Giving a voice to the smaller area schools of McPherson County and the Athletes they have….Our goal is to give them all some media love!!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Volume 1, Issue 3
For Feb. 6 – 8
The highlight this issue will be the matchup on Tuesday when the Little River boys and girls travel to Canton/Galva!!
You also have Inman hosting Ell-Saline, Elyria Christian hosting Goessel, and Smoky Valley hosting Hoisington. Moundridge is off on Tuesday.
One will also find coverage of the games on Monday involving the McPherson Middle School Junior Pups hosting Goddard Eisenhower.
Enjoy the stories and stats of all the events!
ARTICLES IN ORDERING OF APPEARANCE:
The Matchup on Tuesday between Little River and Canton/Galva!
Elyria Christian played at home hosting Goessel.
Elyria Christian boys game against Herington last Friday.
Inman is hosting Ell-Saline.
Smoky Valley played host to Hoisington.
McPherson Middle School 7th & 8th grade Junior Pups hosted Goddard Eisenhower.
Hosting
LITTLER RIVER BOYS NIP CANTON/GALVA BY 4
By Staff
CANTON – In a matchup of rivals, the Little River boys came to Canton/Galva where the two teams battled it out until the Redskins were able to squeeze out a final four-point, 46-42 win over the Eagles.
With the win Little River now moves to 13-3 for the season as they prep to host Elyria Christian on Friday while the Canton/Galva boys drop to 11-6 before going on the road to Rural Vista on Friday.
“The atmosphere tonight was amazing,” noted Eagle head coach Larry O’Connor. “We came out strong and played with energy. We defended and rebounded extremely well but had to many turnovers and missed way too many open looks.”
Little River began the game by taking a slim four-point, 15-11 lead by the end of the first quarter before extended the advantage over the Eagles out to nine at 27-18 heading into the halftime break. Canton/Galva came out of the break firing on all cylinders and tied the game at 32-32 by the end of the third quarter before the Redskins were able to squeeze out four more points in the fourth for the final victory.
Braxton Lafferty used five three-pointers to lead all scorers with 23 points for Little River while also swiping six steals and blocking three shots. Dalton Mantz just missed a double double as he chipped in with eight points and 10 rebounds for the Redskins.
Jett Vincent led the Eagles offense with 15 points.
Eagle coach O’Connor concluded his thoughts of the battle by adding, “Little River is a very physical and athletic team and they are extremely well coached. We are finally getting healthy and getting our rotation down, hopefully we can continue to build these last three regular season games and make a nice run in our sub-state.”
LITTLE RIVER REDSKINS at CANTON/GALVA EAGLES
SCORING: LITTLE RIVER > 15-12-5-14 = 46; CANTON/GALVA EAGLES > 11-7-14-10 = 42.
TEAM STATS: LITTLE RIVER > 2-FGs – 9/19; 3-PTs – 6/21; FTs – 10/13; AST – 8; REBs – 20; TO – 11; STLs – 12; BLKs – 4; FLs – 12. CANTON/GALVA > Not Available
LITTLE RIVER INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Braxton Lafferty – 23; Dalton Mantz – 8; Logan Renken – 5; Rylan Konen – 4; Treyton Olander – 2; Kayston Cox – 2; Andrew Smith – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Lafferty – 5; Renken – 1. Assists > Cox – 3; Mantz – 2; Lafferty, Renken, Konen – 1; Rebounds > Mantz – 10; Lafferty, Smith – 3; Cox – 2; Renken, Konen – 1; Steals > Lafferty – 6; Olander – 3; Mantz, Cox, Smith – 1. Blocked Shots > Lafferty – 3; Renken – 1.
CANTON/GALVA SCORING > Jet Vincent – 15; Garrett Maltbie – 6; Jaden Ediger – 6; Lane McMannis – 5; Wyatt Collins – 4; Jase Beltz – 3; Cason Mastre – 3. 3-Pointers Made > Ediger – 2; Beltz, Mastre – 1.
