By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Ethyn Miller went coast-to-coast to score a driving layup with 3.9 seconds remaining lifting Calhoun to a 56-54 victory over 7th-ranked Gilmer County Thursday night snapping a 10-year losing streak to the Titans.
Miller's layup was the capper to an exciting game that saw the 17-4 Titans knot the score on a four-point play by Trey Shuff.
With Calhoun on top 54-54 and time winding down Shuff fired up a three-point shot, which went in. He was fouled on the play and hit his free throw to tie things at 54-54 with 12.4 seconds left, setting up Miller's heroics.
But it didn't start out the way it ended.
Gilmer grabbed a quick lead and was ahead by eight at the end of the first quarter before pushing ahead to a 10-point, 29-19, halftime lead.
In the third quarter, however, Calhoun turned up a notch and forged ahead 34-33 when Sam Brady scored a basket and followed with a free throw. It was Calhoun's first lead of the game.
The Red Devils were not able to put Gilmer away, however, and the game was neck-and-neck until the very end.
How big of a win was in for Calhoun?
It was Senior Night for the Red Devils as seven players were honored including Brady, Tyler Sims, Tyler Gerwig, William Baker, Luke Sheldon, Lucas Wilson and David Washington. To put things in perspective the seven seniors were in the SECOND GRADE when Calhoun last beat Gilmer back in 2005.
Miller, a junior, along with his game wining shot led the Red Devils, 9-11, with 18 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. He was backed by Brady with 13 and Dylan Heiney with 10. Also scoring for the Red Devils were Sims with eight and Sheldon with a very important seven off the bench, Baker, Wilson, Dakota Jarvis and Zack Yanero all played but did not score.
Noah Aviles led Gilmer with 12 points off the bench, He was backed by Shuff with 11 and Corey Grogg with 10. Other Titan scoring included nine by Austin Ratliff and six by Colby Cunningham and Zach Chapman,
The junior varsity game was the opposite of the varsity classic as Gilmer took an early lead and ran away with a 55-20 victory.
Austin Gribble paced the Red Devils with eight while Ben Frederick chipped in with seven. Case Carter and Noah Allen had two apiece and Jarvis added one.
Caden Hicks, Soney Wilson, Kaleb Nicholas, Chris Kirkland and Jaron Hall all played but did not score.
Lukas Sirbaugh led Gilmer with 10. He was backed by Gunnar Haley with nine,Carter Springer with eight, Bryce Roberts and Ethan Burkhammer with six each, Cole Haley with five, Tyler Frashure and Hunter Self with four each and Caleb Skinner with two.
Calhoun returns to action Saturday night when it travels to Doddridge for a sectional tournament game against the Bulldogs. The winner of that game plays at Gilmer Tuesday night.
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