Goessel boys clip Olpe Eagles, soar to substate
By DELBERT PETERS
Correspondent
The high-flying Goessel Bluebirds won three games this past week in regional play, including a decisive 55-44 victory over previously unbeaten Olpe in the championship final.
Saturday's win paved the way for Goessel to play Norwich Friday in the substate tournament at Butler Community College in El Dorado.
Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. The Bluebirds (20-3) have the best record in the four-team bracket. Norwich is 12-11.
Goessel kept the Hamilton boys from getting the ball across the half-court line for the first two minutes of the game Feb. 19. The Bluebird defense harassed every pass and went for every rebound. For the game, the Bluebird defense came up with 14 steals and forced 22 turnovers.
Goessel led by 14 points at the end of the first quarter, 24 at halftime, and 45 at the end of the third period. Even with all of the seniors on the bench, the lead expanded to 55 points by the end of the game.
Final score: Goessel 69, Hamilton 14.
On Friday, Goessel defeated Madison, 62-54, in the 1A regional tournament at Olpe. Balanced scoring described the Bluebird offense as four players hit for double digits. Goessel led at the end of the first quarter by four points and led by seven points at halftime. Scoring for the Bluebirds were B. Goerzen with 14, T. Buller 14, G. Hiebert 13, Ensz 12, J. Voth five, and Amstutz four. Friday's win guaranteed that the Bluebirds would play in a sub-state game, since the top two teams advance.
But Goessel's foe for the regional championship Saturday was the 22-0 Olpe Eagles.
After four quarters of nearly flawless basketball, Goessel prevailed, 55-44.
Goessel got behind 12-0 early in the game, but then caught fire and ran off nine straight points.
By halftime the Bluebirds had tied the game 29-29. The Bluebird defense played well and the offense was efficient. The Bluebirds pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, and hit their free throws down the stretch en route to a blistering 21-of-24 for the game. Final score, 55-44.
Travis Buller hit four three-pointers for a total of 17 points, B. Goerzen weaved in and out of trouble and scored 13, Hiebert added 12, Ensz and Amstutz each had four points, J. Voth knocked in three points and Austin Unruh added two.
