<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Gkvmz_0rsMeCLI00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Gkvmz_0rsMeCLI00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2sVAsO_0rsMeCLI00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2sVAsO_0rsMeCLI00" width="2048" height="1513" ></figure>CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A season ago, Ravenswood fell behind early against Chapmanville in a Class AA quarterfinal and fought back to recover, but was unable to get over the hump in a season-ending loss.With the teams meeting on the same stage as the same seeds they were the year before, the No. 6 Red Devils again got off to a sluggish start, trailing by nine points through one quarter and as much as 16 in the opening half. This time around, however, Ravenswood flipped the script and completed its rally, outscoring the No. 3 Tigers by 14 points in third quarter and prevailing in overtime, 54-53, to eliminate the defending state champion at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.“They’re good and that game could’ve gone any different way,” veteran Ravenswood head coach Mick Price said. “Last year, we’re close at the end and they go on to win the whole thing. Sometimes you never really realize how close you are to achieving your goal. These guys knew what it took to not only get to the state tournament, but how to play here. The guys never panicked.”The Tigers had a chance to win at the end of regulation after Zion Blevins countered Beau Bennett’s go-ahead basket with a layup to tie the game at 48. A Red Devils’ turnover gave Chapamnville possession back with just inside 2 minutes remaining and the Tigers chose to hold the ball until the final seconds, but Cameron Blevins and Benji Adkins both missed what would’ve been game-winning baskets.That sent the matchup to overtime and the Red Devils got a pair of field goals from Logan Alfred to lead 52-50, before Noah Dawson made 1-of-2 free throws with 25 seconds left to leave the Tigers in a three-point hole.But after Dawson missed the second foul shot, Chapmanville got what it wanted when Zion Blevins dished out to Sam Miller for a tying triple in the corner that tied the contest at 53.Out of a timeout, Dawson was fouled and again made the first free throw, but missed the second, leaving Ravenswood with the 54-53 lead.“I knew I had to make that one or if we lost, I’d have felt really bad,” Dawson said. “It felt good knocking it down.”The Tigers brought the ball up court needing a basket to win, but with the ball 30 or so feet away from the hoop, head coach Brad Napier elected to call a timeout a second or two before Cameron Blevins swished through a three-pointer.“We were kind of going slow to only have 6 seconds and I didn’t think we were going to get a shot up,” Napier said. “That was my fault. I should’ve rolled with it.”Out of the game’s final timeout, Blevins got off another try from the top of the key, but this one was no good, sealing the outcome and a spot in a semifinal for Ravenswood, which awaits the winner of Charleston Catholic-Trinity.“I’m glad they had a timeout. I’ve done it,” Price said. “As a coach, you want to make sure you put your kids in the best position and then someone makes a shot and the crowd goes crazy. It’s not Brad’s fault. I’ve done the same thing. It’s not an easy feeling.”The Tigers made 7-of-10 first-quarter field goals to build a 17-8 lead, and it grew to be 24-8 after they started the second period on a 7-0 spurt capped by an Adkins layup 5:31 before halftime.Then came a key stretch in which Ravenswood played its best basketball of the first half and pulled to within 26-18 on a Beau Bennett three.Miller’s triple 46 seconds before halftime marked the final first-half field goal and allowed Napier’s team to lead 32-21 at the break.But the momentum completely swung in Ravenswood’s favor throughout the third, which the Red Devils began with nine straight points and closed their deficit to two on a Greyson Keen layup.Another trey from Bennett allowed RHS to tie it at 35, and the Red Devils gained their first lead of the matchup 1:04 later on another close range basket from Keen. Ravenswood ultimately outscored Chapmanville 20-6 in the third to take a 41-38 lead into the fourth. The Red Devils made half of their 18 field-goal attempts in that 8-minute stretch, while the Tigers shot 2 for 12 and misfired on all three two-point attempts.“We controlled the first half and went really cold in the third quarter and more so than that, gave up 20 points,” Napier said. “That’s not playing good defense and not what we’ve been about in our program.”Bennett led all players with 22 points and made 8-of-15 shots.“I felt really good to get in there and make some shots,” Bennett said, “and it only gives me more confidence moving on.”Alfred scored 13 and Keen added eight points and 10 rebounds. Evan Swain, who like Keen stands 6-foot-7, contributed seven points and a game-high 11 boards, while the Red Devils kept the Tigers from scoring a second-chance point after halftime after surrendering 11 through two frames.“We have two 6-7 guys and we haven’t had one over 6-1 in five years,” Price said.Zion Blevins scored 17 points to go with eight rebounds and Drew Berry added 10 in defeat. Adkins had 10 rebounds to lead Chapmanville, which made only 8-of-26 shots after halftime.“It wasn’t the outcome we wanted and I think we were good enough to win the whole thing, but there’s six or seven teams that can win the whole thing,” Napier said. “This Double-A field is loaded. There’s a lot of parity.”</div></body>

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Ravenswood rallies to down defending state champion Chapmanville in overtime, 54-53

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A season ago, Ravenswood fell behind early against Chapmanville in a Class AA quarterfinal and fought back to recover, but was unable to get over the hump in a season-ending loss. With the teams meeting on the same stage as the same seeds they were the...

Ravenswood rallies to down defending state champion Chapmanville in overtime, 54-53

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