Youngsters headline opening weekend of county basketball
Underclassmen making names for themselves early on
- Alexus Burkhart is averaging 18 points in four games for Colonel Crawford
- Jenna Karl went off for 31 points
- Sophomores Gram Dick and Clinton Carr lead Redmen in scoring
- Sophomore Max Loy delivers buzzer beater for Bucks
Opening weekend of hoops in Crawford County did not disappoint.
The weekend had more drama than a daytime soap. Here are some of the top headlines from the weekend:
Unlikely Hero
Of the three Loys on the Buckeye Central boys basketball team, Max Loy turned out to be the hero Saturday night. While older brother Grant did most of the damage and father Phil strolled the sidelines, sophomore Max Loy hit a game winning layup with six seconds remaining on the clock to give the Bucks a 44-43 win.
The Bucks traveled to South Central for the season opener in what was a tough test for both teams. The Trojans were picked as the favorite in the Firelands Conference, while the Bucks were chosen in the Top 3 of the Northern 10. The younger Loy (Max) finished with six points, but obviously, none more important than his game-winner.
Grant Loy finished with 14 points, including a pair of treys, and snatched up eight rebounds to kick off his senior year. Jacob Shade contributed with 12 points and six boards.
House of Thrills
The Wynford Royals welcomed new coach Jason Engel to W.R. Donnenwirth Gymnasium with a dramatic 69-68 win on Friday night. It was Engel’s first win as a head coach.
The Royals seemed in control, taking an 11-point lead into the locker room and even growing the lead to 17 midway through the third. But Temple Christian would not go away and ended up cutting the lead to just four by the buzzer.
The Crusaders took a four-point lead late in the fourth, but the Royals found new life in their defense and forced three straight turnovers in a crucial stretch to gain a three-point lead. They then played strategy and made 11 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
A night later, the Royals lost to Shelby 78-53. Braxton Tea found his shooting touch in the contest scoring 14 points with a pair of treys while Jack Reed poured in 11 points and connected on three 3-pointers.
The Jenna Karl Show
Not many people picked the Buckeye Central Buckettes to do much of anything this season with no seniors on the squad, but the youngsters are taking advantage of being under the radar, especially sophomore Jenna Karl.
The Buckettes kicked off their season Friday night at one of the N10’s favorites, Seneca East. Karl went off for 31 points and the Buckettes shocked the Tigers 67-57.
Haley Green added 12 points in the effort. She and Karl dropped three treys combined, while freshman Courtney Pifher connected on two. Isabelle Biglin added eight points. She and Sarah Heydinger tallied 10 rebounds apiece.
Burkhart Heartbreaker
Alexus Burkhart started the season on fire for the Colonel Crawford Eagles. She is averaging 18 points a night for the 2-2 Eagles. On Saturday afternoon, she netted 15 points as the Eagles took down Plymouth 55-32.
Jada Klingenberger chipped in with 14 points and Kristin Vehris dropped 10.
Young Redmen
The youth of the Bucyrus Redmen showed on Saturday night in a loss to Northmor. Bucyrus came out scrappy, leading 10-8 after the first quarter and trailed by only nine at the half. But a 2-point third quarter doomed the Redmen, who would go on to lose 58-37.
The youth of the Redmen will be seen all year long, both good and bad. Sophomore Gram Dick came out blazing, scoring 10 points in the first half. He finished with 12. Sophomore Clinton Carr led all Redmen scorers with 13 points and six boards. He did a lot of his damage at the foul line, making 9 of 10 free throws.
Other Scores
Galion beat Plymouth 55-38 in boys basketball Saturday night. Houston Blair scored 13 points, Kalvin Rinehart had 11 and Colton Moore chipped in with 9.
Temple Christian beat Crestline 59-42 in boys basketball Saturday night. Zach Gregory led all scorers with 17 points and Kevin Winkler scored 9 points and snatched up 9 rebounds.
Riverdale beat Wynford 63-40 in girls basketball on Saturday afternoon. Alyssa Harrer led the Royals with 12 points and Gretchen Harris had nine points.
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Twitter: @JakeFurr11