4th straight conference crown
Hiwassee Dam – The Hiwassee Dam boys basketball team wrapped up its fourth straight Little Smoky Mountain conference championship in style last week.
Entering the week 4-0 in conference, the Eagles clinched the title with an 87-47 win over Nantahala on Feb. 7, then put the finishing touch on a third straight undefeated conference regular season with a 92-32 win over Blue Ridge. Hiwassee Dam has won 17 straight games against the Little SMC.
“It feels good,” head coach Mark Raper said about winning a conference title. “I’ve done it quite a bit. Each kid, each group, each team is different. They enjoyed it, and hopefully we can keep momentum going.”
Following a dominant win against the Hawks where everyone got playing time, the same thing happened against the Bobcats. The Eagles (12-12 overall, 6-0 conference) didn’t put Blue Ridge away until late in a 69-56 win at Blue Ridge (4-17, 2-4) on Jan. 26, so they wanted to jump on the Bobcats early. Hiwassee Dam was hitting shots and got plenty of easy opportunities, thanks to steals off its pressure defense and then run outs in transition.
Senior Preston Hyde had 24 of his game-high 37 points in the first quarter, as the Eagles led 42-10 at the end of the first quarter and then 64-21 at halftime. After hitting just a layup in the second quarter, Hyde ripped off 11 in the third quarter before checking out of his final regular-season game at “The Nest.”
Hyde has 972 total points, giving him a legitimate chance at 1,000 for his career before season’s end. He has scored at least 32 points in three of Hiwassee Dam’s last four games before press time Tuesday.
“He’s in a groove,” Raper said. “The team’s getting it to him where he needs it. He ain’t over-shooting it. He’s sharing it too.”
Though Hyde led the way, 12 of the 14 Eagles scored while everyone got playing time. All four seniors scored, with reserve Caden Twiggs swishing a three in the second quarter.
Two players besides Hyde scored in double figures, with junior varsity’s Aiden Bennett adding 12 and junior Jonah Hamby 11. Hiwassee Dam led by 40 early in the second quarter, though the running clock didn’t start until the third due to N.C. High School Athletic Association rules.
The Eagles played Nantahala again at the Hawks home gym after press time Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Little SMC tournament.