Fans at West Junior High received more than they could ask for Thursday night during West’s ninth-grade game against Southwest Junior High.

The West Junior High Warhawks overcame a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Bulldogs in dramatic fashion by the score 58-55.

Southwest came out hitting on all cylinders with points coming from every player and position on the court. Guards Bobby Davis and Dorian Green led the way, penetrating the Warhawks defense with ease and dishing to open teammates such as Connor Monarez, who was 2-of-2 from downtown in the opening quarter.

The Warhawks battled back in the second period when Jake Miller found his shot from behind the arc. Miller started the quarter with seven straight points – including an unusual four-point play when he hit a free throw after banking in a three-pointer from near-NBA range.

Miller’s long-distance shooting was a bright spot in the first half as his third three-pointer brought West to within six points.

But the Bulldog defense held the rest of the Warhawk offense in check, including guard Marcus Spates, who had trouble penetrating as he drew continuous double and triple coverage.

If that wasn’t enough, Southwest’s Green hit a three at the last second of the half to send West into its own locker room down 40-28.

“Southwest shot awesome,” West coach Stan Frantz said. “I didn’t know if they could sustain it for the whole game.”

The Bulldogs held their hot shooting touch throughout the third quarter with Green and Davis continuing their scoring ways on their way to 12 and 15 points, respectively. Lance Kilburn and Stuart Coldsnow also added key buckets to help the Bulldogs hold their 12-point lead going into the final quarter.

Bulldog Dorian Green grabs the rebound from Warhawk Chase Hoag Thursday at West Junior High. Green's three-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave his team a 40-28 lead at the break. In the second it was Hoag who helped close the gap and fell just two points shy of recording the double-double in West's 58-55 victory.

However, that final quarter saw an entirely different Warhawk team come out on the floor. With West’s leading scorer, Miller, sitting out in favor of a more defensive-minded lineup, the Warhawks found scoring from different sources.

Forwards Chase Hoag and Colter Scott came up big, combining for 10 points in the final period, as well as helping clear the lane for a resurgent Spates, who scored the majority of his 13 points in the fourth.

A 14-2 run by the Warhawks tied the game with just over three minutes to play.

The Bulldogs’ shooting, once scorching hot, went ice cold in the final quarter as they managed only four points. The open looks remained for Southwest, but the kind of shots that went in all game now bounced out.

With under 10 seconds to play and his team down three points, Southwest head coach Mike Lewis watched two three-point attempts go awry and what once looked like a win slip away.

“We had the heart and competed, but the wheels just came off,” Lewis said. “The games between these two schools are usually tight, unfortunately this time we let the lead get away from us.”

An elated Hoag, who ended the game just shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, exchanged hugs with family and friends as the West student body celebrated at center court.

“We’re definitely a fourth-quarter team,” Hoag said. “We wanted the game so bad, and luckily Southwest missed some shots down the stretch to give us the chance.”