By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief, Dale County Chronicle.
Midland City — The Dale County High Warriors delivered one of their most dramatic wins of the season Friday night, outlasting the Ashford Yellowjackets, 63–61, in a heart-pounding double-overtime showdown.
Dale County was led by a heroic performance from Junior Smith, who poured in 32 points and hauled down an astonishing 21 rebounds, anchoring the Warriors through 48 grueling minutes. Jayden McGhee added 20 points, including several clutch plays in the overtime periods.
The game was tightly contested from start to finish. Regulation ended tied at 51–51 after Ashford controlled possession for the final 40 seconds. A missed layup in the closing seconds, followed by a late sideline play that also came up empty, sent the game to overtime.
The first overtime period was just as tense. With the score tied at 55–55 and only 6.7 seconds remaining, the Yellowjackets’ Zay Johnson was fouled and calmly knocked down both free throws. Dale County quickly inbounded to McGhee, whose driving layup attempt missed, but Smith was right there to tip it in at the buzzer, tying the game once again and forcing a second overtime.
In the second extra period, Dale County briefly gained separation. McGhee hit two free throws to give the Warriors a 61–58 lead, but Ashford refused to go quietly. After Smith missed a pair of free throws with 22 seconds left, Ashford pushed the ball up the floor, and JJ Reese drilled a clutch three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to knot the score at 61–61.
The Warriors answered immediately. McGhee took the inbounds pass, drove hard to the basket, and kicked the ball back to Smith, trailing the play. Smith finished through traffic with a go-ahead layup with eight seconds left, giving Dale County a 63–61 edge.
Ashford called a timeout to set up one final look, but Johnson’s potential game-winning three-point attempt came up short. Elijah Gordon secured the rebound as time expired, sealing a dramatic double-overtime victory for the Warriors.
Ashford was paced by Johnson with 17 points and Reese with 15, both delivering key baskets in crucial moments.
The win showcased Dale County’s resilience, excellent teamwork, and poise under pressure, with Smith’s dominant all-around performance and McGhee’s late-game decision-making proving to be the difference in one of the season’s most memorable and exciting contests.
