CHARLESTON, W,Va The Matewan Tigers head to Charleston in the morning, ready to start climbing the final rungs in the ladder that leads to the goal they set at the beginning of the season: nothing less than a Class A State Championship,

And nothing, not even a No. 6 seeding that many were shocked by, can phase the Tigers or dampen their spirits at this point.

“I think we’re ready and I think we’ll do alright” said Matewan Head Coach Phillip Mitchell, “Seeding doesn’t really matter because you’ve got to win three games to win it anyway. We’re not focused on seeding. We’re glad to be in it, but our goal is to win it and we’re going to do that the same as always, taking one game at a time.”

The Tigers are up a against a Tough Tucker County Mountain Lions team in the first game of the tournament tomorrow morning.

The Mountain Lions are led by 26 year head coaching veteran Tom Gutshall who earlier this season collected his 400th career win.

The Tucker County leading scorers for are junior forward Josh Poling at 15.8 ppg. and senior point guard Darius Dillard at 15.5 ppg. Poling is averaging 7.4 rebounds a game, which is the team best. In the sectional final, senior F/C Dylan Simmons led them with 23 point and then he had 20 against Notre Dame in the regional final.

Dillard averages 5.4 assists a game, sophomore F Logan Snyder is at 3.5 assists per game and junior G Ethan Slaubaugh is at 2.9 assists per game..

All of the five mentioned above are their starters and each has scored at least 18 points in a game this season, so they can get offense from lots of places. Gutshall likes to play up tempo, lots of man-to-man defense.

First guys off the Tucker bench are seniors Casey Phillips and Patrick Myers.

Matewan counters with a powerful trio of it’s own. Senior guard Brandon Burgraff averages 27 ppg. and is a McDonalds All-American nominee. Senior Center MAtt Kennedy and Senior Forward Colton Copley each are forces on the boards, each having double figures in both scoring and rebounding in at least 5 games this season.

I think we’ll do alright” said Mitchell. Our guys are over the emotional high of the regional and they’re back to business. Tucker’s good. They’re fundamentally sound. They didn’t get here just on their looks. But it’ll be a matter of who wants it worst and I think we’ll do alright. I really believe we’re ready.”