LITTLE RIVER GIRLS BEAT LADY EAGLES BY 17
By Staff
CANTON – Despite a strong second half on the home court by the Canton/Galva girls, it was the visiting Little River girls showing why they are number one in the state as they throttled the Lady Eagles with a final 17-point, 74-57 win.
The victory gave the Lady Redskins a 15-1 mark for the season as they now prep to battle at home with a strong Elyria Christian team on Friday.
For the Lady Eagles, the loss drops them to 10-7 as they get ready for a Friday Road trip to Rural Vista.
Little River jumped out to a 12-point, 22-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and held an 18-point, 36-18 advantage over the Lady Eagles at the halftime break. Canton/Galva did not just go away though as they played the top ranked Lady Redskins even in the final two quarters, even outscoring them 39-38.
“Little River is a really good team and they are ranked number one for a reason,” pointed out Lady Eagle head coach Brad Willems. “I loved how our girls competed all night long. Little River plays hard and is very well coached, and we did some really good things against them. They did go on a couple of runs, but we never stopped battling.”
For the Lady Redskins, it was the Alaina Eck and Aubrey Olander show as Eck scored 36 points and Olander hit for 24 while also recording a double-double with 12 rebounds. Eck also dished out four assists, grabbed four rebounds and made a team high four steals.
The Lady Eagles were led by a pair of freshman as Adi Alcala hit on four three-pointers on her way to a team high 17 points and Trinity Espinoza chipped in with 16. Lili Espinoza just missed a double-double as she scored nine points and hauled in 12 rebounds.
Coach Willems finished his reflections on the game by saying, “We got it down to a 12-point deficit but could never get it closer than that in the second half. They are going to score and you have to take your opportunities when they show up, we missed a couple and they didn’t. This game will do a lot for us going forward. Very proud of our girls!”
LITTLE RIVER LADY REDSKINS at CANTON/GALVA LADY EAGLES
SCORING: LADY REDSKINS > 22-14-21-17 = 74; LADY EAGLES > 10-8-19-20 = 57.
TEAM STATS: LITTLE RIVER > 2-FGs – 30/51; 3-PTs – 1/7; FTs – 11/20; FLs – 6; AST – 12; REBs – 30; TO – 16; STLS – 14; BLKs – 3; FLs – 6. CANTON/GALVA > 2-FGs – 12/34; 3-PTs – 7/20; FTs – 12/20; AST – 9; REBs – 27; TO – 22; STLs – 9; BLKs – 0; FLs – N/A.
LITTLE RIVER LADY REDSKINS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Alaina Eck – 36; Aubrey Olander – 24; Evie Look – 5; Arika Feldman – 3; Kate Ellwood – 2; Adelynne Strecker – 2; Elsie Boughfman – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Look – 1. Assists > Strecker, Eck – 4; Feldman, Boughfman, Havana Olander, Kami Grasser – 1. Rebounds > A. Olander – 12; Ashley Stephenson, Eck – 4; Feldman, Strecker – 3; Look, H. Olander – 2; Lucy Wright – 1. Steals > Eck – 4; Stephenson – 3; Strecker – 2; Feldman, Ellwood, Boughfman, H. Olander – 1. Blocked Shots > Look, Ellwood, H. Olander – 1.
CANTON/GALVA LADY EAGLES INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Adi Alcala – 17; Trinity Espinoza – 16; Lili Espinoza – 9; Mimi Craig – 7; Brecken Pearson – 5; Sage Toews – 3. 3-Pointers Made > Alcala – 4; T. Espinoza, M. Craig, Pearson – 1. Assists > T. Espinoza, Pearson – 3; M. Craig – 2; L. Espinoza – 1. Rebounds > L. Espinoza – 12; M. Craig – 7; Pearson – 3; Toews – 2; T. Espinoza, Alcala, Emerson Hoppes – 1. Steals > T. Espinoza, L. Espinoza, Pearson, Alcala – 2; M. Craig – 1.
