Chargers Edge Bluebirds In Pitching Duel
Guys Varsity Basketball – Bluebird Classic – Goessel Dec. 8 2017 v. Burrton Chargers
The Burrton Chargers held Goessel’s Bluebird offense totally at bay Friday night, allowing the Bluebirds only nine field goals all night. Bluebird defenders kept the Chargers corralled as well, but Burrton was able to hit 8 of 9 free throws at the end of the contest to put the game away. With six lead changes, the intense chess match went down to the final minutes, with players finally getting a bit chippy in the stretch. Junior Cooper Zehr put up 9 of the first 11 for the Chargers and finished with 12 as Goessel falls to 0-3 on the season with the 26-35 loss. Burrton wins Pool A and will take on Pool B winner Elyria in the Classic championship tomorrow night. Goessel will play Central Christian for 5th place at 4:00 pm.
On a long over the top pass to Jordan Griffin, the Senior was fouled and stroked both charities; next time down the floor Dylan Lindeman coasted from the north parking lot to the trophy case for two more and Goessel was up 4-2. Griffin was credited with a spectacular block. The détente was thick as the two teams eyeballed each other for a full 8 minutes and stuck at 6-6.
In the corner, Dylan was jammed as he put a long trey from the trombone section on Bulldog 20. None of the 3 charities would fall, perhaps descriptive of the night the Blue would have going forward. On a nice throw in from underneath, Jordan was fouled going strong and hit the front end but Zehr and Schmit took it quickly to 9-14 and Coach Guhr called time at 3:42. With Zehr on the bench, Goessel was able to convert 3 of 4 charities on penetrations, then found pay-dirt with a sumptuous Griffin drive and Burrton called time at 1:13. At the buzzer, fans thought Dylan was fouled going to the hoop but the no-call left it knotted at 14-14. Both quarters were dead even.
Off another smack-down inbounds set, Jordan popped from three feet and Carson Sterk made a very nice turn in the paint and floated two in from short range to take the lead 18-17. In a huge play, Sterk took a charge on #10, key ball-handler Rimbey, and forced him to sit with 4 personals at 3:45. This appeared to possibly be a game-changer, but the Bluebirds could not make things work and instead the Chargers ran two fast breaks to go up 20-25. A Dylan finish at the buzzer left it at 22-25 after three. With foul trouble going both ways, Dylan brought the masses to their feet with a steal and lay-in to go to 24-25. At 7:03, Goessel looked like it had the ball on a tie-up but the officials allowed a called timeout from the Burrton bench. Moments later Goessel got the call on a Charger backcourt pass. Fouls stood at Goessel 4 and Burrton 6. In the heated back and forth, big Schmitt underneath gave Jordan a bump post-rebound under the Burrton bucket. Down the floor, the official whistled Griffin for a technical foul and Zehr put both in for the 24-27 lead and Jordan sat from 5:10 to 1:32. During these minutes, the Bluebirds went to the bucket to draw the foul on several Chargers who were in trouble, but could not convert the charities, leaving it at 24-27. In a huge play giving renewed hope, Lindeman powered underneath for the 26-27 lay-in finish at 2:40. Goessel called time at 1:32 down 26-29. After several back and forths with 47 seconds left Goessel was forced to foul down 26-29 and the Chargers hit successfully for 8 of 9 attempts at the line to seal the game. The game finished at 26-35. Lindeman notched a double double with 10 rebounds; Goessel had a miserably cold night, shooting 17% from the floor and 47% from the line. Lindeman and Griffin each finished with 12 and Sterk had 2 for the Bluebirds.
