FEBRUARY 18
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!!
Today we give you all the information, scores, and both team and individual stats for the Smoky Valley Viking boys and Lady Viking basketball teams as well as the regional results for the Smoky Valley Viking wrestlers.
VIKINGS TUMBLE
HOSTING HESSTON
By Staff
LINDSBORG – On Friday the Smoky Valley boys closed out their final full week of the regular season by hosting Hesston where they stumbled as the Swathers beat the Vikings by 28, 60-32.
With the loss the Vikings dropped to 10-9 on the season as they look to get a win in the final game of the 2022-23 regular season on Tuesday at Halstead.
Hesston held just a four-point, 14-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter when the Viking offense went stone cold and managed just a pair of points in the second quarter, falling behind by 15 at 27-12 going into the halftime break.
Hesston added four points to the lead before doubling up Smoky Valley’s scoring in the fourth quarter giving the Swathers their final 28-point win over the Vikings.
Ki Blanchat was the lone Viking to reach double digits on offense with 10 points.
SMOKY VALLEY VIKINGS hosting Hesston
SCORING: VIKINGS > 10-2-11-9 = 32; Hesston > 14-13-15-18 = 60.
SMOKY VALLEY VIKING INDIVIDUAL SCORING > Ki Blanchat – 10; Kade Blanchat – 6; Karson Pihl – 5; Vincent Pickering – 5; Braxton House – 4; Gus Griffith – 2. 3-Pointers Made > Ki Blanchat – 2; Pickering, Pihl – 1.
(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)
LADY VIKINGS
FALTER LATE IN
LOSS TO HESSTON
By Staff
LINDSBORG – Hanging with Hesston for three quarters worked for the Smoky Valley girls on Friday until the Lady Swathers pulled away late to hand the Lady Vikings a final eight-point, 41-33 loss.
With the loss the Lady Vikings drop to 11-8 for the season as they close out the regular season 2022-23 schedule on Tuesday with a road trip to Halstead.
Smoky Valley opened the game well as they took an early five-point, 9-4 lead at the end of the first quarter before Hesston was able to catchup and take a very slim, one-point, 16-15 advantage going into the halftime break. After the Lady Swathers pulled ahead by three at the end of the third quarter, they pushed ahead to gain the final eight-point victory over the Lady Vikings.
Neither team did well shooting as the Lady Vikings connected on just 26% of all field attempts while the Lady Swathers made just 32% which included going 0-for-12 from beyond the three point line. While Hesston held just a one rebound, 38-37 advantage, they outscored Smoky Valley 24-14 in the paint.
Leading the offense the Lady Vikings was Adrian Hazelwood who had 16 points while also making five steals and just missing a double-double by pulling down nine rebounds. Katja Blanchat chipped in with eight points while also grabbing nine rebounds and recording five blocked shots.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS hosting Hesston.
SCORING: LADY VIKINGS > 9-6-12-6 = 33; Hesston > 4-12-14-11 = 41.
TEAM STATS: LADY VIKINGS > 2-FGs – 10/34; 3-PTs – 4/19; FTs – 1/5; AST – 5; REBs – 37; TO – 17; STLs – 7; BLKs – 6; FLs – 14. Hesston > 2-FGs – 17/41; 3-PTs – 0/12; FTs – 7/9; AST – 8; REBs – 38; TO – 14; STLs – 12; BLKs – 3; FLs – 8.
SMOKY VALLEY LADY VIKINGS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring > Adrian Hazelwood – 16; Katja Blanchat – 8; Breanne Peters – 3; Eva Malm – 3; Tinley Scott – 3. 3-Pointers Made > Hazelwood – 2; Malm, Scott – 1. Assists > Hazelwood, Peters – 2; Sophia Fruits – 1. Rebounds > Hazelwood, Blanchat – 9; Peters – 4; Malm, Scott, Clara McElroy – 3; Trista Spitler, Fruits – 1. Steals > Hazelwood – 5; Blanchat, Peters – 1. Blocked Shots > Blanchat – 5; Hazelwood – 1.
(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)
VIKINGS QUALIFY
PAIR FOR CLASS 4A
STATE WRESTLING
By Staff
MCPHERSON – As a whole, the Smoky Valley boys wrestling team did not have things go as planned on Saturday in McPherson at their Class 4A State Regional Tournament, but they did qualify two wrestlers to attend next weeks Class 4A state tournament in Salina at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center.
Connor Brown, a junior, was the first Viking to qualify for the state meet by finishing the day 3-2 and placing fourth in 126 pound division while freshman Parker Gardner was the other Viking wrestler to qualify as he placed third in the 175 pound division after going 4-1 for the day.
Viking senior Justin Holt, wrestling at 215, just missed out on a return trip to the state meet with his second loss of the day, leaving him a match short of the third/fourth place battle.
The future could be bright for the Viking wrestlers as Michael Hawk at 150 and Richard Zeller at 190 were the other two seniors wrestling in their final meet as Vikings while the remaining regional squad included two juniors, four sophomores and a pair of freshmen.
SMOKY VALLEY VIKING BOYS WRESTLING at Class 4A Regionals in McPherson
TEAM SCORE: 51.0 points, 11th of 15 teams.
Regional Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Abilene 154.5; 2. Clay Center 153.0; 3. Concordia 146.0; 4. Scott Community 120.5; 5. Colby 119.5; 6. Wamego 115.0; 7. Buhler 110.5; 8. Marysville 92.5; 9. Goodland 84.0; 10. McPherson 77.0. (Others > Smoky Valley, Chapman, Hesston, St. George/Rock Creek, Nickerson).
SMOKY VALLEY VIKING INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:
105 > Deonte Crain finished 2-2.
126 > Connor Brown finished 3-2, placed 4th – State Qualified.
132 > Takoda Hauck finished 1-2.
138 > Hayden Gehrke finished 1-2.
144 > Andrew Young finished 2-2.
150 > Michael Hawk finished 0-2.
157 > Gavin Stambaugh finished 1-2.
165 > Geo Luis finished 1-2.
175 > Parker Gardner finished 4-1, placed 3rd – State Qualified.
190 > Richard Zeller finished 2-2.
215 > Justin Holt finished 3-2.
(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)