ELYRIA GIRLS OUTLAST
GOESSEL BY 7, 35-28
By Staff
ELYRIA – It was battle at home on senior night for the Elyria Christian girls as they held off the challenge from visiting Goessel to earn a final seven-point, 35-28 win.
Now 14-2 for the season and ranked number ten in Class 1A Division I, the Lady Eagles have a huge road game on Friday when they travel to Little River to tangle with the number ranked Lady Redskins.
“It was a great atmosphere for senior night and I knew that we would have our hands full with a very energetic Goessel team,” noted Lady Eagle head coach Greg Fields. “We started out struggling to score due to their pressure and we did not see some shots fall that normally go in. I was proud of our girls for finding ways to get points when we needed them and creating turnovers to get some transition points. We did just enough defensively to make up for our own turnovers as well as our lack of scoring.”
After the teams were tied at 5-5 at the end of the first quarter, Elyria took a slim two-point, 11-9 advantage at the halftime break. Coming out of the intermission the Lady Eagles extended their lead out to seven at 28-21 at the end of the third quarter and then held on for the final seven point victory.
Ryland Hawkinson just missed a double-double on her senior night as she led the team in scoring with 13 points while grabbing nine rebounds to go with three steals. Allie Stone also reached double digits with 10 points and Julia Allen helped out in the paint with seven rebounds.
Coach Fields concluded his reflections on the game by saying, “Ryland (Hawkinson) was great on the boards tonight, and she overcame some frustration of missing shots she would like to get back in the first half to come up with some big makes in the second half. Allie (Stone) had another very solid night in all aspects of her game as she took care of the ball, was aggressive attacking their defense, got to the free throw line and knocked down some critical shots. Julia (Allen) was outstanding tonight with her defensive presence. She also was our leading scorer in the first half when everyone was struggling to score. We now travel to Little River on Friday and they are like 15-1 while we are 14-2, should be a fun game!”
The Lady Eagle Junior Varsity also won by a score of 36-14.
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN LADY EAGLES hosting Goessel
SCORING: LADY EAGLES > 5-6-17-7 = 35; Goessel > 5-4-12-7 = 28.
TEAM STATS: LADY EAGLES > 2-FGs – 12/36; 3-PTs – 1/3; FTs – 8/14; AST – 5; REBs – 26; TO – 18; STLs – 11; BLKs – 1; FLs – 13. Goessel > 2-FGs – 7/23; 3-PTs – 3/19; FTs – 5/19; AST – 0; REBs – 25; TO – 18; STLs – 8; BLKs – 5; FLs – 12.
LADY EAGLES INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Ryland Hawkinson – 13; Allie Stone – 10; Julia Allen – 6; Raegan Hawkinson – 2; Macy Reiff – 2; Grace Prescott – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Stone – 1. Assists > M. Reiff – 2; Prescott, Ra. Hawkinson, Ry. Hawkinson – 1. Rebounds > Ry. Hawkinson – 9; Allen – 7; Stone – 4; M. Reiff – 3; Ra. Hawkinson, Prescott, Addison Swenson – 1. Steals > Ry. Hawkinson – 3; Stone, Allen, Prescott – 2; Ad. Swenson – 1. Blocked Shots > Ry. Hawkinson – 1.
ELYRIA BOYS
TAKE CARE OF GOESSEL,
WIN BY 24
By Staff
ELYRIA – After a stumbling first quarter, the Elyria Christian boys got their offense fired up and put 40 points on the board over the next two quarters enabling them to pull away on Tuesday at home and score a 24-point, 58-34 win over Goessel.
The win gives the Eagles a 14-2 mark for the season as they get ready to take their number seven ranking in Class 1A Division I on the road Friday to Little River, a team who is 13-3 for the season.
