Bluejay Basketball
Bluejays Rise to Victory Over Vikings
by Autumn Hanna
The Pierce varsity boys competed against the Vikings at Columbus Lakeview High School Tuesday, January 14. The Bluejays beat the Vikings with a final score of 53-25.
To start off the game, the Bluejays won the tip off thanks to Dawson Watts.
The first quarter was slow for both teams. They both scored five points each going into the second quarter 5-5.
The second quarter was better for Pierce, making 10 points compared to Lakeview’s four bringing the score to 15-9.
After halftime the Bluejays put 23 more points on the scoreboard. This brought the third quarter score to 38-16.
In the final quarter, Pierce shot 15 more points and Lakeview scored nine more bringing the final score 53-25.
Leading the team in total points was junior Dawson Watts with 13, followed closely by Gavin Larson with 12. The overall shooting percentage improved this game to 54% for the team. Dalton Freeman and Benjamin Brahmer both had the most rebounds with four each. Senior Carson Oestrich lead the team in assists with four.
Head Coach Michael Emory comments on the boys’ performance, “I thought we defended well for four quarters, and we shared the ball well in the second half. ”
The boys basketball team will play next at Battle Creek High School Saturday, January 25.
JV Boys Triumph over Vikings
by MacKenzie Peters
The JV boys basketball team ventured to Columbus Lakeview High School on Tuesday, January 14, when they took down Lakeview 57-35.
The game started with junior David Dale scoring a 2-pointer. Abram Scholting followed up with another 2-pointer. Mason Sindelar put two more points on the board with a 2-point shot. Dale and Scholting followed by each scoring their second 2-pointer. Logan Moeller finished up the quarter with a 2-point shot, which put the Jays just above the Vikings 12-11.
Freshman Benjamin Brahmer started the scoring in the second quarter with a 2-pointer. Later on in the quarter, he had two attempts at free throws, but only managed to sink one. Tyler Race shot and made two free throw shots. Luke Collison put up seven points during the second quarter with two 2-point shots and a 3-pointer. Chaden Roth also shot and made a 2-pointer. Scholting ended the half with a 2-point shot. The score was 28-21 going into half time.
The Jays stepped up the heat for the second half. Scholting scored two 2-pointers, followed by a free throw shot. Similar to Scholting, Luke Collison scored five points, the first of which was a free throw. He then scored two 2-point shots. Mason Sindelar put four points on the board with a 2-pointer and two free throws.
Collison started the scoring in the final quarter with a 2-point shot. Race shot and sank two free throw shots. Brahmer followed with another 2-pointer. Roth put some pressure on the Vikings by making two free throw shots and a 2-point shot. Sindelar also finished the game off strong with two free throw shots and a 2-pointer.
Junior varsity coach Tim Waldner was satisfied with his team’s performance, saying, “They played as well as we’ve played all season for four quarters. It was fun to watch a complete game on both the offensive and defensive sides.”
The boys will play their next game in Battle Creek on January 25 at 3:00.
JH Boys Basketball Teams Defeated Despite Their Efforts
by Samantha Fischer
On Tuesday, January 14, the junior high boy’s basketball teams traveled to Albion to compete against the Boone Central Newman Grove Cardinals. Despite the boys’ effort, both the A and B teams were defeated.
To start the night out the B team game played first. In the first quarter, the Bluejays didn’t put any points on the board, and let the Cardinals score 12. In the second quarter, the Bluejays scored two points, put up by Anthony Leise at the free throw line. Despite the boy’s defensive effort, they let the Cardinals score 15 points. Going into half-time, the Bluejays were trailing 27-2.
After their break, the boys tried their best to score, but the Cardinal’s defense was very good, as well as the offense as BCNG scored 12 coming out of half. In the final quarter of the game, Chase Rasmussen was the only person to score for Pierce, with one 3-pointer. The final score of the game was 50-5, with a Bluejay loss.
Next game of the night was the junior high A game. To start the game, Deon Watts scored one 2-pointer and Travis Emory scoring one 3-pointer, letting the Cardinals score eight points.
In the second quarter of the game, the Bluejays scored five points, put up by Gavin Sullivan and Watts, but despite their efforts, the Cardinal’s scored 12 points. Going into break, the Bluejays were trailing 20-11.
After halftime, the Bluejays came out with a bit of fire and scored six points by Watts and Sullivan, but again letting the Cardinals score 12.
In the final quarter of the night, the Bluejays scored one point, shot by Watts at the free-throw line, holding the Cardinals score to four points. The final score of the game was 36-18, leaving the Bluejays trailing by 18.
When asked, Coach Greg Warneke says this about what they need to work on before the next game, “We just need to work on fundamentals.”
The junior high’s next game will be Thursday, January 23, against Plainview at the Pierce auditorium with tip off at 3 p.m.
Junior High Boys First Game of the Season
by Hannah Whitmore
The junior high boys basketball team played their first game against the Elkhorn Valley Falcons on Saturday, January 11. The Bluejays A team took the win for their very first game of the season. The final score was 46-26.
In the first quarter the Bluejays scored 14 points. During the second quarter Pierce scored 13 bringing the score at halftime to 27.
In the third quarter the Jays scored 11 points bringing the score to 38 points. In the fourth in final quarter the Bluejays scored eight points bringing them to the final score of 46.
The team member who scored the most points was Deon Watts with 21 points. After Watts was Travis Emory with 11 points.
The Bluejays B team lost and the final score was 7-19.
In the first quarter the Jays were held scoreless. In the second quarter Pierce scored two points.
Throughout the third quarter the Bluejays scored one point bringing them to the score of three. In the fourth and final quarter Pierce added four points to the scoreboard, bringing the final score to seven.
The teammate who scored the most points was Anthony Leise with three points and also scoring for the Bluejays were Payton Cederburg and Clayton Carlson with two points each.
