OHSAA Boys Basketball District Final
Saturday, March 7, 2026

Summit Country Day 67, West Liberty-Salem 40

@ Middletown High School

The West Liberty-Salem Tigers saw their postseason run come to an end Saturday morning with a 67–40 loss to Summit Country Day in the OHSAA Boys Basketball District Final at Middletown High School.

Summit Country Day came out aggressive from the opening tip, using tight man-to-man defense to force several early Tiger turnovers. The Silver Knights quickly capitalized, jumping out to a 6–0 lead before Brevin Louden got West Liberty-Salem on the board. Louden added a three-pointer shortly after to help keep the Tigers within striking distance, but Summit Country Day answered with another run to take a 16–5 lead after the first quarter.

West Liberty-Salem began to settle in during the second quarter. Sutton Wilcoxon opened the period with a three-pointer, and Carson Poppe later connected from deep to trim the deficit to seven.

The Tigers also switched to a zone defense in an effort to slow Summit Country Day’s offense, but the Silver Knights quickly adjusted, knocking down outside shots and converting transition opportunities during a 7–0 run that pushed the lead back to double digits.

Despite the push from WL-S, Summit Country Day continued to control the pace thanks to second-chance opportunities and strong athletic play on both ends of the floor. Louden added a free throw and a bucket late in the half, and Wilcoxon hit his second three of the game, but the Silver Knights carried a 35–19 advantage into halftime.

The game’s decisive stretch came early in the third quarter. Summit Country Day opened the half with a 12–3 run, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers and a transition dunk, extending the lead to 47–22. The run eventually grew to 16–3 as the Silver Knights built a commanding advantage midway through the period.

West Liberty-Salem responded with its best stretch of the game late in the third quarter. The Tigers closed the frame on an 8–0 run, sparked by back-to-back three-point plays from Sam Strapp and Carson Poppe to cut the deficit to 54–32 heading into the final quarter.

That momentum briefly continued into the fourth quarter when Beckett Sullivan finished at the rim to cap a 10–0 Tiger run, bringing the score to 54–34. However, Summit Country Day quickly stopped the rally with a short scoring burst and maintained control down the stretch as both teams traded baskets in the closing minutes.

Brevin Louden led West Liberty-Salem with 9 points, shooting 3-for-7 from the field. Sutton Wilcoxon added 8 points and 3 rebounds, hitting two three-pointers, while Carson Poppe finished with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

Sam Strapp also scored 6 points, and Troy Christison added 5 points and a steal. Beckett Sullivan grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds to go with 2 points, including four offensive boards, while Brandel Sullivan contributed 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Elijah Christison added 2 points.

As a team, the Tigers shot 14-of-43 from the field, including 4-of-18 from three-point range, and went 8-of-16 at the free throw line.

With the win, Summit Country Day advances while West Liberty-Salem finishes the season with an outstanding 21–4 record, tying the school record for wins in a season. The Tigers also put together a remarkable 14-game winning streak from January 6 until Saturday’s district final, highlighting a memorable season for the program.

The West Liberty-Salem coaching staff also expressed their appreciation to the program’s six seniors — JJ Johnson, Garrett Wallen, Sam Strapp, Elijah Christison, Carson Poppe, and Brevin Louden — thanking them for their commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the program. The staff noted the seniors have been outstanding young men who represented the West Liberty-Salem community with class throughout their time in the program.