Eagles

Eagles live, die by the 3 Jefferson needs double overtime to dispose of Hedgesville By CURT HORNBECKER / Staff Correspondent SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - After living by the 3-point shot for 36 minutes, the Hedgesville boys basketball team took a 3-point dagger to the heart. Jefferson guard Kevin Jackson drilled a pair of 3s in the second overtime to send the Eagles to a 61-53 setback in the finals of the City National Bank Holiday Tournament at Shepherd College's Butcher Center.

kauffman@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - This time, the celebration was subdued. Hedgesville's girls basketball team knows what it's like to win the West Virginia Class AAA Region II championship, having done so last year. This year, making the state tournament is just a step toward the Eagles' ultimate goal of a state title. It was business as usual for Hedgesville on Thursday as the Eagles dispatched Hampshire 52-34 in meticulous fashion to successfully defend their region title.

kauffman@herald-mail.com SMITHSBURG - In Monday night's matchup of two relatively young boys soccer squads, Smithsburg took a step forward and kept No. 9 Hedgesville reeling after the Eagles' 3-0 start. Sophomore David Kurz scored his first goal of the year off a Ryan Keller cross in the 54th minute, and Mark Vomend's brilliant left-footed laser from 25 yards out in the 77th minute gave the Leopards an insurance goal in a 2-0 victory over Hedgesville, Smithsburg's first over the Eagles in four years.

The Mitchell College Lady Pequots may not have been as good as gold in their game against the Kirkwood Eagles Friday evening, but they were at least as good as Jade. Jade Leitao that is. Mitchell College (25-2) unleashed a furious backcourt attack with marquee guards Leitao and Carmella Suggs and got just enough from its undersized players under the boards to upset the defending NJCAA Division II champion Eagles 77-65 at Hagerstown Community College's athletic complex. Suggs ended with a game-high 29 points while Leitao had 18 and directed a disciplined floor attack that shot an uncanny 66 percent early on and then hung on to hold Kirkwood at arm's length.

MIDDLETOWN, Md. - Given the choice between quality and quantity, Hedgesville boys basketball coach Kelly Church will take quality every time. Church preached patience to his team Tuesday night, which paid off in quality shots that helped the Eagles to a 66-46 win over Middletown in the Second Annual Ron Engle Holiday Classic. "For a high school basketball team, our shot selection tonight was pretty darn good," Church said. "Throughout the whole thing, I can only think of two bad shots.

By CURT HORNBECKER / Staff Correspondent photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - About the only thing Nicki Woodsmall doesn't do on the volleyball court, according to Hedgesville coach Sue Davis, is sweep the floor. The Eagles' senior was all over the floor Tuesday night - she may have even done some sweeping with her uniform - leading the team with 32 assists and 21 service points. She even had seven kills. --cont.

koelble@herald-mail.com HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - The Hedgesville kiddie corps grew up a bit more on Monday night. With a starting lineup of two juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen, the Eagles are candidates to suffer at times throughout the boys basketball season. However, there are times when everyone gains from the experience. Thus, the Eagles should benefit from a game that was air-tight close all the way to the 1:50 mark of the fourth period when they blew the game open with the final 13 points for a 52-36 win over James Wood.

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - Hedgesville put another Eastern Panhandle rival on its list of victories on Friday night with a 56-45 triumph over No. 3 Martinsburg in front of 1,200 excited onlookers. The No. 1-ranked Eagles (13-0) used a 72 percent shooting effort from the field in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit to defeat the Bulldogs. "One of the three keys to the game was how we handled the atmosphere and that's what I told the players before the game," said Hedgesville coach Kelly Church.

By MARK KELLER / Staff Writer photo: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer MIDDLETOWN, Md. - Hedgesville lived by the 3-pointer this season, hitting 29 from long range in its first two games. Monday night, the Eagles had to find a way to live without the 3-pointer. They found it at the free throw line. Hedgesville outshot Middletown 38-6 from the stripe and made 14 of 20 in the fourth quarter as the Eagles pulled away for a 71-60 win over Middletown at the Ron Engle Holiday Classic.

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. - With the West Virginia Region II, Section 4 title on his shoulders, Jefferson's Graham Sutherland was told by senior captain Matt Tiano not to worry. Still, Sutherland felt the pressure as he toed perhaps the biggest kick of his varsity career. Sutherland fought the nerves and directed the final penalty kick of Jefferson's shootout against Hedgesville past the arms of Eagles freshman goalie Kris Eichelberger for a 4-3 shootout victory, breaking the 2-2 tie after regulation and 30 minutes of overtime.