By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ATHENS — It seems the Chesapeake Panthers are always down but never out.

Trailing yet again — this time for the first three quarters and by as many as 7 points — the Panthers showed their resolve as they rallied to beat the Wheelersburg Pirates 49-45 on Friday as they won the Division 5 district championship at Ohio University.

The Panthers (22-3) had one lead in the first half at 4-2 on a 13-footer by Maddox Kazee with 2:45 on the first quarter clock.

They didn’t get the lead again until 6:37 was left to play as Ethan Kerns drove the baseline for a layup and put Chesapeake ahead 33-32.

Chesapeake then got a layup by Philip Thacker, a free throw from Karson Frecka and another layup by Thacker to lead 38-32 midway through the quarter.

Wheelersburg came back to tie the game at 43-all with just 44 seconds to play on a runout layup by Xander Mowery, but Kaden Perkins converted a 3-point play with 30 seconds left for a 46-43 lead.

Rucker made two foul shots with 23 seconds left to get the Pirates within 46-45.

Frecka was fouled and made a free throw with 15 seconds left after Kazee picked off an inbounds pass,

The Pirates missed a point blank layup that would have tied the game and Frecka got the rebound and was fouled. Frecka made a free throw with 4 seconds left and it was 48-45.

Kazee got the ball back and was fouled. He hit the second of two free throws with one second left on the clock to seal the district title.

The Pirates (12-12) led 7-6 after the first quarter and 19-17 at the half thanks to a 3-pointer by Jack Doerr that gave Wheelersburg a 19-14 lead.

Kazee drilled a 3-pointer with 1:35 left to cut the lead to just 2 points.

Kazee converted a 3-point play to start the second half and gave the Panthers their first lead of the game.

But Landon McGraw made 2 foul shots as the Pirates regained the lead and a 3-pointer by Mowery made it 24-20.

Hunter Bevins 3-pointer with 3:25 to go in the third quarter gave the Pirates their biggest lead of the game at 30-23.

But a couple of layups by Frecka and a 12-footer by Kazee got the Panthers to within 32-29.

Kerns sank 2 free throws one minute into the fourth quarter  and his layup put the Panthers up 33-32. Wheelersburg scored at the 3:38 mark  for its first basket of the quarter and that set the stage for the thrilling finish.

Kazee scored a game-high 20 points to go with 5 rebounds to lead the Panthers. Frecka scored 9 points and had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Ethan Kerns got 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Rucker scored 14 points for the Pirates and had 5 assists. Miller had  point 6 rebounds.

Chesapeake will now play the winner of Martins Ferry vs. St. Clairsville.

Wheelersburg    7 12 13 13 = 45

Chesapeake  6 11 12 20 = 49

WHEELERSBURG (12-13): Braylon Rucker 6 0 2-3 14, Hunter Bevins 0 2 0-0 6, Xander Mowery 1 2 0-0 8, Xavier Miller 2 1 2-2 9, Kenyon Evans 0 0 0-0 0, Jack Doerr 0 1 0-0 3, Landon McGraw 0 1 2-2 5. Totals: 14 6 8-9 45. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Rucker.

CHESAPEAKE (22-3): Ethan Kerns 1 1 3-5 8, Drew Plantz 0 2 0-0 3, Kaden Perkins 1 0 1-1 3, Maddox Kazee 6 2 2-3 20, Philip Thacker 2 0 2-2 6, Karson Frecka 3 0 3-6 9. Totals: 13 4 11-17 49. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.