Bluejays Finish Third At State
by PHS Journalism Students
March 16, 2008
Bluejays Outshine Cowboys by Cali Kruger
The Pierce Bluejay basketball team traveled to Lincoln for the boys’ state basketball tournament to play in the quarterfinals on March 6 against the Boys Town Cowboys. The Bluejays came out on top, 49-40, to advance to the semifinals.
Boys Town was able to get the tip-off but were unable to score on their drive to the basket. The Cowboys put the first points on the board by making two free throws. Soon after, Eric Koehlmoos was fouled and made one free throw. Halfway through the first quarter, the Bluejays were leading 3-2. With 3 minutes remaining Jacob Woslager was able to score two points for the Jays to bring the score 5-2. At 2:22, Boys Town sank a 3-pointer to tie the score. Both teams contributed two points to the board before a time-out was taken with 2 minutes left of play in the first. Woslager then scored another two points to reclaim the lead for the Jays, 9-7. Koehlmoos was fouled with only 7 seconds remaining; he sank one free throw. The score was now 12-9. With only .4 seconds left in the first, Boys Town was fouled. They sank both free throws. The score at the end of the first quarter was 12-11, Pierce ahead.
Koehlmoos came out right away in the second quarter and added two points to the Jays’ score. Boys Town responded with two points, but Woslager also responded with another two points to bring the score to 16-13. With six minutes remaining in the half, the Cowboys sank a basket. Thirty seconds later they sank another to take the lead; Pierce trailed 16-17. Boys Town was able to get a steal and score on a fast break down to the hoop before Pierce took a time out with a little over 5 minutes left in the half. After the timeout, Woslager sank a basket. Pierce was still trailing, 18-19. At 3:14, J. Woslager contributed two more points. Pierce then took the lead 20-19. With a minute and a half remaining, Corey Woslager made his first points of the game. With 6 seconds left, Koehlmoos was fouled and made one free throw, and Pierce led 23-21. The Cowboys then made a buzzer shot to tie the score at 23 at the end of the first half.
The third quarter was low-scoring for both teams. The Cowboys made the first points in the second half to once again take the lead. Then Corey Woslager scored with 5:22 left in the third quarter, to tie the score again. At 4:15, Jacob Woslager added two more points to the Jays’ score. The Cowboys responded with a 3-pointer, bringing the score to 27-28. Soon after, Woslager was fouled, but his shot counted; he missed his free throw. With a minute and a half remaining in the third, Koehlmoos was fouled and sank one free throw to tie the score at 30. Boys Town was able to force a turnover in the final minute and scored on their drive to the hoop. Pierce trailed at the end of the third quarter, 30-32.
The fourth quarter was the Bluejays’ time to shine. At 6:33, Jacob Woslager helped the Jays take the lead, 33-32. Pierce held the lead for the remainder of the game. Woslager was fouled at 5:17; he made both free throws. With a little under 5 minutes left in the game, Koehlmoos added two points to Pierce’s score. Roughly thirty seconds later, Tony Lauters was fouled and made both free throws. A timeout was taken at 3:42; the Jays’ led 39-35. The Cowboys committed many fouls in the final minutes of the game. At 2:42 and 2:28, Koehlmoos was fouled and made both free throws both times, and Pierce was ahead by 9, 44-35. At 1:17, Brock Stonacek was fouled and he also made both free throws. Pierce soon led by twelve when Lauters sank two of his free throws.
With only 44 seconds left in the game, Boys Town made a basket, bringing the score to 48-38. Three seconds later, the Cowboys’ Battle committed his fifth foul against Lauters. Lauters sank one free throw. With 15 seconds remaining, Boys Town added their final points to the board. The remainder of the game was scoreless, leading the Bluejays to their 9 point win over the Cowboys.
Top scorer for the Jays’ was Jacob Woslager with 21. Koehlmoos followed with 13. Lauters contributed 7, C. Woslager had 6, and Stonacek added 2. Top rebounder was J. Woslager with 13, Stonacek and C. Woslager each had 7. Together, Pierce had a total of 30 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive, and eight of those accounted for second chance points. Pierce forced 17 turnovers on the Cowboys, while having only 6 themselves. J. Woslager was named the Eldorado Hills Player of the Game and the Faith Regional Health Services Player of the Game.
Coach Mike Emory said, “Our football team did such a great job coming back to win, and we wanted to do the same here.”
Jacob Woslager said, “They’re big and athletic. Corey and I knew we had to work. As soon as I saw the atmosphere and crowd, I was pumped.”
Jays Fall In Second Round by Josh L. Hoelscher
The Pierce Bluejay boys’ varsity basketball team advanced to the second round of the state basketball tournament to play the Hastings St. Cecilia Bluehawks. The game took place on Friday, March 7 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Although Pierce had beaten the Bluehawks in the Holiday Tournament, the Jays did not seem able to sink a basket and fell 36-46. The Bluehawks went on to defeat Bennington 50-43 for the state championship.
To start out for the Bluejays in the first quarter, the team went to one of their leaders down low. Corey Woslager scored six of the Bluejays’ first seven points. Pierce’s other big man down low, Jacob Woslager, had the other point. Hastings St. Cecilia also looked to their main players on the floor by going to Riley Nikkila who had six points, Jake Hamburger who had five points, and Matt Sterup, who had two points for the Bluehawks. At the end of the first quarter Hastings St. Cecilia led 11-7.
