Contributing writer
The Goessel boys fought hard but could not contain the hot hand of senior Ty Simons, who scored 41 points, on Centre’s homecoming game Friday. Goessel had a great flurry of points in the third period to cut a 10-point deficit to one point, though.
Goessel traded points with Centre in the first quarter. Lawton Makovec and Ben Wiens, the Bluebirds’ leading scorers for the season, began the scoring for Goessel. But Friday’s contest found balanced scoring for Goessel as Brian Hiebert hit for four points and Kellen Froese notched four points. Goessel trailed 18-17 at the end of one quarter.
Zach Showalter contributed five points in the second period as Centre began to separate from the Bluebirds, leading 36-26 at halftime.
Inspiration in the locker room brought the Bluebirds onto the court with purpose. Reece Hiebert hit four points, Lawton Makovec stole the ball twice for layups, Ben Wiens dropped in a basket and Showalter arced in a 3-pointer. Goessel had cut the deficit to one point as Centre led 40-39.
The rest of the third period belonged to Centre as they rattled off 10 consecutive points. Showalter hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter before fouling out. Reece Hiebert and Brian Hiebert scored points, but the Cougars went into a ball-holding game with five minutes to play and an 11-point lead. Wiens and Brian Hiebert dropped in several baskets to get as close as 60-55. Simons connected on free throws for Centre to end the game with a 67-60 victory.
Scoring for the Bluebirds were Wiens, 12; Showalter, 11; Reece Hiebert, 10; Brian Hiebert, 9; Makovec, 9; Froese, 6; and Lucas Hiebert, 3. Goessel will play two home games this week: a makeup game against Little River on Thursday and against Peabody-Burns on Friday. The Bluebirds are now 2-2 in league play and 6-7 overall.