“We did not start the game very well,” noted Eagle head coach Zach Goodrich. “We did not play up to our standards for the majority of the game. The turnovers we had were careless and we did not make the solid play. Goessel out worked us for most of the game. It was a good reminder that we have to show up and compete each possession.”
As Elyria struggled in the first quarter, Goessel took a slim one-point, 7-6 lead before the Eagles offense put 19 points on the board in the second quarter to retake the lead by 10 at 25-15 going into the halftime break. Throwing another 21 points in the scorebook coming out of the intermission, the Eagles pushed their advantage in the game to 24 points at 46-22 heading into the fourth quarter where they settled in for the final 24-point victory.
According to coach Goodrich, “I thought we responded well in the second and third quarters, allowing us to find rhythm offensively and defensively. Caleb (Laney) got the ball rolling for us offensively as he was able to find the range from the three-point line, finishing 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. He also added four assists to the game as well. Caleb has been working on his shot in practice and it was good to see him find his shot in a game.”
Team wise, the Eagles our rebounded Goessel by 11, 39-28 while dishing out 17 assists on 23 made shots from the field.
Individually, Laney led the Eagles with 17 points while Ty Romero scored a double-double with 14 points to go with 10 rebounds while also passing out a team high six assists and making three steals. Johnny Unruh also reached double digits with 10 points as both he and James Schott collected six rebounds. Landon Schneider only scored four points but his vital overall play helped as he grabbed eight rebounds, handed out three assists and made three steals as well.
Goodrich concluded his post-game reflections by adding, “Ty (Romero) and Johnny (Unruh) were solid offensively as they both did a solid job impacting the game in other ways as well. James (Schott) and Landon (Schneider) worked hard on the boards for us, providing a solid effort and helping to limit Goessel to one shot. We continue to find each other in the half court as finished with 17 assists on 23 made field goals. Overall, it was a good game for us, it exposed some areas we need to tighten up if we want a chance to be in the contest Friday when we travel to Little River.”
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES hosting Goessel
SCORING: ELYRIA EAGLES > 6-19-21-12 = 58; Goessel > 7-8-7-12 = 34.
TEAM STATS: ELYRIA EAGLES > 2-FGs – 14/25; 3-PTs – 9/30; FTs – 3/9; AST – 17; REBs – 39; TO – 13; STLs – 11; BLKs – 0; FLs – 13. Goessel > 2-FGs – 8/24; 3-PTs – 5/19; FTs – 3/9; AST – 9; REBs – 28; TO – 15; STLs – 9; BLKs – 1; FLs – 10.
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Caleb Laney – 17; Ty Romero – 14; Johnny Unruh – 10; James Schott – 6; Landon Schneider – 4; Alex Robertson – 3; Gavin Robertson – 2; Blake Robertson – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Laney -5; Unruh – 2; Romero – 1. Assists > Romero – 6; Laney -4; Schneider – 3; Unruh – 2; A. Robertson, G. Roberson – 1. Rebounds > Romero – 10; Schneider – 8; Unruh, Schott – 6; G. Robertson – 4; A. Robertson – 2; Laney, B. Robertson – 1. Steals > Schneider, Romero – 3; Schott – 2; Laney, Unruh, A. Robertson – 1.
(Late arrival of information for last Friday’s Elyria Christian’s game hosting Herington.)
ELYRIA BOYS POUND HERINGTON, WIN BY 44
By Staff
ELYRIA – When you make 12 three-pointers you expect to win and that is what the Elyria Christian boys did on Friday when they hosting Herington and pounded the visitors to the tune of a 44-point, 65-21 victory.
Now 12-2 for the season, the Eagles begin the final two weeks of the regular season by hosting Goessel on Tuesday before heading to Little River on Friday.
“Homecoming week always bring a different excitement to the game,” noted Eagle head coach Zach Goodrich. “You never really know how the team is going to respond after all the fun from the pep rally and spirit week. We have been focusing on staying locked in this second half of the season and I felt we did that with the Herington game.”
