by Jamie Harris
The Berkeley Springs Indians are on a tear, extending their winning streak to five games and improving to 12–6 on the season with only three regular‑season contests remaining.
Their recent surge has been powered by the breakout emergence of Brennan Hoover, who has delivered back‑to‑back standout performances and the steady scoring consistency of Sammy Stotler, whose leadership and reliability continue to anchor the Tribe.
On Tuesday, February 17, an electric home crowd packed the Berkeley Springs High School gym as the Indians hosted Moorefield. After a tight first half that saw Berkeley Springs leading 14–12 after the first quarter and 24–23 at halftime, the Indians came alive in the third quarter.
Cranking up the defensive intensity, the Tribe exploded on a 19–8 run to seize control, entering the fourth with a 43–31 advantage before closing out a strong 62–43 victory.
Four players reached double figures, including Sammy Stotler with 16 points, Hoover with 15, Landon Stotler with 14 and Jake Aulabaugh with 11.
In the junior varsity matchup earlier in the evening, the JV Indians claimed a 47–37 win behind freshman Levi McFarland’s 15 points, followed by contributions from Nick Quarantillo (13), Conner Maconaughey (7), Saul Williams (5), Jalen Miller (5) and Ethan Rawlings (2).
Two days later, on February 19, the Indians went to Hancock, Md., for another chapter of the “Battle of the Potomac.” Berkeley Springs wasted no time turning the rivalry game into a showcase, unleashing one of their most dominant offensive performances of the year in a commanding 79–49 victory.
The Tribe led 20–10 after the first quarter, stretched the margin to 42–26 at halftime, and continued pouring it on in the third to go up 59–37 before finishing the job in the fourth.
Hoover once again shined with 18 points, while Landon Stotler added 16, Sammy Stotler chipped in 12 and Aulabaugh followed with 8.
Additional scoring came from Kyle Moore and LT Tausen with 7 a piece, Colten Dixon with 5 and both Quarantillo and Maconaughey scoring 2 each.
With their record now sitting at 12–6 and confidence at its peak, the Indians enter the final week of the regular season focused and hungry for more. They hosted Keyser on February 23 and will travel to Paw Paw on February 26, and celebrate Senior Recognition Night on February 27 in their home finale against Petersburg. For all home dates except the Paw Paw matchup, the freshmen will play at 5 p.m., JV at 6 p.m. and the varsity squad will take the floor at 7:30 p.m.
With momentum building and key players hitting their stride, Berkeley Springs looks poised to make noise as postseason play approaches.