Jeff Linville | The News

Surry Central’s Colby Chilton takes a push and still converts a basket in transition. The Eagles nipped Forbush in the first game of the season.

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DOBSON — Surry Central came from a basket behind in the fourth quarter to squeeze by Forbush 57-52 in the season opener.

The Golden Eagles led nearly the whole way for the first three quarters. Then the Falcons scored the first six points of the fourth to take a 42-40 lead with less than six minutes to go.

The Eagles would build a lead, but burly center Todd Patterson kept bulling his way to the basket to carry the Falcons at critical times.

“This first game, we’d do some good things and give ourselves a little cushion, then we did some bad things,” said Coach Ken Eiswald.

The offense wasn’t smooth and sometimes the players weren’t patient on running set plays, he said, but right after Forbush took the lead, the players settled down and ran two great possessions in a row.

With the defense locking down as well, the Eagles tied the game and then built an eight-point cushion all in about two minutes, Eiswald said.

The boys didn’t shoot free throws very well down the stretch, the coach said, but they hung on for a tough non-conference win.

Some of the young guys needed to see the speed of the varsity game, the coach said. They were getting to the right position, but they were just a split-second slow.

Still, he credited those younger teammates for getting the Eagles going in the first quarter.

The score was 6-5 Forbush when Eiswald went to his second unit.

“The starters weren’t putting the pressure on,” he said, and the reserves gave the team a lift.

In the second quarter, it was knotted 22-all when big man Zach Wilmoth broke loose. He scored inside, then scored and was fouled on a dunk attempt. He earned another three-point play a moment later after he and Colby Chilton played volleyball on the offensive glass. As he was knocked back to the floor, Wilmoth flipped the ball into the basket.

His free throw gave the Eagles an 11-2 run that led to the 33-26 halftime lead.

The guys will have to get better at blending together on offense, said Eiswald. The timing wasn’t there on the offensive end, but that will come with repetitions in practice and games.

The Eagles travel to Wilkes Central tonight.