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RUTLEDGE – Drew Branson just continues to do Drew Branson things.

The Grainger senior has been virtually unstoppable lately and that was on display again on Friday as he scored 31 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 70-65 win over South Greene. “Drew is pretty special and I’m really glad he’s on my team. He is good with pace and tempo and everyone knows when we have to have a big basket where the basketball needs to go,” Grainger head coach Adam Wolfenbarger said of Branson who got to the 30-point mark for the third time this season.

The last time the two teams met, South Greene gave Grainger one of their worst losses of the year, a 30-point setback in Greeneville. Wolfenbarger said that team and the one that showed up on Friday night at The Den are two polar opposites. “I told our guys in the pre-game, I thought we played bad up there and I told (South Greene head coach) Terry Hoese I would be disappointed if we didn’t have a good ballgame tonight. Our guys are putting in some solid work, they are grinding and they are getting this thing going in the right direction.”

“It’s all their work, it’s all them,” Wolfenbarger said as he was singing his teams’ praises. “I told them when they understand it’s their work, their time, their energy, when it’s not given to them, when it’s not manufactured by me, it’s a little more special to them and our guys are starting to believe in themselves.”

Grainger controlled the first period as Branson scored nine of the Grizzlies 15 points and led by eight at the end of the first eight minutes of play. Branson and Kade Williams each banged home three-pointers in the second to put the Grizzlies up 25-12 but Cooper Kelley kept the Rebels within striking distance as he netted 11 points in the second frame.

His three with just four seconds left in the first half made it 34-28, Grainger, at the break.

The lead once again reached 12 points early in the third as Branson drained another triple and Brizen Solomon muscled his way to five points in a row in the paint to make it a 42-30 affair. When Logan Johnson connected on a downtown attempt, it appeared as if the Grizzlies were about to salt the game away. That turned out to not be the case as Jase Roderick drew the hoop and harm and Andrew Thornburg was fouled on an attempt of a three and hit the trio of free throws to get the Rebels to within one at the end of three, 52-51.

Thornburg continued to dominate to start the fourth as his shot, foul and free throw gave South Greene their first lead in the contest, 54-52.

They built a two-possession lead when Thornburg hit a three but then Grainger was able to whittle the deficit down to one on a Branson bucket. Those two points were part of nine straight points by the Grizzlies’ senior leader and then another senior, Brady Smith, had the biggest defensive play of the night for Grainger as he stole the ball way and went to the hoop for the points. TJ Buckner was able to score with 36 seconds left to get the Grainger lead to two but Kade Williams had a huge steal with 13 seconds to go and after he was fouled and hit both free tosses, the writing was on the wall for South Greene in the 70-65 Grizzlies’ triumph.

Friday’s win was the third in a row for Grainger and fifth in the last six games. Wolfenbarger said one thing sticks out the most as being the reason for the Grizzlies’ recent success. “We are defending very well and giving ourselves opportunities and now, the game is rewarding us because we are playing harder and we are making a few more shots. The biggest thing with us right now is we have a level of confidence we have not had earlier. We are confident right now and it’s starting to pay off for us.”

Grainger will welcome Union County to The Den on Tuesday night.