) threw a punch back, we never backed down. That’s what we did and what led us to the win tonight.”
Author: Vareva Harris