Elyria jumped all over Herington, taking a commanding 16-point, 18-2 lead by the end of the first quarter and then extending that advantage out to 34 points at 42-8 going into the halftime break. From the opening whistle to the final whistle of the final two quarters the Eagles stayed focus and cruised in for the final 44-point win.
Two team stats that stick out were the 21 assists dished out by the Eagles on 26 made baskets from the field along with forcing Herington into making 29 turnovers of which 23 came on steals by Elyria’s quick hand defense.
Speaking of the offense, coach Goodrich pointed out, “We are sharing the ball at a high level right now and we believe the boys are starting to buy into that value of the game. We had 21 assists on 26 made field goals and for the season I believe that is our highest mark. That is the best part of the game is setting up a teammate for a high percentage shot.”
Caleb Laney and James Schott kept the offense rolling as they passed out seven and four assists, respectively.
Ty Romero led the Eagles in scoring with 23 points while Alex Robertson scored 15 and Johnny Unruh hit for 12. Both Romero and Robertson connected on five three-pointers as the Eagles connected on 12 for the game. Robertson also led the team in rebounds with five and Caleb Laney recorded the most steals with six.
Concluding his reflections on the blowout win, Goodrich said, “Ty (Romero), Johnny (Unruh), and Alex (Robertson) provided steady offense for us. All three shot better than 45% from the three-point line and that stems from finding the great shot over a good shot. We know we have a tough stretch of games coming up and all of them will provide a learning experience for us. This time of the season, you have to learn fast between each possession and quarters. I believe we are getting better at it but there is plenty of opportunity to improve. We will have to be ready for our games next week and make sure we play with sound principles.”
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES hosting Herington
SCORING: EAGLES: ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES > 18-24-14-9 = 65; Herington > 2-6-7-6 = 21.
TEAM STATS: ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES > 2-FGs – 14/20; 3-PTs – 12/26; FTs – 1/2; AST – 21; REBs – 15; TO – 6; STLs – 23; BLKs – 0; FLs – 10. Herington > 2-FGs – 7/15; 3-PTs – 2/9; FTs – 1/3; AST – 6; REBs – 21; TO – 29; STLs – 4; BLKs – 0; FLs – 5.
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN EAGLES INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Ty Romero – 23; Alex Robertson – 15; Johnny Unruh – 12; James Schott – 6; Axton Fields – 4; Silas Redenbaugh – 3; Caleb Laney -2. 3-Pointers Made > Romer0, A. Robertson – 5; Unruh – 2. Assists > Laney – 7; Schott – 4; A. Robertson – 3; Romero, Unruh – 2; Redenbaugh, Gavin Robertson, Blake Robertson – 1. Rebounds > Romero – 5; A. Robertson – 3; Unruh, Schott, Fields, Redenbaugh, G. Robertson – 1. Steals > Laney – 6; Unruh, Schott – 4; Romero, Redenbaugh – 3; G. Robertson – 2; A. Robertson – 1.
TEUTONS BEAT
ELL-SALINE BY 15
By Staff
INMAN – On Tuesday, the Inman boys hosted Ell-Saline and played consistent basketball for all four quarters on their way to a 15-point, 54-39 win over Ell-Saline.
Currently ranked number seven in Class 2A, the Teutons are now 13-3 for the season as they prep for a road trip to Sedgwick on Friday.
“I was really happy with our effort again tonight,” said Teuton head coach Brett Froese. “Ell-Saline has a young athletic squad, and they play fast. I was a little concerned going into the game tonight making sure the kids were not looking past them. They have some good wins on the season and have played most teams really close.”
The Teutons jumped out to a nine-point, 14-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and held a comfortable 16-point, 29-13 advantage at the halftime break. Ell-Saline chipped just one point off the lead in the second half as Inman cruised in for the final 15-point victory.
Consistent was the theme as the Teutons score 14, 15, and 15 points in each of the first three quarters and 10 in the final.
