Goessel boys undefeated on home court
By DELBERT PETERS
Contributing writer
Shooting 70 percent from the free-throw line as a team, helped Goessel High School Feb. 12 to a victory against Ell-Saline.
The Cardinals from Ell-Saline struggled from the field as Goessel jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game.
GHS led at the quarters 21-6, 32-11, 38-21, and a final 56-25.
Nine players scored for the Bluebirds as the coaches emptied the bench in the fourth quarter.
Goessel connected on 29-of-41 free-throw attempts.
Nathan Ensz led the team with 13 points and five blocked shots. Craig Banman scored 10 points, Seth Ott and Weston Hiebert eight, Austin Unruh seven, Kendall Voth six, Travis Fensky two, and Sam Lehrman and Stefan Henkel one point.
A victory Friday against Canton-Galva completed the regular season with victories in all home games.
Ensz took flight with a season-high 21 points in the 46-39 victory.
Canton-Galva however was not intimidated with an Ensz "thunder dunk" late in the first quarter.
The lead changed hands eight times in the first half, with a four-point lead several times by the Eagles.
But Canton-Galva was stuck on 22 points just before half, and by the time the Eagles scored again, Goessel had grabbed the lead for good, 35-22.
The Eagles cut the lead to six points late in the game, but the Bluebirds hung on for their 14th victory of the season.
Scoring for the Bluebirds were Ensz 21 points and 12 rebounds, Banman eight points and four assists, Unruh five points, Hiebert four, Kendall Voth three, Ott two, Kurtis Duerksen two points and four steals, and Fensky one point.
At 14-6 Goessel received a bye in the 1A regional tournament and will play at home Thursday against the winner of Hope (3-15) and Elyria Christian (4-14).
The championship game will be played Saturday with the top two teams in this six-team regional advancing to sub-state.
