Oak Hill High School

The Oak Hill Golden Eagles captured their first Grant Four Freshmen Championship since the 2021–2022 season with a commanding 57–31 victory over rival Eastbrook in the title game at Oak Hill High School in Mier. This championship matchup was a rematch of last Friday’s overtime thriller that slipped away from Oak Hill. From the opening tip, the Golden Eagles were determined to flip the script. Tytan Ott, Corey Templin, and Tanner Martin each drained early three-pointers, while Tayt Bowlin added a bucket inside. Oak Hill’s full-court press fueled an up-tempo style, allowing Ott and Templin to score in transition and claim a narrow 15–14 lead after one. The second quarter saw the Golden Eagles take control. They attacked the paint relentlessly, with Ott, Templin, Bowlin, and Matthew Lawson all finishing layups. Graham Arrendale splashed a triple as Oak Hill’s defense locked in, forcing Eastbrook into tough shots and limiting them to one attempt per possession through elite rebounding. Possession by possession, the lead grew to nine at halftime: 30–21. Coach Law challenged his squad at the break to stack defensive stops and keep opponents to single possessions. The Golden Eagles answered emphatically in the third. Relentless pressure and board-crashing from all five on the floor turned into easy offense. Arrendale and Templin heated up for seven and five points respectively, while Christian Pavey and Templin added two each. The suffocating defense held Eastbrook in check, ballooning the lead to 21 points entering the fourth: 46–25. With the Grant Four crown on the line, Oak Hill’s mantra was simple: “finish.” Eastbrook pressed desperately to spark a comeback, but the Golden Eagles handled the pressure like champions, attacking the foul line repeatedly. Arrendale, Templin, and Pavey combined for eight made free throws, while Arrendale added five more from the field. Rebounding became the dagger. Oak Hill crashed the glass and limited the Panthers to just six fourth-quarter points in a decisive closeout. Arrendale led all scorers with 20 points, Templin added 13, Ott poured in 12, Pavey 5, Bowlin 4, Martin 3, and Lawson 2. The Golden Eagles improved to 9–3 on the season after also defeating Southwood 34–15 in the morning semifinal to reach the championship game. Next up: Monday, January 26th, vs. Frankton at The Eagles Nest, tip-off 6:00 p.m.