Oak Hill High School

The Oak Hill Golden Eagles demonstrated true character and championship resilience Thursday night in Russiaville, overcoming their toughest shooting night of the season to grind out a 29–21 victory over the Western Panthers. The game opened as an offensive struggle with both teams ice-cold from the floor. Graham Arrendale provided Oak Hill’s lone field goal, and Matthew Lawson added a free throw, but Western connected on a three-pointer and a free throw to take a slim 4–3 lead after the first quarter. The second quarter offered little relief, but scoring remained scarce on both ends. Lawson carried the load for the Golden Eagles with five points (mix of drives and free throws), matching Western’s output and keeping the halftime deficit at just one: 9–8 Panthers. Oak Hill finally ignited in the third quarter, rediscovering the relentless energy that has defined their season. The defense stiffened, the pace quickened, and determination surged. Tanner Martin, Lawson, and Cristian Pavey each knocked down field goals, while Tytan Ott and Lawson converted free throws. The Golden Eagles erased the Panther lead, took their first advantage of the game, and headed into the fourth up 16–13. The effort carried seamlessly into the final frame. Committed to attacking the rim, Oak Hill earned repeated trips to the foul line. Ott splashed a three-pointer and added a free throw, Corey Templin exploded for six points, and Arrendale and Lawson chipped in more from the charity stripe. When the game hung in the balance and an opportunity to fold presented itself, the Golden Eagles stayed locked in, held strong defensively, and extended the lead for a well-earned closeout win. This was by far the coldest shooting performance of the year, but the fight never wavered - especially after trailing in the second half. Lawson led with 10 points, Templin added 6, Ott 5, Arrendale 4, and Pavey 2. The victory was built on defense, rebounding battles, mental toughness, and refusing to let a bad shooting night define them. Oak Hill now wraps an intense four-games-in-a-week stretch with their final contest of the busy run: a home triple-header against Homestead in the main gym Saturday, tip-off 11:00 a.m.