Pirates nip ‘Cats for state berth

By Jim Workman Register-Herald Sports Writer

CHARMCO — It was eight years in the making.

But Fayetteville isn’t complaining.

The Pirates’ reward is a trip to the Charleston Civic Center next week.

Fayetteville claimed a 41-33 victory over Meadow Bridge Wednesday night in a Class A Region 3 co-final played at Greenbrier West High School.

The Pirates (11-7) advance to the boys state tournament Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center. The No. 7 seed, they will face second-seeded Parkersburg Catholic at 1 p.m. Thursday. For a preview, see Thursday’s Tribune.

Meadow Bridge ended its season at 14-7.

This will be only the second-ever trip to the state basketball tournament for the Fayetteville boys.

“In 2002 we were lucky enough to make it,” Pirates coach Larry Spangler said. “It’s a thrill to get back there. We’re in the top eight now. We’ll see what we can do.

“Our boys deserve this. They’ve worked hard all season and played team ball. I’m tickled to death for them.”

Senior guard Nich Carte was able to put it into perspective.

“This is a pretty big deal for us,” Carte said. “It’s only the second time in school history. I’ve been wanting to go since I was a freshman.”

“This feels good,” senior MichaelAngelo Hernandez said. “We’ve been trying for four years. I’ve only played at the Civic Center once, during the FCA Hoops Classic as a sophomore. It will be nice.”

“This means a lot to us,” echoed Pirates senior Drew Weis. “They came ready to play, so we had to step it up. We hit some big shots and got some turnovers when we needed them.”

Fayetteville got an early lead and held off its opponent for the duration.

Meadow Bridge fell behind early, but a late second-quarter rally by the Wildcats cut the Fayetteville advantage to 21-17 at halftime.

Another surge late in the third quarter brought Meadow Bridge back within striking distance, as the Pirates held on to a 29-24 lead heading into the final quarter.

A 7-1 rally stretched the Fayetteville lead to 11 points, as the Pirates led 36-25 with 4:49 left in the contest.

Undeterred, the Wildcats mounted a comeback attempt with an 8-0 resurgence to trim the Fayetteville advantage to 36-33 with 2:12 showing on the game clock.

Meadow Bridge would not find the basket again, however, as Carte sank 3 of 4 free throws and Dylan Young converted a steal into a layup to ice it away.

The Wildcats got 16 points from 6-foot-8 sophomore post player Chris Gray. Cody White added 10 more for Meadow Bridge.

“We may have underestimated Meadow Bridge a little,” Hernandez admitted. “But we found a way to win.” 

Carte’s older brother Zach was a member of the Pirates’ team that last went to states.

“I remember when my brother was there when he was a sophomore,” Carte said. “I knew I wanted to go, too. I usually go every year and watch all the games. It’s a big experience.”

“It was a very physical game,” Carte added. “Meadow Bridge played good defense against us. Besides our last game, it was probably the best defense we’ve seen all year. They wouldn’t give me an open look. I had to  work for every shot.”

Carte, who averages about 20 points per contest, was held to nine points. Teammates Hernandez and Corey Goodman also scored nine. Brandon Doyle led the Pirates with 10 points.

“It doesn’t matter who gets the points as long as we get the ‘W,’” Carte said.

“Zach got more attention, but he was more patient, too,” Spangler said. “We knew they’d be tough and they’d give us a fight. They give 100 percent.

“We’re not that big, but we play with a lot of heart,” Spangler added. “We’re usually outsized, but we play with a lot of desire.”   

“We mixed up our defenses on them this time,” Meadow Bridge coach Ed McCall said. “The last time we played them, they gave us a spanking. But we showed up and played hard. We played smart most of the time, but not enough.

“We had a tough season,” McCall added. “But congratulations to Larry (Spangler) and his team. They’re very balanced, as their scoring indicated tonight.”

— E-mail: jworkman@

register-herald.com



Fayetteville 41, Meadow Bridge 33

Fayetteville (11-7)

Nich Carte 2 3-4 9, MichaelAngelo Hernandez 4 1-2 9, Corey Goodman 4 0-0 9, Brandon Doyle 4 1-2 10, Dylan Young 2 0-0 4. Totals: 16 5-8 41.

Meadow Bridge (14-7)

Brandon Adkins 1 0-0 2, Tyler Bennett 2 1-2 5, Chris Gray 5 6-10 16, Cody White 4 2-5 10. Totals: 12 9-17 33.

F    14    7    8     12    —    41

MB    10    7    7       9    —    33

Three-point goals: F: 4 (Carte 2, Goodman, Doyle); MB: O; Fouled out: MB: Bennett.

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