COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time in a long time, "West High" was chanted in the fourth quarter of the echoing concrete stands of the iconic West High gymnasium.

Almost equally long of a drought, West knocked off Briggs for the first time in the last five tries, defeating their arch rival and taking control of the Hilltop for the first time since 2019.

The Cowboys used a massive second quarter to take control of Friday's City League showdown, holding off Briggs in the second half, 53-41. 

Sophomore guard Jahmere Johnson had the type of breakout night the Cowboys have been anticipating, as he knocked down back to back threes in a big second quarter run to give West the lead for the final time.

Going into halftime holding a 32-23 lead, West did not allow Briggs to inch closer for the rest of the second half. The Cowboys took advantage of unfortunate foul trouble for Briggs, as the Bruins were without senior big Jaquis Keaton for large stretches in the second half.

With West finally knocking down shots in the half court, the Cowboys were able to employ their full court trap defense, which caused all types of chaos for Briggs.

The Bruins had the advantage early, punishing West on the interior to hold a 14-10 lead after a quarter of play. Briggs went up by as much as seven points in the second quarter, however, West raced back in a hurry, as a three from junior Geovani Stuart started the run that Johnson only ignited on the following two possessions.

Briggs was out of rhythm for most of the second half, as the rowdy West crowd helped the Cowboys play with intense energy for the entirety of the game.

Despite turnover problems in the fourth quarter, West hung on in the final period, as Briggs wasn't much better in the ball control department.

Johnson led the way with 15 points, as no two shots were bigger than his back to back threes in the momentum changing second quarter. Stuart had a big showing off the bench, adding 11 points and knocking down every one of his attempts at the line.

After falling to 0-5 despite a few close losses, West has righted the ship in the last two games. Closing in the final quarter of back-to-back wins over Eastmoor Academy and Briggs, the Cowboys have great momentum heading into a busy week next week. With games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Cowboys will have every opportunity to get back to .500 at 5-5 before Christmas. 

For Briggs, the Bruins did not have a single player score more than seven points, as consistent offense was hard to come by from the second quarter on. The Bruins are reeling as of now, but have the potential to get back on track heading into Christmas break. 

Let's take a look at the five keys to Friday's banger on the west side.

1. Jahmere Johnson: The sophomore guard coming home to West was the biggest change in this program heading into the season. And Friday's performance showed exactly why. The Cowboys have not had a game-changing point guard like Johnson in decades, as he just does things that help this team compete at the level they have this season. His second quarter run was the momentum West needed to take the lead and never look back.

2. Foul trouble: Despite leading 14-10 after a quarter, Briggs was in slight trouble in the foul department with its top two scorers in Jaquise Keaton and Stephen Mock picking up at least two fouls each. That foul trouble really hurt them in the second half, as Keaton fouled out in the fourth quarter while Mock played most of the final frame with four fouls. With Keaton out of the game, Briggs did not have the interior advantage that it had in the first quarter when it was able to control the pace of the game. 

3. Timely scoring: Geovani Stuart had a career-high scoring night and showed why his three-point shooting is the reason he needs to be on the floor. The junior hit a crucial three in the second half that led to Johnson's breakout moment, and was vital at the free throw line in the fourth quarter to close out the win. 

4. Home court advantage: I've always said, if West can get good again, their gym will be the hardest place to play in the City League. Whether it's the tiny floor or the concrete bleachers and closed in brick stands that make a crowd of 500 sound like 5,000, West is not an easy place to win when the Cowboys are rolling. Friday's game could be a sign of things to come, as every player but one who played in the game will be back next season. 

5. Confidence: For a team that has not experienced winning in their high school careers, confidence is half the battle. West is beginning to play with that confidence that helped them win back to back games this week. The Cowboys have had a chance to win five of the seven games they've played in this season. Learning how to close and win games, this could be a team that makes a splash in the back half of the City League South schedule. 

MVP: Jahmere Johnson (West sophomore guard)

Top Scorer: Jahmere Johnson (West sophomore guard)

Hustle Player of the Game: Jordan Fleming (Briggs sophomore wing)