Tanner Heckel led the Teutons with 23 points while Eli Brunk hit for 18.
Coach Froes concluded his post-game reflections by noting, “We were really good defensively in the first quarter and were able to do some nice things in transition. In the second half I challenged them to execute a little better in the half court and they did. Ell-Saline shoots a lot of three-pointers off the dribble drive and kick out, and they made some in the second half. When we move the ball side to side, we give ourselves really good looks.”
IN the Teutons junior varsity battle, Inman lost 54-49.
INMAN TEUTONS hosting Ell-Saline
SCORING: TEUTONS > 14-15-15-10 = 54; Ell-Saline > 5-8-16-10 = 39.
INMAN TEUTONS INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Tanner Heckel – 23; Eli Brunk – 18; Zach Martisko – 5; Josiah Buller – 4; Brody Froese – 2; Harrison Brunk – 2. 3-Pointers Made > E. Brunk – 2.
LADY TEUTONS LOSE HEARTBREAKER BY 2 IN 0T
By Staff
INMAN – After making a huge rally in the fourth quarter to tie the game, the Inman girls lost by two points, 60-58, on a late basket in overtime on the homecourt to Ell-Saline on Tuesday.
The heartbreaking loss drops the Lady Teutons to 8-8 for the season as they ready for a road trip to Sedgwick on Friday.
Ell-Saline held a slim, two-point, 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter before Inman pulled within one at 25-24 going into the halftime break. Coming out of the intermission, Ell-Saline pushed out to a seven-point, 45-38 lead at the end of the third quarter when the Lady Teutons powered back to tie the game at 51-51 when the buzzer went off to end regulation time.
In overtime, Ell-Saline hit key baskets and free throws late to get the final two-point win over Inman.
Freshman Suttyn Harris was unstoppable for the Lady Teutons as she led the game in scoring with 28 points while also recording herself a double-double with 12 rebounds.
The Lady Teuton junior varsity did score a 29-point, 61-32 win over Ell-Saline.
INMAN LADY TEUTONS hosting Ell-Saline
SCORING: LADY TEUTONS > 9-15-14-13-7 = 58; Ell-Saline > 11-14-20-6-9 = 60.
LADY TEUTON SCORING > Suttyn Harris – 28; Kenna Woods – 10; Taelynn Friesen – 7; Madelyn Brunk – 4; Maci Neufeld – 4; Kami Woods – 3; Morgan Froese – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Friesen – 1. Leading Rebounder > Harris – 12.
The Moundridge Wildcats and Lady Wildcats did not have a game scheduled, next up will be on Friday at Hutchinson Trinity.
VIKINGS FALL SHORT,
LOSE BY 2 TO HOISINGTON
By Staff
LINDSBORG – After making a second half comeback Tuesday, the Smoky Valley boys fell short at the end and lost on their home court, 51-49, to Hoisington.
The loss snaps a six-game win streak by the Vikings as they now drop to 10-6 on the season. Smoky Valley will be on the road at Haven on Friday.
Trailing by two, 11-9, at the end of the first quarter, the Vikings were down by five, 27-22, when the teams broke for the halftime break.
Powering back after the intermission, the Vikings pulled ahead by one at 39-38 at the end of the third quarter before Hoisington was able to endure at the end and score the final two-point victory.
Ki Blanchat hit on three-pointers three times on his way to a team high 17 points while Karson Pihl connected on a pair of three-pointers to also reach double digits with 12.
SMOKY VALLEY VIKINGS hosted Hoisington.
SCORING: VIKINGS > 9-13-17-10 = 49; Hoisington > 11-16-11-13 = 51.
SMOKY VALLEY VIKING SCORING > Ki Blanchat – 17; Karson Pihl – 12; Kade Blanchat – 8; Vincent Pickering – 5; Gus Griffith – 4; Jerome Autry – 3. 3-Pointers Made > Ki Blanchat – 3; Pihl – 2; Pickering, Je. Autry – 1.
