DAY 111
Goessel Girls Basketball – Solomon Gorillas @ Goessel – 1A Div I Sub-State - February 23, 2024
As a result of a key win in the regular season, Goessel (13-6) came into the Solomon 1A Div I sub-state as the 3 seed with Canton-Galva (13-7) as the 4 seed. In the top of the bracket, the winner of the 4/5 game gets the honor of playing #1 ranked 1A-Div I (Kansas Basketball Coaches Association) Little River right away. In the lower part of the bracket, Goessel first faced the Gorillas tonight and will now move on to face the winner of Rural Vista-Sylvan Lucas next week Friday March 1st. In tonight’s contest, Goessel sandwiched a ferocious 25-2 2nd quarter in between a 13-11 1st stanza and 8-6 3rd to put away the contest by halftime. At halftime it was 38-13 and the closing bell showed 60-23.
There were three lead changes in the tightly contested first quarter. Inside punches put it at 0-4, the largest Gorilla lead of the night, before Cheyenne Sawyer lit it up from the “magic corner,” to close it back to 3-4. On the break, Aimee Funk took a hard fall but steadied and went 2/2 from the line to lead 5-4, but the Gorillas back in and roared for more to go up 5-8. Timeout: Goessel 4:40. It was time for the “Let’s Get Fired Up” cheer c/o the cheer squad, and the Hawaiian clad student body did just that. GSPN commentators Joe Buck Schrag and Javin Nance were doing Holthus moves in the booth as Goessel came alive in the 2nd. Greta Scholle took the ball for a no-nonsense beeline to the bucket for two and at 2:44 launched one from the “secret spot” (if there are any scouts reading this, it is somewhere along the 3 point circle) to take the lead for good 10-8. Down the floor the next time, Scholle attempted another foray into the paint, this one employing a Euro-Step that Germans think nothing of but American referees whistle every time (it is hard to look past #14’s 14 foot 2-step). The beach ball came loose out of the Hawaiian stands. Abbigail Funk punched into the lane and was fouled, hitting 3 of 4 to lead 13-8, but Solomon’s Elise Baier launched a prayer at the buzzer, the only Gorilla trey of the night, to stay at 13-11.
Moments into the 2nd, the Gorillas put the tension into the collected fan base, tying it 13-13. Once again, fears were eased as Scholle set in the magic spot for a trey so huge Jake Flaming’s scintillating matching Hawaiian outfit glowed from hat to shoes. Mid-court defensive pressure, half-court traps, quick hands and anticipation led to many points off steals and turnovers and this quarter turned into a rout with the Blue putting up 25. Highlights for Goessel in the quarter included Abbigail punching in 14 including a finger roll off the glass that simply stuck on the rim and fell through. Her three from the top of the circle was the first trey not delivered from the “magic spot.” Sawyer and Scholle also found pay dirt from downtown. The bucket in the first seconds for the Gorillas was the only one allowed in the quarter which left it at 38-13 at the half. The defensive pressure in the quarter was so merciless that the blue skullcap worn as part of Jack Nickel’s Hawaiian outfit actually started overheating. Jack with a skullcap (imagine an Olympic swimmer) is not something you want to see every day. The Gorillas had three starters with at least 2 fouls each.
Goessel employed similar defensive posture throughout the 3rd but adjustments from the Gorillas kept it closer. Solomon went on a 3-6 run to take it to 41-19, interrupted only by a quick release long bomb from Sawyer that saw main fan Gina jumping up and down with delight. Scholle barreled one in from the corner and fans were pretty sure Kendall V exclaimed loudly in German and then turned red. 44-19. Cheyenne closed out the low profile quarter (8-6) with another finish off the break 46-19. The Bluebirds won every quarter tonight but the 1st and 3rd left fans nervous.
Three more long range efforts were successful in the 4th, with Aimee hitting one from way south of town, Sawyer blitzing a long shot from quite near the City Library, and Logan Bryant polishing one in from somewhere near the City Park. The full moon tonight cast a giant glow on the shooting for the Blue. This quarter went 14-4 as the Bluebirds held the visiting Gorillas to nearly as many points in total in quarters 2,3 and 4 as they allowed in the 1st. Goessel’s defense is key to making this team work; congratulations on a great defensive effort, particularly in the 2nd tonight. Stouter bodies in the paint have been a challenge; tonight Abbigail hit a defensive player who might as well have been a brick wall; it was a reverberating bounce-off no-call. Aggressively blocking out, going after loose balls, anticipating rebounds, and moving fast down the floor have all improved this year. The game ended 60-23.
Goessel put up 10 treys tonight, nearly on par with the record setting 12 a few nights ago. Seniors Alece Lehrman, Jaicee Griffin, Braylyn Hoopes, Cheyenne Sawyer as well as Manager Summer Hansen gathered after the game for pictures. Sawyer put up 4 treys tonight, one in each quarter, and finished with 16 . Abbigail Funk had a sensational first half, notching a huge trey of her own and also finished with 16 points (all in the first half) on the night. Greta Scholle was smiling like never before after the game this evening as players gathered for pictures after the Seniors’ final home game. Greta had 11, including three treys and recorded numerous blocks, assists and defensive efforts. Aimee Funk put up 10 and was credited with huge hustle points on defense as well as helping on the break. Logan Bryant tallied 5 but this time her now traditional shot at the end of the half wallowed around the rim but did not fall through. Alece Lehrman finished with 2. Braylyn Hoopes and Jaicee Griffin again contributed in the post and in the paint. Also in for the Bluebirds were Hailey Rosfeld, Jayley Schmidt, and Delaney Gibson. Isabelle Alderfer had the honor of participating in state band and was in Wichita tonight.
This year’s motto, Day 111, talks about the length of the season and the work that goes into the many hours of preparation now culminating in what must be very close to that day.
-Karl Brubaker
