Tigers looking for the one that got away
By Dave Morrison for the register-herald
Shady Spring basketball players can expect to see a lot of the Class AA runner-up trophy this winter . A LOT .
Coach Ronnie Olson plans to use the trophy as a constant and stark reminder of the one that got away last March at the Charleston Coliseum when the Tigers fell to Fairmont Senior 60- 59 on a last second floater in the lane by Zycheus Dobbs .
In a flurry of last second activity Shady Spring ’ s Braden Chapman had just hit the go-ahead shot giving the Tigers a one-point lead with 11 seconds left .
The last 10 seconds were like a bad dream , and Olson didn ’ t view the game film until just recently .
“ I started it a couple times , but I couldn ’ t finish it ,” Olson said . “ After I finally watched it , I realized there were places where we can get better . and we will . It ’ s one play , one play at the end , and now the possibility of three championships is gone . You have to give credit to Fairmont . They are a well-coached team . They have great players . They made a great play . Once we get started , we have to leave it there , but I don ’ t want them to forget .” Hence the trophy . “ I am going to have my manager bring it to my room every day and I ’ m sitting it right there so the players can see it , and
40 • WV SOUTH BASKETBALL
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Tina Laney / For The Register-Herald
Cam Manns of Shady Spring hits a layup against Logan Feb . 19 in Shady Spring .
it ’ s going to practice every day and it ’ s sitting on the scorer ’ s table ,” Olson said . “ Nothing needs to be said . They know , and it might even go on the road with us .”
Shady Spring , 25-2 a year ago , is loaded for bear , with everyone back for another run at the title . There were no seniors on the team a year ago .
The team is led by Braden Chapman , a finalist for the Evans Award as the state player of the year award , and Cole Chapman . The Chapman twins recently inked with WVU Tech in Beckley .
Braden Chapman averaged exactly 16 points per game last year and had 26 points in the state championship game . He averaged 18.3 in the postseason . He had 66 3s last season and made 80.6 percent of his free throws . He went over 1,000 points for his career in the Region 3 co-final victory against Sissonville . He scored in double figures in 24 games .
“ Braden is arguably the best player in the state , and that is a credit to him getting in the gym and working hard ,” Olson said . “ He made the toughest shot , in the toughest moment , in the toughest game and he wanted it . If Fairmont doesn ’ t hit their shot that goes down as the greatest moment of the all-time in Shady Spring sports history .”
Cole averaged 14.1 points per game , had 44 3s and scored in double figures 22 times and made 86 percent of his free throws but his game is running the show .
“ He ’ s like the offensive line in football ,” Olson said . “ If Cole isn ’ t doing what he does nobody else is getting what they get . He ’ s the engine that runs the whole thing . He is also going to guard the other team ’ s best scorer . He is the unsung hero on this team .”
Also back are starters in seniors Jaeden Holstein ( 11.3 points per game ) and Cam Manns ( 9.4 ppg ), junior Ammar Maxwell ( 12.4 ppg ).
Holstein , the resident big at 6-7 , was a cross country all-stater this year , Manns was an all-state pitcher on Shady ’ s state tournament baseball team and Maxwell is already being whispered as a candidate for state player of the year in 2024 .
Also back are key bench contributor in senior Sam Jordan ( 4.2 with a gamehigh 19 vs . Westside in the section opener ), junior Gavin Davis ( 2.8 and a career-high nine twice ) and sophomore Khi Olson ( 2.9 ppg ) the coach ’ s son , who had 15 3s and a career-best 12 against Parkersburg
That doesn ’ t even factor in Jack Williams and Brady Green , two players who watched most of the season in warmups from the bench with knee injuries .
Williams started at the point for Shady for the first four games but suffered a season-ending knee injury at Logan . He had averaged 5.8 points in those four games , a career-high nine coming against Huntington the game prior .
Green never made it to a game , his knee injury coming in the football season opener in August 2021 . He returned and stared at quarterback this fall .
Both are potential starters , and both are healthy this year .