The second quarter was a lot like the first for the Bluejays, who again scored seven points in the quarter. Brock Stonacek contributed two points, Eric Koehlmoos had two points, and leading the Jays in points this quarter was Jacob Woslager with three. The Bluehawks found ways to get everyone involved with Riley Nikkila, Jake Hamburger, Zane Anetine, and Matt Sterup all having two points. The score at halftime was Hastings St. Cecilia still out in front of the Jays by a score of 19-14.
In the third quarter the Bluejays finally got something going for them. Brock Stonacek put in two points, Eric Koehlmoos added a free throw, Jacob Woslager added six points, and Corey Woslager had four points. This was the Jays’ biggest quarter as they scored thirteen points. For the Bluehawks, Zane Anetine helped out his team by scoring six points, Jake Hamburger added three points, and Matt Sterup had two free throws. Hastings St. Cecilia had eleven points this quarter and now were leading the Jays by only three. At the end of the third quarter the Bluehawks were ahead 30-27.
If the Bluejays were going to advance to the state championship, they had to try to make a run in the final quarter. Pierce had a tough time though, making only one basket and seven free throws. Scoring for the Jays in this quarter were Brock Stonacek with two points, Tony Lauters with one point, Eric Koehlmoos with three points, and Jacob Woslager with four points. The Bluehawks stayed tough throughout all the fourth quarter. Dalton Sealey led the way for Hastings St. Cecilia with five points, Aaron Esch added two points, Riley Nikkila had one point, Nick Hinrichs put in two free throws, Blake Wright added two points, and Matt Sterup put in four points. Pierce was outscored in the fourth quarter by a score of 16-9. When the final buzzer sounded the Bluehawks had ended Pierce’s undefeated season. Hastings St. Cecilia came away with a win, beating the Bluejays by 10.
Leading scorers for the Jays were Jacob Woslager with thirteen points, Corey Woslager with ten points, Brock Stonacek and Eric Koehlmoos had six points, and Tony Lauters had one point.
Jacob Woslager said, “We tried really hard, but the shots weren’t falling; therefore we didn’t come out on top.”
The Jays’ next game was Saturday March 8, at Pershing Auditorium against the Chadron Cardinals for third place.
Bluejays Third At State by Danielle Tucker
The Pierce Bluejays played in the first Class C consolation game ever during the Boys’ State Basketball Tournament in Lincoln, NE. The consolation game was played Saturday, March 8 at Pershing Auditorium. The Bluejays battled the Chadron Cardinals and defeated them, 49-44. Pierce came home from Lincoln with the third place trophy and a 25-1 record to finish their basketball season.
Pierce fans cheered on Brock Stonacek as he reached and got the tip against Chadron’s tallest player, who was a towering 6’11”. The Bluejays took advantage of the tip and hustled down the court. Stonacek attempted a shot and was fouled. He easily put in both of his free throws and put the Bluejays on the board, 2-0. With a quick steal, Jacob Woslager raced down the court and put up two more points for Pierce. Eric Koehlmoos found an open shot inside the paint and added to Pierce’s lead over Chadron, 6-0. Leading the Cardinals 12-0 with 2:15 remaining, Pierce seemed to be in control of the first quarter. Chadron eventually made the scoreboard from a long three pointer and two free throws. The quarter ended with Pierce ahead 16-5.
The Bluejays and the Cardinals each started the second quarter with determination and intensity. The Jays struggled with foul problems when Tony Lauters and Brock Stonacek each gained their third personal fouls. Pierce’s Jacob Navrkal and Kenley Silhacek entered the game. The boys helped the team stay out of foul trouble until halftime. Chadron was able to add 6 points to their score from free throws and another 8 from field goals. The Cards began to close the gap, 26-19.
The Bluejays came out hungry for a win after halftime. Lauters, gaining his fourth foul, began the quarter aggressively and set the energy level for his team. Chadron challenged the Jays by hitting a three pointer, but Koehlmoos answered right back with a three of his own making the game, 29-22. Navrkal swished a three to benefit his team, yet the Cardinals did not back down. Chadron came back with two more threes, which added to the game’s intensity. Scoring a couple extra points throughout the quarter, the teams stayed neck and neck until the buzzer, 36-34.
Starting the fourth quarter, Jacob Woslager was fouled inside the paint. He easily put in his free throws. The Jays continued to fight the Cardinals and up the score. Corey Woslager put up an easy shot from the block and Tony Lauters hit an impressive three. Not long after, Jacob Woslager received a foul and then a technical foul for taunting the Cardinals; he fouled out of the game. Chadron took advantage of five ensuing free throws to bring the score to 43-39. Pierce’s remaining boys were in foul trouble themselves and had to play it safe. In the end, last minute free throws made a difference for the Jays. Pierce defeated Chadron, 49-44.
Coach Mike Emory said, “As a coaching staff, we couldn’t have asked for any more out of this team. They battled every night, and we are extremely proud of them.” Corey Woslager, a starting senior, commented “With the circumstances throughout the weekend and our loss the day before to Hastings St. Cecilia, we did a good job. It felt good to end our season with a win.” Lead scorers for the Bluejays were Eric Koehlmoos with 19 points, Corey Woslager with 8, and Brock Stonacek with 8. Pierce was 12 for 12 from the free throw line. Chadron hit 18 of 25 charity shots but had only 7 two-point baskets and 4 three-point shots from the field. Pierce was fifty percent from two-point range, 14 of 28, and had 3 three-pointers.
