HS Boys New Year

WILDCATS START 2012 WITH TOUGH LOSS

The Montgomery County R-2 Wildcats 2011-12 boy’s basketball team had finished the 2011 part of their season with a 3-game winning streak, and for most of their first game in 2012 it looked like they would make it 4 straight wins.  However, the Wildcats were not able to hold on to a 10-point lead after three quarters of play and lost to Centralia 52-50 last Friday, January 6.  With this loss the Wildcats record drops to 4 wins and 6 losses.  The Jr. Varsity team won its game against Centralia by the score of 54-44 and improved its record to 9-1.

Things did not start that well for the Wildcats, as they fell behind 9-0 to Centralia in the first 4 minutes of play, but they outscored the Panthers 6-2 the rest of the quarter to cut the deficit to 11-6.  The Wildcats then outscored Centralia 11-0 in the first 4 minutes of the second quarter to take a 17-11 lead, and then outscored the Panthers 11-10 the rest of the quarter to lead 28-21 at halftime.

The Wildcats scored a 3-point shot to start the second half and led 31-21.  The rest of the quarter the teams basically traded baskets, with both teams scoring 13 points each to make the score 44-34 at the end of the third quarter.  Centralia then started its comeback by scoring the first 6 points of the fourth quarter in the first 2 minutes of play to make the score 44-40.  In the next 30 seconds the Wildcats made a basket and a free throw to lead 47-40 with 5:27 left in the game.  Unfortunately the Wildcats would not score again until a last-second 3-point shot, while Centralia scored 12 unanswered points to win the game 52-50.

Caleb Davis led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points (2 field goals/FGs, 3 3-pointers and 4 free throws/FTs).  He was followed by Cameron Parrish and Ryan Knipfel with 8 points each (Parrish with 2 FGs/1 3-pointer/1 FT and Knipfel with 3 FGs/2 FTs), Jerad Jordan with 5 points (all FTs), Andrew Gaines and Tim Kroll with 4 points each (Gaines with 2 FGs and Kroll with 1 3-pointer/1 FT), and Taylor Deves and Nick Oden with 2 points each (both had 1 FG).

In other key stats Gaines and Knipfel led the team in rebounds with 6 each.  Deves led the team in assists and steals with 3 each.

The Wildcats will try to rebound this week, January 9-14, as they play in the South Callaway Tournament at Mokane.  Their first game will be on Tuesday, January 10, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Callaway Middle School gym.  The boys will play again on Thursday, January 12, at 7:30 p.m., against either New Haven or New Bloomfield.  Whether they play in the High School gym or the Middle School gym will be determined by the results of Tuesday’s game.  They will also play a third game on Friday or Saturday, at the High School gym, but the day and time of the game will not be known until after Thursday’s game.

R-2 has 3 home games next week.  The Wildcats face Wright City on Tuesday, January 17, in an East Missouri (EMO) Conference game.  The JV game will start at 6:00 and the Varsity game will follow.  On Thursday, January 19, there will be a “triple-header” as the JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys will host cross-county rival Wellsville Middletown.  The JV Boys’ game starts at 5:00, and will be followed by the Varsity Girls’ game and then the Varsity Boys’ game.  On Friday, January 20, the boys will host Elsberry in an EMO Conference game.  Again, the JV game starts at 6:00, to be followed by the Varsity game.

The Wildcat players and coaches hope you will come and support them as they continue to work hard and try to continue their winning ways.  Go Wildcats!