Warrior boys have 1-1 week
Dan McGreal dropped 30 points on 11-19 shooting in Central’s 67-56 win over Ed-Co. (Photos by Bev Hamann)
Isaac Wellendorf searches for an open teammate during a game last week.
Korey Schantz and the Warriors went 1-1 last week.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
The Central boys basketball team got its second win of the season this past week, while also suffering a fourth loss, but elements of progress were witnessed in both victory and defeat.
In victory, the Warriors put on a stellar performance on both ends of the court against Edgewood-Colesburg. The team shot 48 percent from the floor and 35 percent on three-point shots, while limiting the Vikings to 32 percent on field goals and 14 percent on three pointers, giving Central a 67-56 win.
Leading the way for the Warriors was Dan McGreal, who dropped 30 points on 11-19 shooting. McGreal also had seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks for an all-around performance.
The return of Elliot Kelly cannot be overstated, especially in ball handling and spreading the ball around. Kelly finished the game with 11 points, but it’s in the passing game where he made the most impact with seven assists.
Sam Frailey added 12 points, going 4-6 on three-point shots, while grabbing four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Isaac Loan put in five points and two steals, and Tate Berns added four points, one steal and one block to his stat line.
In defeat, the Warriors had a roller coaster game against Turkey Valley, as the offense was held to four points in two periods, but broke out for 16 and 12 points in the other two.
Central opened the game going down 20-4 after the first period, and while the team battled back in the second period, they couldn’t chip away at the 16-point deficit. In the third period, the Warriors were out-scored 17-4, and despite a valiant effort in the fourth, they couldn’t close the gap, losing 66-36.
The Warriors were victimized by a Trojan offense that shot over 50 percent, while Central was held to just under 32 percent.
Even though the score shows a defeat, what it doesn’t show is the fact the Warriors had eight of 12 players score points. It also doesn’t reveal the heart to keep shooting in the face of such an uphill climb on the scoreboard.
McGreal and Frailey led the team with nine points each, followed by Kelly and Gabe Erickson with four points apiece. Loan and Vaughn Zittergruen each scored three points.
Defensively, the Warriors came away with 13 rebounds, five steals and two blocks.
Central will look to continue the season of progress after winter break, with a road match-up against 2-4 North Fayette Valley on Jan. 3. That will be followed by another away game on Jan. 6, at 8-0 MFL MarMac.
