Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PIKETON — There’s nothing wrong with leaving your best for last, but this is ridiculous.
Trailing by 15 points after three quarters, the Chesapeake Panthers poured in 27 points in the fourth quarter as they rallied to beat the Zane Trace Lady Pioneers 62-61 last Saturday in the season opener.
Eight different players scored for Chesapeake led by Eli Archer with 22 points — all from the field. Travis Grim added nine points, Levi Blankenship eight and Nathan Cox and Tylan Hutchison six each.
Alex Blanton hit three 3-pointers as he scored a game-high 25 points for Piketon (0-1). Jacob Mathews added 12 points.
Blanton scored seven points and Mathews four as Piketon took a 16-15 first quarter lead. Archer had eight and both Cox and Trent Dearth four points each for the Panthers.
Blanton scored nine points including a 3-pointer and Chris Chandler added a triple as the Red Streaks built a 34-25 halftime lead.
Grim scored five points and Logan Walsh hit a trifecta for the Panthers.
The Red Streaks extended the lead to 50-35 at the end of the third quarter as Blake Readers scored all seven of his points. Archer had six points for Chesapeake.
But in the fourth quarter, seven different players had points as the Panthers outscored Piketon 27-11.
Archer had six points, Blankenship hit a 3-pointer, Grim was 4-of-4 and Austin Jackson 2-of-2 at the foul line to lead the Chesapeake offensive surge.
Chesapeake was 12-of-14 from the foul line for the game including 8-of-10 in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers play Athens at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Big E Classic at Proctorville.
Chesapeake 15 10 10 27 = 62
Piketon 16 18 16 11 = 61
CHESAPEAKE (1-0): Logan Walsh 1 1 1-2 6, Travis Grim 2 0 5-5 9, Nathan Cox 2 0 2-4 6, Austin Jackson 1 0 2-2 4. Trent Dearth 2 0 0-0 4, Tylan Hutchison 3 0 0-0 6, Jacob Lemley 0 0 0-0 0, Eli Archer 11 0 0-1 22. Totals: 23 2 12-14 62. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.
PIKETON (0-1): Alex Blanton 7 3 2-2 25, Shane Leedy 1 0 0-0 2, Brody Fuller 0 0 0-0 0, Logan Nichols 1 0 0-0 2, Scottie Lightle 3 0 0-0 6, Chris Chandler 0 1 0-1 3, Zach Clinger 0 0 0-0 0, Breyton Jones 0 0 0-0 0, Blake Reader 2 0 3-5 7, Jacob Mathews 6 0 0-2 12, Tyree Harris 2 0 0-1 4. Totals: 22 4 5-12 61. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.