After winning the Little Smoky Mountain Conference, the Hiwassee Dam boys varsity basketball team was seeded No. 9 in the state 1A playoffs.
They defeated Rosman at home in the first round, then – for the first time since the 2010-11 season – advanced to the second round, where they fell to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on the road.
Boys beat Tigers
The Eagles kicked off their 2025-26 playoff campaign against a familiar foe. In the first round, Hiwassee Dam hosted Rosman of the Big Smoky Mountain Conference.
The Eagles got the 72-48 win on Feb. 24 to defeat the Tigers for the second time this season. Hiwassee Dam’s boys varsity team was seeded No. 9 and Rosman was No. 24, which sent Rosman on the road to Hiwassee Dam in the opening round.
Both teams were close in the early minutes, but then the Eagles pulled away. Hiwassee Dam built a 14-4 lead with 2:02 left, prompting a Rosman timeout. Rosman made a late push and the Eagles led 19-11 after the first quarter.
The Eagles maintained a lead around 10 points throughout the second quarter and led 35-26 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Eagles maintained their lead with Rosman just a step behind. The Tigers were not out of the game as the Eagles maintained the lead.
The court tilted in favor of the Eagles in the fourth quarter as they pulled away and scored 17 points. The Eagles held Rosman to just six points in the fourth quarter en route to getting the 72-48 win.
Jonah Dockery and Jimmy Kelly accounted for 52 of the Eagles’ 72 points in their win over Rosman, while Dockery had 31 points and Kelly had 21 points. Xavier Johnson had eight points, Abel Penland had seven points and Brock Orton had three points.
Eagles fall on road
For the first time in the 2010-11 season, the Eagles advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The Eagles hit the road and faced No. 8 seed Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in Mooresboro on Thursday.
With a 83-70 loss, the Eagles were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Gryphons of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.
It was a close opening quarter with the Gryphons leading 15-10 heading into the second quarter. The Eagles added 18 points in the second quarter, but trailed 35-28 at halftime.
The Gryphons continued to lead in the third quarter as they outscored the Eagles 20-18 for the second straight quarter. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles trailed 55-46.
In the highest scoring quarter of the game, the Gryphons outscored the Eagles 28-24 to secure the 83-70 win the game. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy advanced to face No. 1 seeded Robbinsville on Saturday in the Sweet 16.
The Eagles ended the season with a 17-11 overall record – their best record since they went 13-8 in the 2021-22 season. They were also crowned conference champions.