Preview: Calhoun Red Devils vs. Wirt County Tigers
Calhoun has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will wrap up 2023 with a road trip to face off against the Wirt County Tigers at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in West Virginia (Calhoun is ranked 65th, while Wirt County is ranked 78th).
Calhoun struggled with assists on Friday (Roane County had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Calhoun took a 52-40 hit to the loss column at the hands of Roane County. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Calhoun has scored all season.
The losing side was boosted by Owen Taylor, who scored 15 points. Dylan Buckius was another key contributor, scoring two points along with six steals.
Even though Wirt County has not done well against Ritchie County recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Wirt County secured a 47-42 W over Ritchie County.
Wirt County's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Connor Hoover, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Braylan Dawson, who scored 11 points along with four steals.
Calhoun's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Wirt County, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Calhoun hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 54.3 points per game. However, it's not like Wirt County struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 56 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Calhoun took a serious blow against Wirt County when the teams last played back in December of 2022, falling 69-41. Thankfully for Calhoun, DeShawn Middleton (who scored 15 points along with five rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
