By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
It doesn't happen very often and when it does it is time for great jubilation among the Calhoun faithful.
But Thursday night was one of those nights as Lucas Wilson's free throw with 18.7 seconds remaining was the difference as Calhoun Middle School pulled out a 36-35 victory over home standing Gilmer Middle School.
The win was Calhoun's first in Glenville -- at any grade level -- in basketball for at least four or five years.
Calhoun led all the way but Gilmer battled back to knot things up with the Red Devils at 35-35 with less than a minute to play and the Titans had the ball.
But they missed a shot and in the scramble a hustling Wilson got the ball and was fouled.
Gilmer tried to get even but was unable to get the ball to fall and Tyler Sims grabbed and held onto the ball on a CMS inbound play as the final buzzer sounded setting off an impromptu celebration among the members of the Red Devils A team.
Gilmer earned a split of the doubleheader by posting a 55-13 win in the B game.
In the A game Calhoun grabbed the lead early and at times threatened to deliver an early knockout punch to the Titans. But they never could.
Calhoun was led offensively by Tyler Gerwig with 14 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. He was backed by Sims with 12 including six on a pair of three-point shots.
Tyler Tanner was next with seven while Wilson scored three.
Sam Brady and William Baker both played but failed to score.
Brady however did play a very nice game with three assists and nine rebounds as the Red Devils enjoyed a 34-20 rebounding edge over Gilmer.
Gilmer, 0-1,was led by Austin Ratliff with 11 while Mathew Montgomery added nine.
Calhoun, 1-0, tries to keep on the winning path Tuesday when it travels to Ritchie County. The Red Devils then go on the road to Walton on Wednesday night before finishing the week with a road game at Wirt on Thursday.
In the B game Calhoun kept it close for a while before the bigger and more experienced Titans pulled away.
Calhoun actually led 3-2 early and was only behind by two minutes later at 7-5. But then Gilmer went on a 9-0 run to finish the quarter and went ahead from there.
Nick Miller led CMS with four while Ethyn Miller added three, including the three-point goal that gave the Red Devils the early lead. Nick Watkins, Robby Lamp and Jerry Jones all had two apiece for Calhoun.
Austin Gribble, Riley Cain, Christopher Kirkland, Justyn Starcher and Austin Bailey all played but did not score.
Cain, Lamp and Gribble led Calhoun with three rebounds apiece while Jones led the way with two assists. Gribble and Murphy had two steals each while the Red Devils had seven overall.
Gilmer County was led by Ty Harkelroad with 12 points, 11 rebounds and two steals.
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