The Cashion boys’ and girls’ basketball teams opened the 2024-25 season on the road versus Chisholm in a cross-class battle between the 2A Wildcats and 3A Longhorns.
Head coach John Hardaway’s boys edged out a 52-51 win over the Longhorns behind Parker Mitchell’s late free throws, and coach Andrea Taylor’s girls took care of business winning 50-34. Both Wildcats’ teams move to 1-0 on the season.
Cashion’s boys trailed 51-49 in the waning seconds of Tuesday’s showdown. The Wildcats had possession with 4.5 seconds remaining on the clock and quickly advanced the ball for a final shot. Parker Mitchell took the inbound and attempted a contested three but was fouled by Longhorns’ defenders as the shot left his hands, giving him three free throws with 0.3 seconds to go.
Mitchell, who transferred to Cashion from Edmond North, rattled the first shot in despite a raucous Chisholm home crowd. His second shot was no good, but the officials waved it off after Chisholm players were caught waving their arms to distract Mitchell. He sank the second free throw to tie the game at 51-51, then hit the third shot for the one-point lead with under a second to go.
Chisholm put up a heave from full court but came up short. Cashion emerged victorious in its season opener, 52-51, to start 1-0 for the eighth-straight season. Parker Mitchell ended with 23 points, followed by 11 points for Anthony Wilburn and five for Drake Woody.
Earlier in the day, the Cashion girls’ team won by 16 over Chisholm thanks to a defensive clinic by the Wildcats and Megan Shafer’s team-high 13 points. Cashion allowed just two points in the first quarter and six points in the second quarter as they rolled to a 50-34 win on the road.
The Wildcats went 20-8 in 2023 with an appearance in the 2A area tournament.
Both Wildcats’ teams will play next at Morrison on Friday, Dec. 6. The girls play first at 6 P.M., then the boys at 7:30 P.M.