Joseph City had their season come to a close in the 1A play-in game at home on Saturday night. The Wildcats were unable to overcome a one-point deficit going into the fourth period. They played tough but ended up on the wrong end of a 70-66 final outcome.
The fifth seeded Wildcats led the 12th seeded Chargers from Arete Prep by three points after the first eight minutes were in the books. That three-point cushion held to the half after both teams netted 19 in the second. The Chargers outscored the Wildcats 22-18 in the third, then again by three in the fourth to secure the win and advance to the eight team 1A championship bracket.
Joseph City got a huge performance from Jay Edwards who finished with 34 points on just 20 shot attempts going 15 for 20 from the field. Ricky Hulsey finished with 12; Avery Buckley, 8; Seth Hutchens, 7; Tyler Penrod, 3; and Latrell Kinlicheenie had just two in the loss. Hutchens, and Kinlicheenie had stellar seasons but the Chargers were able to keep them down in scoring. Edwards definitely picked up the slack. Along with his 34 points the junior Wildcat added nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Joseph City ends their season with an overall record of 20-9. They won the regular season title in the 1A central going 10-2 in region games. None of the 1A central teams advanced to the 1A state championship bracket.
