FORT GAY, W. VA. — For the first time since 2013 Tolsia ( 16-7 ) Boys Basketball will play for a Region Championship when they welcome Williamstown ( 18-6 ) into Rebel Arena tonight at 7:00 with the winner advancing to Charleston and the State Tournament next Wednesday.
The Rebels only won six games last year and were one of the youngest teams in the state and only ended the season with 8 healthy players in the program and only friends and family were in the stands. But under second year head coach Todd Maynard Tolsia has turned the program completely around and that was evident last Friday night when the Rebels beat rival Tug Valley for the third time this season in front of the biggest crowd in Rebel Arena’s 30 year history.
Tolsia is still one of the youngest teams in the state with 3 sophomores, 1 freshman and 1 senior in the starting lineup. Coming off the bench is 2 sophomores, a senior and junior most nights.
Highly touted Freshman Jesse Muncy is the team’s leading scorer at 18 PPG. Senior Jacob Mollette is the team captain and glue guy while scoring over 14 PPG. Sophomore Austin Salmons is the team’s inside presence and is scoring almost 10 PPG including a career high 27 points in a Sectional win over Buffalo last Tuesday. Sophomores Gavin Meadows and Rob Cantrell round out the starting five at 6 PPG. Sophomores Tyler Johnson and Zack Ball provide depth off the bench along with Senior Braxton Williams and Junior Zane Sturgill.
Williamstown lost in the Section final last Friday for the the third time this season to Parkersburg Catholic 28-27 after stalling for most of the game. Don’t look for the Yellow Jackets to employ that tonight as they normally like to play inside out with big man Cullen Cutright and shooting guard Xavier Caruthers from the outside.
Should be another huge crowd inside Rebel Arena with huge stakes on the line.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams in Boys Basketball.
Tolsia won Class AA Titles in 1991 and 1995, Runner Up In 1995 and haven’t been to Charleston since 2012 and 2013.
