Bluejay Basketball
Launch the media gallery 1 playerVarsity Bluejays Drop First Game
by Montana Ruppert
The varsity boys’ basketball team played their season opener against Howells-Dodge at home on Thursday, November 29. Despite their efforts, the Jays fell to the Jaguars 51-59.
In the first quarter, the Jays were able to rack up 12 points courtesy of Gavin Larson with two- three pointers, Dawson Watts with a free throw, and Dalton Freeman with a two-point bucket and a three-pointer. The Jaguars outscored the Jays with 16 points of their own to take the lead early on.
The Jays fought back in the second quarter, holding the Jaguars to 11 points while putting up 18. Larson drained another three along with a pair of free throws, and Watts added a bucket to the Jays’ total. Senior Jadon Magdanz put up a two-point shot to aid the Jays’ efforts, and Carson Oestreich hit a two-pointer and a free throw. Freeman had a shot from behind the arc and a two-pointer, and Carter Rohrich topped off the Jays’ second-quarter scoring with a free throw. Going into halftime, the Jays had the lead 30-27.
The Jaguars came back with a vengeance in the second half, putting away 17 points and holding the Jays to just six courtesy of Watts and Oestreich, and the Jays found themselves down 36-44.
The Jays went point-for-point with the Jaguars in the fourth points from Larson, Watts, Oestreich, and Freeman, but they were unable to snatch the lead and fell 51-59.
Coach Mike Emory said, “After not getting off to a good start, I thought we played well in the second quarter. I think that getting into the flow offensively is something we need to work on, and defensively, we need to be able to guard the ball better and rebound better.” Looking ahead to their next game, Emory said, “Boone Central is a big physical team and we are going to have to match their physicality for that game.”
The next varsity boys’ basketball game will be Friday, December 7, at Boone Central.
Howells-Dodge Defeats JV Jays
by Tanner Kuper
On Thursday, November 29, Pierce’s JV boys’ basketball team battled the Howells-Dodge at home in a nail-biter that was close all game. The final score was 41-46 with the Jays coming up short.
The first quarter started off slow for the Bluejays as their only score was a three-pointer from Weston Neitzke. The Jaguars were able to get their offense going and took an early lead on teh Jays of 3-10.
In the second quarter, the Jays started to pick it up a little. Logan Moeller popped a three to start the quarter, followed by Mason Sindelar with a two-point jump shot. Chaden Roth shot a three-pointer to close out the second quarter. The Jaguars maintained their momentum and put up 20 points on the Jays’ defense, and the score going into halftime was 11-30 with the Jays down.
When the third quarter rolled around, Pierce found its spark. Roth popped two three’s and made two two-pointers, and Tyler Race made two two-pointers. David Dale also made two two-pointers and a three. Carter Rohrich also shot for two. The Jays put up an impressive 19 points this quarter and held the Jaguars to just five, making the new score 30-35 to put Pierce back into the game.
The fourth quarter was a quarter of trading shots. Moeller made one free throw and then popped two three’s to sway some momentum, and Race made two two-pointers. Pierce put up 11 points in total, but so did the Jaguars, making the final score of this nail-biter 41-46
JV coach Tim Waldner said, “We started off slow during the first half, but we kept competing and got back into the game. We need to keep working on fundamentals and handling the pace of the game.”
Pierce’s next JV boys’ game will be played on Friday, December 7, at Boone Central.
Hartington CC Defeats C-Team Bluejays
by Tanner Kuper
Pierce’s C-team boys hit the basketball court against Hartington CC in a close game on Monday, December 3, at Pierce. The Jays lost the game 44-48.
In the first quarter, the Jays started off strong on offense. Logan Moeller had a three and a two, and Ritter Oestreich had a two-pointer and a three-pointer to aid his team. Zach Collison popped two threes, and his brother Luke Collison made a two-pointer. Lucas Gnat also hit a three-pointer. Pierce had a hard time shutting down the Hartington offense as they put up 17 points, leaving the Jays slightly ahead at the end of the first quarter 21-17.
For the second quarter, Moeller created a lot of momentum for his team as he popped off three three-pointers. Chaden Roth drained a three as well. Both Ritter Oestreich and Mason Sindelar made one free throw. However, Pierce let Hartington put up 16 points that quarter, making the score at the end of the half 35-34 with the Trojans closing the gap.
The third quarter was a little slower in the scoring game. Roth and Zach Collison both put up one three apiece to try and create momentum, and Pierce’s defense stepped up and held Hartington to two points. The score after the third was 41-36
In the fourth quarter, Logan Moeller made one free throw, and Luke Collison made two free throws, but Pierce’s defense allowed Hartington to put up 12 points and take over the lead, making the final score of the game 44-48.
Coach Zach Weber said, “We played really well for three quarters. We executed our offense extremely well, but we struggled to get good looks when they switched to zone.”
The next C-team games will be Saturday, December 15, at Columbus Scotus.
