Tug Valley punched its ticket back to the state championship game with a 56-43 win over Tucker County in the Class A semifinals on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

In the ninth meeting between the two programs over the last three years, Brayden Farris delivered a historic performance, scoring 26 points and surpassing the 2,000-point mark for his career. Farris set the tone early and capped the third quarter with a buzzer-beater to extend Tug Valley’s lead.

Tucker County kept things competitive early, with Caden Arnold leading the way with 17 points, while Ethan Cummings and Sam Marks helped the Mountain Lions stay within striking distance.

However, Tug Valley’s defense and timely runs proved too much. Contributions from Zade Rash and Carson Newsome helped the Panthers build a double-digit lead they would not surrender.

With the win, Tug Valley advances to the state championship game for the third consecutive season and will face either Greater Beckley Christian or East Hardy.

Stay with MetroNews for continued coverage of the WVSSAC Boys Basketball State Tournament.