Rockets out chuck Woodchucks, lose to Cardinals

On Friday, Jan. 20, the New Rockford-Sheyenne Rockets hosted the St. John Woodchucks, and once again showed just how far they've come since the season began.

The Woodchucks came into town with a respectable 6-3 overall record. Compared to the Rockets' record of 1-6, one might understand why the Woodchucks probably expected a win.

Admittedly, St. John looked like the better team in the first quarter, having outscored the Rockets 11-7 in the first eight minutes. But NR-S turned the tables in the second, scoring 13 points while holding the Woodchucks to just five.

The Rockets enjoyed a 20-16 halftime lead, and NR-S Junior DJ Mudgett was the driving force behind much of his teams' offense, scoring 9 of the Rockets' 20 first-half points.

That hard-earned lead was soon wiped out in the third quarter, however. The Woodchucks were sent to the free-throw line four times that quarter and shot 100 percent, contributing to the Rockets losing their lead.

The Rockets did better in the fourth quarter, but it remained a back-and-forth battle, and with just 23 seconds remaining St. John held onto a slim 4-point lead – and they had possession.

However, as the Woodchucks tried to inbound the ball, Easton Benz jumped into a passing lane under the rim, intercepted the pass, and gave the ball to Bennett Meier who cashed in a layup, bringing the Rockets to within 2 points with 16 seconds left in regulation.

The Woodchucks' next possession was a disaster, as a long pass was interrupted and went out of bounds off a St. John player, giving possession back to NR-S with nine seconds remaining – and the Rockets made the most of it.

With time ticking, Trevor Waldo launched a ball towards the net where Easton Simon was patiently waiting.

Simon caught the ball just inches from the rim and took the shot. As the ball bounced around the rim for what felt like an eternity, the buzzer eventually sounded. Only then did the ball finally fall in. It couldn't have been scripted more dramatically if it were a movie.

The NR-S crowd erupted, and with the surge of momentum now firmly on their side, the Rockets breezed through overtime to earn their second win of the season. The final score was 57-52.

NR-S was hoping to continue their winning ways as they took on the Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich Cardinals in Langdon on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The Cardinals were just 3-8 on the season overall, presenting another good opportunity for the Rockets to build confidence. But NR-S reverted back to their old habit of getting off on the wrong foot.

In the first half, the Cardinals outscored the Rockets 33-15, putting them on their heels for the rest of the match. The Rockets played better in the second half, and made a comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't quite overcome their deficit from the first half.

The game in Langdon ended with a final score of 51-61, bringing the Rockets' overall record to 2-7. Their next game was at home against the North Prairie Cougars on Thursday, Jan. 26. That game will be covered in the next edition of the Transcript.

Super Region 4

Boys' Basketball

NR-S 57, St. John 52

Friday, Jan. 20

in New Rockford

NR-S: 7 13 12 16 9 - 57

St. John: 11 5 17 15 4 - 52

NR-S: Easton Simon 19, DJ Mudgett 11, Kage Walford 8, Easton Benz 8, Bennett Meier 7, Trevor Waldo 4. Totals: 21 FG, 10-13 FT, 12 fouls. 3-pointers: Walford 2, Benz 2, Simon 1.

St. John: Brayton Baker 16, Cashmyn Belgarde 10, Ethan Decoteau 10, Isaac Charbonneau 6, Grayson Greybear 4, Tuff Longie 3, Landyn Jeanotte 3. Totals: 18 FG, 14-16 FT, 14 fouls. Fouled out: C. Belgarde. 3-pointers: Jeanotte 1, Baker 1.

B-Squad

NR-S 55, St. John 39

C-Squad

NR-S 73, St. John 21

Super Region 4

Boys' Basketball

NR-S 51, LA/E/M 61

Tuesday, Jan. 24

at Langdon

NR-S: 11 4 15 21 – 51

LA/E/M: 13 20 12 16 – 61

NR-S: Easton Simon 22, Bennett Meier 14, Porter Granger 7, DJ Mudgett 5, Lucas Yri 3. Totals: 20 FG, 6-8 FT, 13 fouls. 3-pointers: Simon 3, Yri 1, Granger 1.

LA/E/M: Rayce Worley 20, Cody Amble 14, Jack Romfo 11, Levi Swanson 6, Jayden Lee 3, Nathan Kitchin 3, Nickolas Kingzett 2, Tanner McDonald 2. Totals: 25 FG, 7-8 FT, 7 fouls. 3-pointers: Worley 2, Lee 1, Kitchin 1.