Eagles

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. -- It was the kind of second half that had to bring a smile to the face of Hedgesville boys basketball coach Kelly Church. Locked in a dogfight at No. 5 Jefferson on Friday night, the No. 3 Eagles put together one of their best halves of ball this season, making 14 of 18 field goals, 11 of 16 free throws and playing the ball-control style Church preaches to turn back the Cougars 61-53 in a Potomac Valley Conference Division III showdown. "We did a great job playing team basketball," Church said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - When it was time for the West Virginia Region II Section 2 championship plaque to be presented Friday night, one would be hard-pressed to find a better trio to accept it. Sam Guell, Miranda Reed and Jennie Finafrock - the driving forces for Hedgesville all season - met at midcourt at Martinsburg High School, where the Eagles were officially declared sectional champions after thumping Jefferson, 57-30. Guell missed nearly half the game with early foul trouble, but still finished with seven points.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - While Hedgesville coach Larry Laing knocked on wood with hopes of seeing his team continue its early-season success, Martinsburg counterpart Dean Ballenger decided after Tuesday's game that it's time for some changes. Jessica Shirley hurled a six-hitter, Brittany Kolb scored a pair of runs and Hedgesville ran its record to 8-1 with a 3-0 win over Martinsburg at Charlotte Prather Park. After hosting the Gene Baker Tournament over the weekend then beating Jefferson on Monday night, Martinsburg coach Dean Ballenger said his team is simply worn out. He added that he plans to start Jessica Russ tonight against Musselman, last year's regional champion, instead of ace Lexi Rodgers.

bobp@herald-mail.com HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - Jennifer Hoffman gave the Musselman girls soccer team way too many crosses to bear. Hoffman connected on four crossing passes - one for a score and the others leading to Leslie Kirk goals - as Hedgesville defeated Musselman 5-0 in a West Virginia Class AAA Region II, Section 4 semifinal Tuesday. Hoffman found Kirk streaking down the middle of the field on two long passes for the Eagles' first two goals. She scored the next two herself - the first on a disputed offsides call and the second on a pass that went into the goal - before finding Kirk one last time before the final whistle.

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - The Jefferson Cougars clinched their first winning season in over a decade and moved one step closer to earning their first playoff berth since 1992, amassing 302 rushing yards on a mud-caked field en route to a 29-0 Cumberland Valley Athletic League victory over Hedgesville on Friday. "It feels real good," Jefferson coach Richard Mills said of his team's clinching a winning record. "The boys worked real hard and they deserve this. " The No. 5 Cougars received the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards, with Will Grantham capping the drive on a 4-yard touchdown run. Grantham, who rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries, scored his second touchdown of the game with two minutes to go in the half, diving into the right corner of the end zone from 6 yards out to give the Cougars a 15-0 lead.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Hedgesville's baseball team has a familiar name at the top of its lineup, one that was instrumental in the Eagles' success on the basketball floor. Along with starting pitcher Matt Yurish, Duncan Williams was in Hedgesville's lineup for the first time this year following eight days of practice since the basketball season concluded. Coach Ben Merica had Williams in the leadoff spot and the senior first baseman had little time for butterflies as he faced an opposing high school pitcher for the first time since his sophomore year.

PREP BASEBALL HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - J.R. Fitzwater struck out 16 and drove in the game-winner in a 4-0 game one victory before Hegdesville switched lineups - and outcomes - with a 20-11 game two loss against Fairmont Senior on Saturday afternoon. Fitzwater struck out the side in the third, fourth in game one, and his RBI groundout was part of a two-run third. Three doubles in the fifth gave the Eagles two more runs. Brad Spies went 3-for-3 to lead the offense. In game two, Hedgesville (8-8)

BOYS BASKETBALL MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Andrew Harrell had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead Heritage Academy to a 40-34 season-opening victory over Faith Christian on Tuesday. Travis Barthalow had 10 points, seven steals and four assists and Aaron Clark had 12 points and four steals for the Eagles. Paul Hercules had nine points, Larry Kerns had eight points and Drew Michael and Evan Vocature had six points each for the Falcons (0-3). Heritage Academy 40, Faith Christian 34 HERITAGE ACADEMY (1-0)

With a chorus of “Go Big Blue, Go Big Blue Go!” reverberating through its gym, Williamsport's volleyball team secured the Maryland Class 2A West region title with a 26-24, 25-23, 25-18 sweep of Francis Scott Key on Friday night. The Wildcats (17-1) won their first region championship since 2005 - the year Williamsport won its last of 12 state titles and finished off a run of four straight Class 1A championships. The 'Cats will travel to College Park on Tuesday for the Class 2A state semifinals at the University of Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum.

Boonsboro's Zach Poffenberger had just been stripped of the football, leading to a Hedgesville touchdown and a 13-12 Eagles lead with 6:02 to play in the third quarter. Upset with the turnover, Poffenberger turned around and shocked Hedgesville with a 95-yard kickoff return that gave Boonsboro the lead and kick-started the Warriors on the way to a 48-13 victory on Friday night. “That was definitely the play of the game, to answer them,” said Boonsboro coach Clayton Anders. “Zach turned the tide with that return.” For the entire first half and the beginning of the third quarter, Hedgesville (2-6)