Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — Pick your poison.
The Chesapeake Panthers had five players in double figures as they stayed unbeaten with a 78-61 rout of the Athens Bulldogs on Saturday in the Big E Classic at Fairland High School.
Levi Blankenship scored 18 points to lead the quintet in double figures. Josh Cox scored 15, Trent Dearth 15, Nathan Cox 12 and Travis Grim 10 points for the Panthers (4-0).
Athens (3-2) was led by Isaiah Butcher with 17 points, Brayden Markins scored 14 and Brayden Whitting added 13.
The game was tied 12-all after the first quarter as Blankenship hit a pair of 3-pointers and Josh Cox scored for more for the Panthers while Whitting had 5 points and Will Matters hit a 3-pointer for Athens.
But the Panthers offense got rolling in the second quarter as they scored 22 points in each of the next three quarters.
Dearth scored 11 points in the second quarter as Chesapeake went up 34-26 at the half.
Grim scored all his points in the third quarter and the Panthers converted 6-of-7 free throws to extend the lead to 56-41.
Nathan Cox had 7 points, Dilen Caldwell hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points while Blankenship and Josh Cox had 4 each as the Panthers continued to pull away.
Butcher scored 8 of Athens’ 20 points in the quarter with Jack Cornwell and Joey Moore each hitting triples.
Athens 12 14 15 20 = 61
Chesapeake 12 22 22 22 = 78
ATHENS (3-2): Andrew Stephens 0 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Butcher 6 0 5-8 17, Brayden Markins 4 2 0-0 14, Nate Trainer 0 0 0-0 0, Reece Wallace 0 2 0-0 6, Brayden Whiting 6 0 1-2 13, Jack Conwell 0 1 0-0 3, Joey Moore 1 1 0-0 5, Will Matters 0 1 0-0 3, Jacob Sayers 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 7 6-10 61. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
CHESAPEAKE (4-0): Travis Grim 5 0 0-0 10, Nathan Cox 5 0 2-5 12, Levi Blankenship 5 2 2-2 18, Dilen Caldwell 1 1 0-0 5, Austin Jackson 1 0 1-1 3, Trent Dearth 5 0 3-3 13, Josh Cox 5 0 5-7 15, Ethan Taylor 1 0 0-0 2, Jacob Lemley 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 3 13-18 78. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.