Bulldogs, Truckers set for semifinals
Published 9:46 pm Wednesday, February 20, 2019
- Keontae Boyette scored 37 points in the Bulldogs’ region win over Deep Creek High School. The Bulldogs will host Churchland High School for a chance at the region championship. (Matthew Hatfield Photo)
King’s Fork High School boys’ basketball team defeated Deep Creek High School Tuesday night to advance to the Class 4 Region A semifinals.
It was the third time this season the Bulldogs defeated Deep Creek, and it was the most important one, as it advances King’s Fork to the regional semifinals. With a 68-63 win, everything wasn’t quite perfect; however, the name of the game at this point of the season is surviving and advancing.
“We could have played a little smarter, but we played hard,” Coach Rick Hite said. “We were happy to get that win under our belt, and the guys came out there ready to play.”
It was the first playoff win for the Bulldogs under Hite, as they lost in the opening round last year. Keontae Boyette was on a tear, going for a game-high 37 points. No other Bulldog scored in double figures.
King’s Fork will quickly shift its focus to a Thursday night matchup with Churchland High School. The Bulldogs will host once again and know that anything they’ve done before Thursday night is out of the window.
“They are an athletic team and a tough team,” Hite said. “We are going to have to keep them off of the glass and continue to play hard defense.”
With the No. 1 seed, Grafton High School, being upset Tuesday night, the Bulldogs are now the highest seed left in the region. That means if the Bulldogs are able to win Thursday, they will host the regional championship game Friday night. The Bulldogs know what’s at stake but also know they can’t look past Thursday.
“Churchland is trying to get to the championship game just like we are,” Hite said. “It’s playoff basketball. Upsets have been happening all postseason, and we want to make sure we do what we do to avoid those things. We want to keep continuing to give our best effort.”
King’s Fork will host Churchland at 7 p.m. Thursday. If the Bulldogs win, they host the championship game at 7 p.m. Friday as well.
King’s Fork 68, Deep Creek 63
KF—Boyette 37, Pettis 6, Lewis 5, Beale 4, Bailey 3, Williams 3, Wilson 3, Davis 2, Mizelle 2, Hill 2, Dildy 1
DC—Butts 25, Brooks 17, Hinton 11, Reese 5, Williamson 3, Chatman 2