LADY VIKINGS LOSE
1-POINT HEARTBREAKER
By Staff
LINDSBORG – Close for a full game but coming up short is not what they expected, but it is what happened on Tuesday to the Smoky Valley girls as they played a nip-and-tuck home game with Hoisington only to end up losing in the end by one-point, 43-42.
With the loss the Lady Vikings are now 9-6 for the season as they get ready for a road trip to Haven on Friday.
After Hoisington stepped out and grabbed an early four-point, 8-4 lead in the first quarter, the Lady Vikings came back and pulled back within one at 19-18 heading to the halftime break.
The third quarter saw much the same as Hoisington added a single point to their lead at 31-29 only to have Smoky Valley gain a one-point advantage in the final quarter, unfortunately it was not enough for the Lady Vikings not to lose by a single, heartbreaking point in the end.
As a team the Lady Vikings capitalized on 23 Hoisington turnovers, by scoring 23 of their points off of them. Smoky Valley also held a single rebound advantage in the game as well at 27-26.
Individually, Adrian Hazelwood was the Lady Vikings production for much of the game as she led the team in scoring with 20 points, rebounds with eight, steals with four and blocked shots with a pair while tying for the team high in assists with two along with Katja Blanchat and Breanne Peters.
Tinley Scott also reached double digits scoring with 10 points as she and Hazelwood provided 30 of the teams 42 points. Katja Blanchat helped in the paint by pulling down seven rebounds.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS hosting Hoisington
SCORING: LADY VIKINGS > 7-14-11-13 = 42; Hoisington > 8-17-12-12 = 43.
TEAM STATS: LADY VIKINGS > 2-FGs – 8/25; 3-PTs – 5/16; FTs – 11/17; AST – 7; REBs – 27; TO – 17; STLs – 12; BLKs – 3; FLs – 15. Hoisington > 2-FGs – 11/21; 3-PTs – 4/14; FTs – 9/12; AST – 7; REBs – 26; TO – 23; STLs – 5; BLKs – 0; FLs – 17.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Adrian Hazelwood – 20; Tinley Scott – 10; Katja Blanchat – 4; Breanne Peters – 4; Eva Malm – 2; Clara McElroy – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Hazelwood, Scott – 2; Peters – 1. Assists > Hazelwood, Blanchat, Peters – 2; Scott – 1. Rebounds > Hazelwood – 8; Blanchat – 7; Scott, Peters – 3; Malm, Sophia Fruits – 1. Steals > Hazelwood – 4; Blanchat, McElroy – 3; Scott, Malm – 1. Blocked Shots > Hazelwood – 2; Blanchat – 1.
8th GRADE JUNIOR PUPS
WIN & LOSE
TO GODDARD EISENHOWER
By Staff
MCPHERSON – It was tale of two teams on Monday as the McPherson Middle School eighth-grade boys split a pair of games at home with Goddard Eisenhower.
The eighth-grade Junior Pups ‘A’ team scored an 11-point, 41-30 victory while the ‘B’ team lost by seven, 35-28.
With the ‘A’ team win, they are now 6-1 for the season as they look to play at Newton on Thursday.
“Our defense in the first half was a big part of us getting a win,” said head coach Tyler Brown. “We held them to just four points in the first quarter and shut them out in the second quarter, enabling us to go into halftime with the score 16-4 in our favor. After turning them over in the first half at a consistent pace we decided to join them in the turnover column ourselves coming out of halftime. Goddard Eisenhower outscored us in the second half 26-25.”
Six Junior Pups scored in the game with Ashton Malm and Cole Cooper leading the way with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Coach Brown finished out his thoughts on the game by noting, “We seemed sloppy and satisfied with just matching baskets after a tremendous start in the first half. Needless to say, we had a conversation about wanting to win every quarter of the game. We do not want to play for six minutes and be losing at the end of it. Tonight, was just a night where we saw everything in a game. We were absolutely awesome and yet we had times we were not looking too good. Some how we need to find a way to stay consistent and not let our play dip for stretches in the game. These guys love to compete.”
