Braxton County (9-1) rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resilient 56-52 victory over Little Kanawha Conference rival Ritchie County. Although the Eagles fell behind 31-21 in the second quarter following a 10-0 run by the Rebels, they managed to cut the halftime deficit to five points, sparked by a four-point play from Brady Toler. Braxton’s momentum continued in the third quarter; despite trailing by nine early in the frame, they executed a 14-4 run to reclaim the lead at 40-39—a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

Head coach Josh Lunceford credited the turnaround to a surge in defensive energy, noting that the team limited Ritchie County to just eight points in the third quarter. Brady Toler led the Eagles with 19 points, matching the output of Ritchie County’s Isaac Hodges, the conference Player of the Year. Lunceford praised his squad’s defensive effort against Hodges and Seth Cronin but emphasized that he intends to push the group harder. Now standing third in Class AA, Lunceford is determined to ensure the team does not peak too early, as he feels they did during last year’s 14-8 campaign.