All season long, the Tug Valley Panthers had been able to put opponents away with back-breaking runs. On Saturday, the team put together such a run one last time.
The Panthers (25-2) broke open a four point game at the half with a 17-0 run to start the third period to capture the 2025 West Virginia Class A State Title with a 65-45 win over the Tucker County Mountain Lions, 65-45, on Saturday at the Charleston Civic Center.
After Tucker County (21-3) took the early lead, Tug Valley battled back to capture the lead and carry a 15-11 advantage into the second quarter. The Panthers built up a bit of a lead, but a late Mountain Lion run cut the lead back to four, 26-22, at the intermission.
It was reminiscent of last year’s slug fest between these same two teams in the finals that ended with a 35-32 Tug Valley victory. This time, however, the Panthers were not about to let the game go down to the wire.
Tug Valley started the third with a defensive stop, and then Braydun Ferris found Ashton Davis who muscled up a shot over Tucker County’s Garrett Wilfong. On Tug Valley’s next possession, Bryson Elia drove to the middle and kicked it over to Ferris for an open three-point basket in the corner to make it a 31-22 Panther advantage. After an offensive foul on the Mountain Lions’ Mikey Mitchell, Ferris spun into the lane for a medium range jumper.
Ferris then made one of the most athletic plays of the tournament when he was able to block Mitchell’s shot from behind before grabbing the ball and then throwing it off Mitchell to give possession back to the Panthers. On the subsequent trip back down the floor, Ferris drove the ball toward the basket before kicking it out to an open Elia at the top of the key for a three-point basket, prompting Tucker County head coach Daniel Helmick to call a timeout with the Tug Valley lead at 36-22.
“We felt like if we got a stop and then a score, Tug Valley Nation would get excited,” said Tug Valley head coach Garland “Rabbit” Thompson. “That third quarter was a blitz, and they put it away. We just had to on until the end, and now we’re celebrating.”
After the timeout, the run still continued as Davis had a put back basket. Elia then drove toward the basket and zipped a pass over to an open Davis for a three-point field goal. Kaden Hale then stole a Mountain Lion pass before driving it to the basket, capping off the 17-0 run. The Panthers would go into the final quarter holding a 50-31 lead.
Tucker County tried to get the lead back to single digits, but Tug Valley had an answer every time and was able to hold on for the win, kicking off a celebration on the court.
“I’m so thankful and blessed that Tug Valley is back-to-back state champions,” said Thompson. “I’m so blessed to be able to coach these guys and coach at Tug Valley. They love each other. They have played together since they were knee high. They trust each other. They hang out together. They’re best friends. When one of them gets down, they pick him up. It is a total Tug Valley community. It is a total Tug Valley experience.”
This group of Panthers joined the 2012 and 2013 teams as groups who won back-to-back titles. Tug Valley’s other championship came in 1999.
Ferris led the way with 27 points and 6 assists. Hale followed with 15 points. Davis had 10 points and 6 boards. Elia netted 7 points. Ethan Ferrell, Cameron Slone and Braxton Farley finished with 2 points each.
Wilfong paced Tucker County with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Trevan Bonner had 12 points and 8 rebounds.
For seniors Davis, Hale and Ferrell, it was a story book ending to fantastic high school careers. In fact, Davis had started every game since the beginning of his freshman season.
Ferris, Davis and Elia were named to the Class A All-Tournament Team. Ferris was named the MVP of the tournament. The junior averaged 24.3 points and 7.0 assists per game in the tournament. Tug Valley is 70-12 with Ferris at point guard.
Junior guard Carson Newsome had a gritty state tournament, playing with stitches in his shooting hand, but he still gave what he could to his team, including suffocating defense.
But the team calls itself a family, and it’s hard to argue with that. As they finished speaking to the media, they ended with, “One, two, three – family!”
