Sports
South Webster Jumps On Fed Hock Early, Cruises To Playoff Win
By: Rebekah Markovitz
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Federal Hocking and South Webster stepped on the court for the first-round playoff game, but only one team moved on to the second round. It was a tough loss for the Lancers as South Webster took the lead early and kept it the entire game. The final score was 51-27.
The Jeeps most valuable player of the night was Shiloah Blevins, and without him, it could have been a different game. His height, speed, and aggression at the basket was difficult for the Lancers to defend.
The Lancers tried double teaming him, but Blevins still scored half of South Webster’s points. He scored 25, 15 of which were in the first quarter alone. When the Lancers tried to block his shots, they often ended up fouling him instead.
The next leading scorers behind Blevins were Braden Bruckway and Tanner Voiers who scored six points each.
It could have been a much closer game, but Fed Hock’s offense was not what it usually is.
Nate Massie is usually one of the team’s top scorers, but he did not put a single point up on the board. He was able to cut to the basket, and beat a few players in the paint, but ultimately fell short of the basket. He attempted around ten shots; however, he was successful in setting up scoring opportunities and assisted a few of Brad Russell’s shots.
Brad Russell was the leading scorer with eight points followed by Hunter Smith with six.
Fed Hock had two turnovers within the first minute of the game, and Coach Kevin Dunigan called an early timeout for the boys to regroup. The score was 5-0, but Hunter Smith was first to score for the Lancers with a three-pointer to close the gap.
As the game continued, the Jeeps lead only grew larger and larger. The Jeeps applied tight defensive pressure in the paint. They were constantly on the Lancer’s backs, which made it difficult for them to connect passes, and finish shots in the paint.
South Webster had 12 total team steals, and consistently found the open man under the basket. If they missed, Blevins was the first to the ball on rebounds to put the ball back in the net.
With only a few minutes left in the game, it was clear that Fed Hock would take a tough loss. Instead of trying to come back from almost a 25-point deficit, Coach Dunigan focused on ending their season about the importance of recognizing his players.
With two minutes left in the game, Coach Dunigan took the entire starting line up off the court and gave the backup players an opportunity to play in the team’s last game of the season.
Even though their season is over, the Lancers have a lot to look forward to in the coming years.
“Good things are coming,” Coach Dunigan said after the game. “And this will be an exciting team to cover as we continue to grow and mature.”