Sports
Marauders put Pirates on Upset Alert
By: David Butz
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With all the hype surrounding now 23-0 Wheelersburg, it would be be hard to imagine that this team could be challenged by any ninth seeded team. The Meigs Marauders proved that they are not just any ninth seed.
With just 2:45 left in regulation, the undefeated Pirates found themselves up 26-24. With time running short, Wheelersburg once again had to turn to the talents of their star player, No. 23 Tanner Holden.
Holden scored 18 of the Pirates 35 total points, including a sequence late in the game that saw the star block Meig’s Nick Lilly and then pull off a two-handed slam off of an alley oop from a teammate on the other end. This momentum play would lead to Wheelersburg taking the 35-28 win.
To keep the game so close, the Marauders defense shut the Pirates down from the start, going on a 10-0 run in the first quarter and finishing the quarter up 12-3. Throughout the contest, it felt like Meigs was going to shut out anyone not wearing number 23 for Wheelersburg.
Taking the scoring load for Meigs, it was the duo of guards Weston Baer and Zach Bartrum. Not only were these two the leading scorers for their squad, but they were the only scorers for the Marauders. Baer’s 11 points and Bartrum’s 17 would make up the entire scoring effort for the maroon and gold.
With Wheelersburg getting the sectional championship victory, their state title hopes will remain alive. However, this close victory might potentially act as a wakeup call for the Pirates moving forward.
As for the Marauders, the season comes to an earlier end than they would’ve hoped for, but will still certainly go down as a success. What this senior class was able to do in their final season will hopefully serve as a sign of good things to come in Pomeroy.