Middle School Raiders finally back in action
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The Mount Ayr middle school boys’ basketball teams took to the court for the first time since December 15 and didn’t skip a beat registering two victories against the Wayne Falcons.
“We (coaches) were a little concerned about how the games would go since it had been over a month since they had last played. Both teams played the most complete games they had all season,” said Raider coach Derek Lambert.
The Raiders “A” team played tremendous defense which led to many fast-break opportunities. The final score for the game was 45-9. Evan Ruggles led all scorers with 16 followed by Isac Dugan 11, Ben Coulsen 6, Wyatt Parman 5, Kellon Shaffer 4, and Jesse Shelman 3.
The Raiders “B” team matched the defensive intensity of the first game holding Wayne to just two points in the first half and a total of six points for the game with the final being 40-6. Scoring for the Raiders were Collin Conklin 16, Payton Levine 8, Brogan Gourley 6, Matthew Johnson 6, Justin Novak 2, and Fred Malone 2.
“It was great to see the “B” squad put a full game together,” said Lambert.
The second game back from Christmas Break was a rematch against I-35. This game did not disappoint the fans as it was a fast-paced defensive battle. The Raiders “A” team was able to pull out a 29-22 victory on their home floor. Evan Ruggles led all scorers with 12, Kellon Shaffer had 7, Isac Dugan 6, Ben Coulsen 2, and Drayden Thompson 2. The coaches raved about the Raider’s defense and rebounding, noting the team’s dominance in the contest.
The Raiders “B” squad had beaten the Roadrunners the first time around but I-35 played a much better defensive game this time holding the Raiders to just 11 total points. I-35 came away with the victory 25-11.
“It was frustrating going from one extreme to the other as the boys played so well vs. Wayne, then struggled to run any sort of offense against the Roadrunners. The last Middle School Boys basketball game (Feb. 1), we hope both teams can come out and play hard in front of the home crowd,” said Lambert.
