Most teams bounce back after slow start
Staff writers
Most county boys teams bounced back with a win or two after low-scoring season openers, but Centre still is trying to find its groove.
Hillsboro is back
Up was the only way for coach Darrel Knoll and the Trojans to go after a 54-21 debacle Tuesday against the likely new No. 1 team in 2A, the Inman Teutons.
They did it with Brekyn Ratzlaff draining a buzzer-beating three to sink Moundridge Thursday, 52-49, while Nick Smith scored a team-high 17 points.
Three players have scored 40 points during Knoll’s 34-year career, one being Micah Ratzlaff in 1998, Brent Kyle in 1995, and all-time scoring leader Craig Duerksen dropped a school-best 41 on Peabody 30 years ago.
Like father, like son for Brekyn, who joined his father as the fourth Trojan under Knoll to hit 40 points in the win over Lyons.
Brekyn hit a quartet of threes and went 16-for-23 from the floor and 4-of-6 at the free-throw line.
“As far as the tournament this week, it was great finishing with 2 wins,” Knoll said. “We improved and will continue to do so.”
The game of runs kept Hillsboro from completely putting the Lions away, despite the Trojans shooting a blazing 65% from the field and 53% for the game.
Lincoln Wichert added 10 points in the win while the Plenerts, Wyatt and Tyson, pulled down a team-best 7 rebounds each.
In Trojans next game they will be hosting southeast of Saline on Thursday.
Goessel wins 1st
In Friday’s game in the Bluebird Classic against Hutchinson Central Christian, Goessel boys got off to a slow start. Caleb Burkholder scored all five of Goessel’s first quarter points. Shots began to connect in the second quarter, and the Bluebirds erased an 11-point deficit to trail 23-20 at half-time. Jake Wiens (who missed all of last season with an injury) and Koy Smith hit consecutive three pointers to give Goessel a 31-29 point lead that the Bluebirds would not relinquish. Central Christian was cold in the third period, and the Bluebirds raced to a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and finished with a victory 50-39.
Burkholder led the team with 16 points followed by Wiens’ 9 and Joey Lapp’s 8.
When asked about the secret to their first win of the season, Coach Curtis Guhr quipped, “It helps when you score points.”
On Saturday, the Goessel/Little River boys put on a three-pointer show. Goessel hit 8 and Little River made 9 from long range. With the first basket in the second quarter, the Bluebirds were ahead 17-16, but the Redskins rebounded well and allowed the Bluebirds only one shot on many possessions. Steadily, Little River expanded on their lead and coasted to a 66-46 win.
Noah Schrag scored 22 points with Jake Wiens adding 7 points and Caleb Burkholder hitting 6 points for the Bluebirds.
Goessel boys (1-2) will begin Wheat State League games on Friday, at home with Rural Vista (0-3) and then play their unfinished game with Marion on Saturday.
Marion places 4th
Wichita Independent beats Wichita Homeschool 55-48 for a first-place finish in the Marion Classic Saturday as Marion falls to fourth place against Halstead 54-51 in nail biting fashion.
Cooper Bailey led Marion with 15 points in Saturday’s final game against Halstead with teammates Caden Wilhelm scoring 10, and Jack Lanning scoring 9.
“For us, it was good to get our first complete game on Tuesday, and then be able to practice Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the Classic,” coach Donald Raymer said.
“It has been said the most improvement takes place between game one and two and I think we saw that this weekend,” Raymer said.
Marion’s slow start in the first half, scoring only 16 points compared to Halstead’s 27 points is what caused them to have to play from behind in the second.
Warriors would go on to outscore their opponent 35-27 in the second half.
“This team shows a lot of promise in how they fought back in the second half against Halstead and were able to take the lead in the fourth,” Raymer said.
Caden Wilhelm and Jack Lanning made the All-Tournament team, and Cole Smith was selected as the Most Inspirational Player.
Marion boys hit the road Friday to face off against Belle Plaine.
“Defensively, we must defend and keep them from dribbling the ball to the middle of the court which puts our defense in trouble and kills our rotations. We must rebound and play each possession one at a time” Raymer said.
Centre struggles
The Cougars still are looking for their first victory. After being defeated by Herington, 44-38, in the first game of the pre-season tournament at Herington, they struggled Friday to score against a tall Chase County team.
A free throw by Santiago Knepp was the team’s only point in the first half. They picked up their play in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 10-8 in the third quarter and 7-4 in the fourth quarter.
But it was too little, too late. They lost, 52-18.
The Cougars’s best game of the week probably was against Rural Vista on Saturday. It was a back-and-forth game, with lots of lead changes. They got within two points in the last quarter before losing 40-35.
Gentri Holub scored a game-high 23 points.
Coach Richard Idleman said Holub learned how to use his post position. Overall, however, Idleman wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance.
“We need more conditioning,” he said. “We should have beaten Herington. We led Herington from the start and still led at halftime. We need to learn how to finish a game.”
Centre’s next game will be Friday at home against Canton-Galva.
Peabody splits
Peabody-Burns has rescheduled a game against for Jan. 23.
The Warriors recently won 40-27 against MDCV on Thursday but lost 55-36 to Altoona Midway on Friday.
Peabody-Burns coach Bob Kyle has declined to comment about the team’s performances this season.
Warriors will be on the road this Friday to play against Herington.
Last modified Dec. 14, 2022