With Each Other For Each Other – Groundhog Day
Guys Varsity Basketball - Goessel v. Centre @ Centre February 2, 2018
Exuberant effort from Dylan Lindeman tonight kept Goessel in the Wheat State League contest with Centre. The talented sophomore and Bluebird colleagues could not hold the fort, though, against a barrage of quick hands, excellent passing and quality finishers on the Cougar side. Both the first and third quarters saw Goessel held to 10 and the home team putting up 20 to put the otherwise close game away. Lindeman closed with 20 points, Goessel was perfect from the line in the first half (7 for 7) but went 9 for 20 from the charity stripe in the 2nd half. The WSL game on homecoming night ended 50-71.
The Bluebirds executed as near perfect a back door play as possible to knot at 2, Sterk to Lindeman. At 5:30 on Bulldog Lindeman, Dylan stroked one from so far out it really was from downtown… Lincolnville. It was the first and only lead of the night 5-4. Down 5-13, with 1:45 left Dylan found the range again from the corner, burying one from between two guys with hard hats on tinkering with the smoke machine. Then with time running out, #20 went hard to the hole to stay at 10-17, but Centre got late points (as they did a couple times tonight) on Bluebird miscues at the buzzer. 10-22.
Lindeman drove hard +1 to start the 2nd but the Blue were not getting any other contributions from other team members on offense. Fans found glimmers of hope as Sterk caught a carom and put it back in for the first non-Lindeman points of the night. Moments later, Dylan went up against Senior Thompson who was called for his 3rd personal and sat at 3:50. With the volatile guard on the bench, fans were hopeful, but Espinoza stepped up to the task of guarding Lindeman without missing a beat. Centre went on a 7-0 run, in fact, going to 19-36, before Griffin caressed in two charities and Jerah Schmidt put up a gorgeous runner/floater at the buzzer to stay within reach in the 13-14 quarter at 23-36. Lindeman and Griffin were pitch-perfect from the line, hitting 100% (7 for 7 ) in the 2nd quarter.
Out of the break, the Cougars used penetration, pull up jumpers, quickness inside and good ball movement to find openings and ran 20 points onto the scoreboard. Jordan Griffin came alive with inside movement and drives to the bucket, including a sensational baseline foray. Coach Guhr called time at 4:34 down 26-46. Jake Hagewood put up one of his patented kamikaze drives, then hit a baseline jumper to go to 31-48. Jordan put up a soft pull up jumper, but steady pop and shoot, fake and roll, and running prayers from the Cougars left it at 33-57 after three.
Jordan got two off the glass with an exquisite move/turn in the low paint. Lindeman polished another finish off, then Griffin backed one in for the 39-61 score. Goessel showed good rhythm moving down the floor, pushing hard, and getting fouled, but did not have the success from the stripe in the 2nd half. Jerah Schmidt hit two charities and the Cougars put in their 2nd squad at 3:50. At 42-65, Goessel cleared the bench at 3:04 the the back and forth continued with scoring from Schmidt, Hagewood, Schmidt, Hagewood and Zogleman to close the contest at 50-71. Goessel won the 4th quarter 17-14.
Lindeman put on a homecoming display in the first half, scoring 17 points, but went 1 for 7 from the line in the 2nd half and had only one FG to finish with 20. Griffin had a slow first half with no FG’s but put up 10 points in the 2nd to finish with 12. Jake Hagewood scored 8 and was perfect from the line. Jerah Schmidt finished with 5 and brother Jayce 2 points. Carson Sterk tallied 2 and Zach Zogleman 1 in the Wheat State League contest. Also playing for Goessel was Nathaniel Schmucker.
-Karl Brubaker
