SHADY SPRING- The Greenbrier East Spartans waited until the final game of the year to have their most difficult offensive night of the 2025-26 season.
The Spartans traveled to Shady Spring in what was an extremely hyped-up contest between two teams who have developed a little rivalry in Class AAA over the last couple of seasons. Unfortunately, Greenbrier East just could not get anything going on offense and the Tigers, although not a juggernaut offensive performance, did just enough to seal a 53-39 victory in the Region III co-final.
Coincidentally, it was the same game that ended the Spartans season a year ago as they fell short of the state tournament by one game two years in a row.
East had just five points after the first quarter and then showed just nine points at the halftime break. Still, they only trailed by eight as their defense kept them close.
But in the second half, Shady’s Coby Dillon and Cutter Boggs teamed up outside and inside to pull away from the veteran Spartan group.
Junior Darius Burns led East with 13 points, including three makes from beyond the 3-point arc. He will be one of the key pieces to the 2027 Spartan team. Seniors Nathan Dixon and Brody Hamric–one of the better tandems the school has seen in recent years– were held to 11 and 5 points, respectively. Both of those guys dressed in the green and gold for the final time as did Sam Hawver, Gabe Neal, and Dubya Vickers (who scored the final two points of the year).
One disparity in the contest was at the free throw line. The Tigers connected on 18-of-24 while the Spartans shot two the entire game, midway through the fourth quarter.
East also shot just 5-22 from 3-point range.
Dillon scored 22 for Shady and Boggs added 12.
Shady Spring has already been tabbed the seventh seed in next week’s state tournament. They will face North Marion on Wednesday at 1:00 PM in Charleston.
The Spartans season is over, and they finished with a final record of 17-7.
