Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Eighth grader Easton Benz makes varsity debut with 3-pointer
Coach Tyler Cook talks to the varsity starters before the start of the matchup against the LA/E/M Cardinals.
Eighth grader Easton Benz boxes out LA/E/M senior Tucker Welsh. After Benz's outstanding efforts on offense and defense against the Cardinals, he has officially been added to the NR-S varsity roster for the season.
The Rockets fell short in yet another comeback attempt versus the Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich Cardinals on Saturday, Jan. 29, falling by a score of 51-55.
Put simply, the Rockets aren't a first-quarter team.
The Rockets didn't just struggle finding the net in the first quarter on Saturday, they couldn't do anything defensively either. While shot-after-shot from NR-S was missing its mark, the Cardinals were breezing past Rockets' defenders for routine layups, amassing 29 first-quarter points in the process.
On defense, meanwhile, the Cardinals utilized full-court pressure early and often, unsettling the Rockets' offense before it really got going. When the buzzer finally rang after the first eight minutes, NR-S found themselves deep inside a 20-point hole.
But as they've become known to do recently, the Rockets turned up the heat soon after. A pair of 3-pointers from NR-S junior Haydon Meier, along with consistent shooting from his teammates, allowed NR-S to score a respectable 15 points in the second quarter, as NR-S steadily whittled down their opponents' lead.
The second half saw the Rockets' intensity, primarily on defense, take another step up, and NR-S eighth grader Easton Benz played a pivotal role. Toward the end of the third quarter, Benz prompted elation from the NR-S crowd as he sank a 3-pointer for his first career varsity points. Shortly after, he took a hard charge under the NR-S net, sealing another possession for his team.
With the help of Benz, NR-S gave up just three points in the entire third quarter, entering the fourth with just a 9-point deficit. They were his first meaningful minutes on varsity, but Benz did more than enough to ensure they won't be his last.
The fourth quarter saw more of the same from NR-S, but this time it was NR-S sophomore Luke Yri's turn to get hot. Rattling off two consecutive 3-pointers in the first minutes of the fourth quarter, Yri got NR-S to within three points of their opponent - by far their best view of the lead since the opening minute.
The Cardinals fought back, however, and with the clock working in their favor, they didn't have to do much to keep their slim advantage. Clutch free-throw shooting in the closing minute ensured that NR-S would, once again, fall short of completing an impressive comeback.
Excluding the first quarter, NR-S outscored the Cardinals 42-26. It begs the question: where could the Rockets be if they played with the same intensity and consistency from start to finish?
NR-S attempted to answer that question during their games on Friday, Feb. 4 in Warwick and in St. John the following Saturday. Their next home game is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. versus Rolette.
Meanwhile, junior varsity continued to provide glimpses of a brighter future for NR-S basketball. The b-squad dominated the Cardinals for a 66-38 win, as they once again showed great balance offensively. In direct contrast to the varsity team, the b-squad did most of their damage in the first quarter, and didn't take their foot off the gas until the game was all but won.
Region 4, Non District
Boys' Basketball
Saturday, Jan. 29
NR-S 51, LA/E/M 55
at New Rockford
NR-S 9 15 12 15 - 51
LA/E/M 29 13 3 10 - 55
NR-S: Nick Berglund 14, Luke Yri 9, Haydon Meier 6, DJ Mudgett 5, Kaden Jensen 4, Easton Benz 3, Koby Duda 2, Trevor Waldo 2, Bennett Meier 2. Totals: 21 FG, 5-10 FG, 14 fouls. 3-pointers: Yri 3, H. Meier 2, Benz 1.
Langdon area/Edmore/Munich: Rayce Worley 28, Tucker Welsh 7, Markus Kingzett 7, Gage Goodman 7, Jack Romfo 4, Cody Amble 2. Totals: 21 FG, 9-11 FT, 11 fouls. 3-pointers: Welsh 1, Kingzett 1, Worley 1, Goodman 1.
B-squad
NR-S 66, LA/E/M 38
NR-S 25 18 17 6 - 66
LA/E/M 9 8 14 7 - 38
NR-S: Easton Simon 14, Luke Yri 9, Alex Weisenburger 8, DJ Mudgett 8, Brody Weisenburger 6, Porter Granger 6, Bennett Meier 4, Easton Benz 3, Kage Wolford 3, Kendrick Hopfauf 3, Keaton Cudworth 2. Totals: 28 FG, 3-10 FT, 13 fouls. 3-pointers: B. Weisenburger 2, Simon 2, Walford 1, Hopfauf 1, Yri 1.
Langdon area/Edmore/Munich: Cole Welsh 15, Nicholas Kingzett 10, Mason Christianson 6, Chase Moen 3, Cody Amble 2, Nathan Kitchin 2. Totals: 13 FG, 8-12 FT, 9 fouls. 3-pointers: Christianson 2, Welsh 1, Moen 1.
