The Monroe Central Golden Bears, a semi-state team last season, traveled to Hagerstown on Saturday, Dec. 20, for a nonconference game with the Hagerstown Tigers in a tournament-type atmosphere.
The teams traded the lead eight times and the game was tied eight times. The Tigers led 16-12 after the first quarter. The Bears led 34-28 at halftime. The two teams were deadlocked at 53-53 after three quarters. The game was last tied at 68–68, with 1:26 remaining, before the Bears closed out the win from the free throw line.
Ta’Shawn Beatty led the Bears with 25 points, Luke Morgan scored 23 and Jackson Konkle scored 17 points. Two sophomores led the Tiger offense and both scored career highs: Jayke Troutwine scored 38 points and Kaden Hall scored 18 points.
Hagerstown head coach Tyler Stotler said his team was not built to give up 77 points on defense. “We could not maintain our focus tonight,” Stotler said. ”Our energy was just not there. Maybe it is a lingering effect from our emotional game two days ago. But for whatever reason we could not maintain our energy and make good decisions with the ball. We can not give up 77 points and beat really good teams. The experience of playing in this game has to make us better. Jayke (Troutwine) was outstanding tonight and Kaden (Hall) turned in an incredible performance. I am really proud of him.”
Monroe Central head coach Brian Klein called the game a great high school game. “The atmosphere tonight was absolutely awesome,” Klein said. “We set our schedule up to play three games this week and we wanted to play elite competition on Saturday because that is the way it will be during the sectional. It was two really good teams that played the right way. It was fun to be a part of a game like that and without question tonight is the best we have played this year. Both teams will be better because of it.”
Monroe Central (5-1) 12 22 19 24 77
Hagerstown (3-3) 16 12 25 20 73
Monroe Central (77)
Morgan 23, Eli French 5, Konkle 17. Griffin Gannum 4, Peyton Chamness 3, Miles Gross 0, LaDainian Isom 0, Beatty 25
Hagerstown (73)
Graham Vinson 4, Troutwine 38, Isaac Schmitz 2, Lincoln Small 2, Hall 18, Jonny Howard 7, Zerek Jett 2
JV Results: Monroe Central 55, Hagerstown 47 (Nick Hileman 14, Elijah French 10)
A version of this article appeared in the December 24 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.