Polk’s playoff hopes get boost with win over Madison

Some five weeks ago, Polk County went on the road and routed Madison, improved its record to 3-3 and held high hopes for the season ahead.

Tuesday night, Polk County again defeated Madison, and while that win was the first since that game in Marshall, a nine-game losing streak in between, hope once more lives on the Wolverine sideline.

Polk County’s 74-67 victory not only returned the Wolverines to the win column, it also moved Polk County back into the playoff picture in the Western Highlands Conference.

At 2-4, Polk sits in fifth place, but just a game behind both Mitchell and Owen. The latter is significant because two 2A teams from the WHC earn automatic postseason bids, with Owen currently sitting in the second 2A position. Polk County still has two games remaining with the Warhorses.

Granted, the Wolverines (4-12, 2-4) need to beat someone in the league other than Madison (1-15, 0-7), but the opportunity is there for Polk to play itself into the state 2A playoffs.

“We’ve got a chance to win several games the rest of the way. But to do that, you’ve got to win the first game,” said Polk County head coach Josh McEntire. “Hopefully this will get us on a winning streak and give us a chance hopefully to make the playoffs.”

Performances like that of sophomore Dillion Overholt will help. Overholt scored 23 points, providing offensive punch in the backcourt to ease the load on leading scorer Jamal Wheeler. Wheeler finished with 13 points, with Jaymes Wingo scoring 16 and Holden Owens adding 10.

“Dillion was the key tonight,” McEntire said. “Dillion got after it from beginning to end. He was the key, and that’s the kind of Dillion I think we’ll see from now on.

“Holden and Jaymes were both in double figures, and that’s huge. They both really added a spark.”

Polk trailed early, but surged to a 36-25 halftime lead and a 57-40 bulge at the start of the fourth quarter. Madison, though, opened the fourth with a 13-2 run, its pressure defense forcing a handful of turnovers, and continued to rally until cutting Polk’s lead to 61-58 with 3:29 left.

Wes Mullis hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to five. Mullis then rebounded a Madison miss on the other end and tossed the outlet pass to Wheeler, who drove the length of the court for a layup and a 65-58 lead.

Madison cut the lead to four, but a Mullis free throw and a three-point play from Wheeler – the senior stealing a Madison pass, driving into the lane and hitting a spinning layup while being fouled – upped the Wolverines’ edge to 69-61 with 1:28 remaining and ended the Patriots’ comeback hopes.

“I told them that we could come out in the fourth quarter and play a good three or four minutes and put them away,” McEntire said. “But our intensity level just dropped. We were able to get it back for a couple of minutes at the end.

“It’s great to get a win and get a conference win on top of that, especially against a hungry team also looking for a win.”

Mullis added eight points for Polk, which also got two points each from Daniel Painter and Davis Derkach.