It was tough loss for the eighth-grade ‘B’ team as Goddard Eisenhower won by seven, 35-28 dropping the ‘B’ team to just 4-5 for the season.
“After being down by 10 points in the third quarter we fought our way back to pull within one point,” pointed out ‘B’ team coach David Goerzen in his post-game reflections. “Unfortunately, Goddard Eisenhower was able to hold us off and get the win. Our guys did a great job fighting back after being down so far. Like I have said in the past, we do not give up. We need to find a way to get some more scoring out of a few more guys, and then try to eliminate a few more turnovers, and we will be pretty tough to beat.”
Five Junior Pups scored in the game with Dane Becker being the leading scorer with 16 points.
8th GRADE JUNIOR PUPS ‘A’ Team hosting Goddard Eisenhower
SCORE: JUNIOR PUPS 41, Goddard Eisenhower 30.
Season Record > 6-1.
INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Ashton Malm – 12; Cole Cooper – 11; Carter Bengtson – 6; Dane Becker – 5; Cru Buchman – 4; Nolan Pearcy – 3.
8th GRADE JUNIOR PUPS ‘B’ Team hosting Goddard Eisenhower
SCORE: JUNIOR PUPS 28, Goddard Eisenhower 35
Season record > 4-5
INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Dane Becker – 16; Nolan Pearcy – 6; Ashton Nuss – 2; Finn Bauer – 2; Hayden Siemens – 2.
7TH GRADE JUNIOR PUPS SPLIT WITH GODDARD EISENHOWER
By Staff
MCPHERSON – On Monday, the McPherson Middle School seventh-grade boys hosted Goddard Eisenhower and earned a split of two games with the ‘A’ Team winning by 13 while the ‘B’ Team lost by 17.
The Junior Pups seventh-grade ‘A’ team improved to 6-1 on the season with their 13-point, 49-36 win as both Tre Winburn with 14 points and Kaleb Postier with 11 reached double digits. Jaxon Hoover just missed making it three in double figures as he chipped in with nine points.
“We were really pushed and I was glad because it was great to see how my guys would respond,” explained seventh-grade head coach Jay Crawford. “We were up by seven points at the half and our guys came out in the third quarter and put up 19 points. That allows us to put some distance between them. This was the best team we have played this season, and this was the most points we have given up as well. They had the best player we have seen as well as he went for 20 points.”
Coach Crawford concluded his post-game thoughts by adding, “There are several things we need to work on in practice which will make us better. We play at Newton on Thursday, and it will not be hard to get the guys to lock in because the first time we played them we did not play well at all and the team knows that.”
Not a lot of scoring for McPherson in the seventh-grade ‘B’ team game as the Junior Pups lost 25-18.
Only three players scored in the game with both Logan Starks and Kepple Butcher leading the way with eight points each.
Coach Crawford spoke of the ‘B’ team game when he stated, “There are several areas we need to fix in practice. We did not handle their on ball screening very well and we need to continue to work on all phases of the game. This group continues to play hard, and coach Satlnaker has done a very good job bringing this group along.
7th GRADE JUNIOR PUPS ‘A’ Team hosting Goddard Eisenhower
SCORE: JUNIOR PUPS 49, Goddard Eisenhower 36.
Season Record > 6-1
INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Tre Winburn – 14; Kaleb Postier – 11; Jaxon Hoover – 9; Drake Timson – 7; Tripp Pelzel – 4; Carter Melton – 4.
7th GRADE JUNIOR PUPS ‘B’ Team hosting Goddard Eisenhower
SCORE: JUNIOR PUPS 18, Goddard Eisenhower 35.
Season Record > 4-5
INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Logan Starks – 8; Kepple Butcher – 8; Gavin Heider – 2.
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