By THOMAS P. WEAVER
HORIZON Editor
SPENCER-The Clay County Bulldogs fired another shot heard far and wide here Saturday night, as they followed the Lady Bulldogs lead from last week, when they knocked off AP #1-ranked Clarkrange, and pulled off the upset of AP #2-ranked Van Buren County, to keep their season alive and advance to the Region 3-A Tournament semifinal round in Sparta this week.
The improbable road win came after the Dawgs laid an egg in the District 6-A consolation game, which relegated them to traveling for their region-opener.
An uninspired 60-43 loss to Jackson County, a team they had swept in the regular season, handed Clay County a #4 seed, but it apparently also served as a wake-up call.
With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Dawgs shocked the world and lived to fight another day.

REGION 3-A QUARTERFINAL
Bulldogs………..….….…….84
Van Buren.……………….….76
Clay County pulled off what many deemed impossible here over the weekend and, despite an amazing 42-point outing by Van Buren County’s Mr. Basketball Finalist Caden Mills, the Bulldogs ended the Eagles’ season with an epic 84-76 victory over the heavily-favored District 5-A champions.
Landen Woodcock and Gavin Silk countered Mills’ big night with 27 and 21 points respectively, but the entire team’s effort is what led to the historic upset.
Every Clay County player who hit the floor contributed and they did it on both ends of the court.
B.J. Emberton not only came up big offensively with seven first-quarter points to help the Dawgs secure a 22-17 lead heading into the second stanza, but he also paced Mills and limited the Tennessee Tech signee’s effectiveness early on.
Three quick fouls on the athletic junior were then whistled in the opening minutes of the second and Emberton was forced to sit out the remainder of the first half, allowing Mills to go to work, but the Bulldogs were up to the challenge.
While Mills scored Van Buren’s final 13 points of the half, Clay County answered with more and extended their lead.
A Silk ‘and-one’ paired with a Ben Bailey three followed Mills’ first two and a Sage Tiernan basket duped the next, before a Jake Ashlock traditional three-point play and multiple baskets from Woodcock extended the Bulldog lead to 42-32 at intermission.
Mills quickly cut the Clay County advantage in half to open the third, but with the score at 44-39, Woodcock and Silk combined for an 8-0 run to extend the Bulldog margin out to 13 midway through the period.
Fortunately, Clay County held that advantage, as Ashlock—who also finished in double-figures with 13, Bailey, Woodcock, Mason Sharp, and Heath Kimes answered Eagle scores, and the Dawgs headed into the final frame up 64-51.
There Mills quickly got the margin under double-digits, before Van Buren went on a 7-0 run to make it 71-69 with three minutes to play—but Clay County didn’t fold.
Despite the deafening roar of the Eagle crowd, the Dawgs maintained their composure and put the game away.
Silk scored to get it back to a two-possession game and Woodcock took control of the ball on every Bulldog possession. Van Buren was forced to foul as the clock ticked away and Clay County went a perfect eight for eight from the line to ice the eight-point victory.
DAWGS (84)-Woodcock 27, Silk 21, Ashlock 13, Emberton 9, Bailey 5, Kimes 4, Sharp 3, Tiernan 2.