Since picking up wins at Wartburg on December 10th, Midway High Basketball Girls and Boys have played four games. During that stretch, the Lady Wave have gone 2-2 and the Wave 3-1. Both teams capped off the week and head into the Christmas break with wins at Jellico.
Girls Basketball
Following the win at Wartburg, the Lady Wave dropped consecutive games to Oakdale (29-67) and Coalfield (60-75). This was the first time the Lady Wave suffered back-to-back losses since the 2022 season. Chalk it up to mid-season fatigue, as the Lady Wave struggled to secure rebounds and play in rhythm during those two games. However, the team put all that behind them with a 53-46 win over Sunbright on Thursday night and an impressive 72-43 win at Jellico on Friday.
Vs. Sunbright
Following losses to Oakdale and Coalfield, the Lady Wave found themselves behind on the scoreboard for the third straight game. It would be three minutes into the third quarter before Midway would take their first lead—a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. In the win over Sunbright, Kyleigh Cawood scored 25 points, 15 of those coming in the second half. Tatum Collier added 9, with Chloe Jarnigan and Abbie Parks each scoring 6.
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | F | |
| Lady Wave | 15 | 26 | 40 | 53 |
| Sunbright | 16 | 31 | 38 | 46 |
Vs. Jellico
Midway basketball and their fans hit the interstate the Friday afternoon before Christmas en route to Jellico. It’s road trips like these that break up families and create dependencies on Zestril. Thankfully for Midway and their fans, the trip was victorious. The Lady Waves were solid on both sides of the court in their 19-point victory. The offense was clicking in the first half, with four different Lady Waves knocking down a total of six 3-pointers before halftime, three of which were by Cawood. Midway took a small lead into the half.
After the break, the Lady Wave defense went to work, allowing Jellico only 12 points for the remainder of the game. Cawood continued to knock down shots, scoring 16 second-half points on her way to a 28-point night. Addie Armes and Abbie Parks each scored 13.
The Lady Wave (7-3) will enjoy some time off before playing in the Harriman Christmas Tournament on Friday, December 27, and Saturday, December 28.
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | F | |
| Lady Wave | 21 | 38 | 57 | 72 |
| Jellico | 19 | 31 | 40 | 43 |
Boys Basketball
The Midway boys were enjoying a three-game winning streak with victories over Wartburg (57-54), Oakdale (73-35), and Coalfield (79-42). The Wave were looking to avenge a loss at Sunbright earlier in the season as the Tigers came to Ruff Arena. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and Sunbright won 64-51. The Wave bounced back impressively with a big region win over Jellico on the road in overtime, 86-79.
Vs. Sunbright
The Tigers, possibly the most overlooked team in the region, proved they are real contenders. Sunbright’s size at every position became a headache for the Wave. In both meetings between the teams, the Tigers controlled the paint, the glass, and ultimately the scoreboard. With few second-chance opportunities, Midway’s offense struggled to score down the stretch, and Sunbright put together a solid closing in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to sweep the Wave in the regular season.
Wyatt McClure led the scoring for Midway with 14, followed by Dalton Cowell and Cooper Queener with 8.
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | F | |
| Midway | 9 | 27 | 40 | 51 |
| Sunbright | 10 | 22 | 41 | 64 |
Vs. Jellico
Last season, the Blue Devils of Jellico ended Midway’s season in the region tournament and went on to make it to the State Tournament. This season, Jellico has impressive wins over Oliver Springs and Harriman. The Waves were looking to avenge last season’s region tourney loss and play the part of Dirty Santa by stealing a win on Jellico’s home court.
Jellico relies on intense on-ball defensive pressure, specifically with a half-court trap. While it took a few minutes for Midway to find the weak spots, they quickly exploited them. Cooper Queener caught fire early, knocking down three from behind the arc for nine first-quarter points. Peyton Steele and Lincoln Reed each knocked down a 3-pointer, while Brennan Reed and Wyatt McClure went to work in the paint, scoring 8 and 7 respectively in the second quarter. Midway took an 8-point lead into the half.
The inside/outside attack continued in the third quarter for the Wave. Queener knocked down two more from deep, while Dalton Cowell and McClure combined for 17 points from the paint.
Foul trouble started to plague both teams in the second half. The officiating in the boys’ game was a big contrast to the girls’ game. The teams combined for 65 free throw attempts in the boys’ game compared to 32 in the girls’ game. Dalton “Stitch” Cowell was automatic from the free throw line in the second half, knocking down 10 of 10.
Midway had a 12-point lead early in the fourth, but Jellico went on a run, taking advantage of missed Midway shots, gaining momentum, and tying the game to force overtime. In OT, Midway got a big AND ONE play from McClure to quickly jump out to a 3-point lead. Cowell and B. Reed each added 4 points in OT, while the Midway defense limited Jellico to just 5 points to secure the 86-79 win.
Dalton Cowell and Brennan Reed each had 22 points on the night. Wyatt McClure had 19, and Queener 15.
The Wave (6-4) will be participating in the Harriman Christmas Tournament on Friday, December 27, and Saturday, December 28.
| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | OT/F | |
| Midway | 18 | 39 | 64 | 74 | 86 |
| Jellico | 16 | 31 | 52 | 74 | 79 |