By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — When the Cove Creek middle school boys basketball team opened the final quarter with a narrow, 28-26 lead over host Blowing Rock on Nov. 29, the game had all the ingredients for a nail biter finish, perhaps even overtime.
But Blowing Rock had a different outcome in mind for their last home game of the 2022 season. The Rockets held the Raiders scoreless in the final stanza while exploding for an 18 point scoring outburst themselves in the last period to win going away, 44-28.
The High Country Sports “Game of the Week” lived up to expectations as a hotly contested affair. Cove Creek led at the end of each quarter until the end, 10-9 after the first quarter, 18-15 after the second, and 28-26 when the third quarter was done. In between, however, there were lead changes aplenty as both teams challenged for court supremacy.
But when Blowing Rock arched in a total of five 3-pointers in the second half, one Blowing Rock fan, Justin Lawrence, quipped, “Welcome to 3-point elementary!”
Fletcher Farris and Louie Winger hit 2 and 1, respectively, from beyond the arc in the third quarter to keep Blowing Rock close, but it was the Rockets’ Lucas Cash’s 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, that led the home team’s finishing onslaught. Winger scored half (4) of his eight points for the whole game in the fourth quarter to bolster Cash’s efforts.
Cash finished with a game-high 16 points on the night, closely followed by Farris’ 15.
For the Raiders, Isaac Gutschall tallied a game-high 11 points, with Jack Bridgeman adding 7 points, with Daniel Rattler and Braxton Raymond contributing four apiece.
Additional photos at bottom of article
FULL WATAUGA COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS SCORES ON NOV. 29
- @Blowing Rock 44, Cove Creek 28
- @Parkway 42, Bethel 10
- Valle Crucis 23, @Mabel 16
- @Hardin Park 51, Green Valley 27
Watauga District Boys 54, @Carolina Day 13
WATAUGA SCHOOL SPECIFIC BOYS STANDINGS THROUGH NOV. 29
- 1. Parkway (5-0)
- T2. Blowing Rock (4-1)
- T2. Hardin Park (4-1)
- 4. Cove Creek (3-2)
- 5. Bethel (2-3)
- T6. Green Valley (1-4)
- T6. Valle Crucis (1-4)
- 8. Mabel (0-5)
