Pounding The Stone
Karl Brubaker
Goessel Guys Varsity Basketball December 2019
Goessel’s Bluebird basketball roster almost requires a smaller font to fit onto the program page. 27 players are participating this year, including three Seniors: Dylan Lindeman, Jake Hagewood, and Jerah Schmidt. Coach Curtis Guhr, in his 7th year, indicates that “we have a good group of guys who have excelled in fall sports this year and we hope that this will translate into good leadership on the basketball court as well.” Goessel has many letter winners returning from a team that competed well last season. The Wheat State League looks to be very competitive again this year; Goessel hopes to finish high in the league if everyone stays healthy. Key returning letter winners include Lindeman, Hagewood and Schmidt and also include Junior Jake Hiebert and Sophomore Skylar Wuest. Other key contributors appear to be: Junior Nathaniel Zogleman and Sophomore Caiden Duerksen. Fans note that each of the Goessel players have upped their game considerably in the off-season.
This year’s theme: “Pounding the Stone” works at the idea that opportunity will be created by continuing to work hard at shaping the team. The first of many efforts at shaping a sculptured stone may not achieve the desired result but if one continues to work hard and carefully chips, chisels and sands away at the object to be sculpted it eventually will emerge as a finished work of art.
Goessel led off the 19-20 season with a tough away contest in the friendly confines of the Inman Coliseum. Despite a great effort, early season jitters and cold shooting produced an initial loss. In the Tuesday night Bluebird Classic contest v. Central Christian, fans were treated to a vision of what this team could be as the season progresses: Tough defensive effort and explosions of offense produced a scintillating 49-46 win against an always tough Cougar squad. With a win v. Burrton, Goessel will move to the 1st place game on Saturday.
On Friday, Goessel faced a lean rostered Burrton Charger team in the last game of the night. In workmanlike fashion, the Bluebirds showed great ball movement, anticipation, and unselfishness in jumping out to a 22-0 lead. Highlights came from Lindeman, Hiebert, Zogleman, Hagewood, and Duerksen all over the floor. Burrton called time at 7:17 and 3:13. The bigger and stronger Bluebird team dominated in the late starting contest (9:10 pm) and one of the Three Amigos inquired of the fan base what their estimate was of the over/under on this one. This year, Goessel’s coaching staff includes Guhr, Chad Lindeman and the Bluebirds are pleased to have Brian Holloway returning to the Goessel ranks. To close the quarter, Charger ball-handler Woodworth launched two successive threes with less than 30 seconds left to go to 22-6.
Balanced scoring from the starting five continued to put this one in the ‘ol deep freeze. Lindeman ignited the crowd with a break . Finishes from nearly everyone else left it at 30-8 before Lindeman pulled up at 5:08 and let loose with a picture perfect trey that unbelievably turned on all the singing Christmas displays at Grandpa Larry’s house, even the ones he thought hadn’t been set up this year. All the displays amazingly sang in perfect four part harmony. Hiebert floated into the Goessel bench a moment later, causing an awkward few seconds of “intrusion into personal space.” To close the quarter, Lindeman again went coast to coast and this time slammed one down to totally ignite the assembled crowd. Wuest created a great finish on a penetration to the bucket to leave the half time score at 39-10. With front court pressure, this one could have possibly gone to the school record 111 points scored against Chase in 1977-78, but coaches rarely run up scores anymore and running clock prevents much of the high scores seen in the past.
In a slowed down 2nd half, Goessel’s bench got playing time. Goessel’s cheer team led with G-O-E-S-S-E-L and “Mighty Bluebird Beat; Zack Guerrero had giant athletic leaps and each of the cheer team members share wonderful enthusiasm and spirit! Goessel’s band sounded outstanding. In running clock in the 4th quarter, Goessel got 5 points to the Chargers 4. Goessel won every quarter tonight, 22-6, 17-4, 14-4 and 5-4 and won 58-18. Barely three dozen visiting fans stuck out the contest to its conclusion.
Goessel was led in scoring by Jake Hagewood and Dylan Lindeman with 12 each. Jake Hiebert had a spectacular 1st quarter (8) and finished with 10. Skylar Wuest and Caiden Duerksen added 9 and 6 respectively off the bench . Both Nathaniel Zogleman and Jerah Schmidt scored 2. Luke Wiens put up a halfback baseline move and hit for 2 and Dawson Stutzman notched 3 with efforts underneath, going 1 for 3 from the line. The Bluebirds will face Elyria Christian in the championship of the Bluebird Classic. Elyria just got by Little River 42-40 and easily defeated Canton-Galva. Goessel looks to have ample depth to have even offensive scoring potential across its top 7 players. Best wishes Bluebirds through the remainder of this long campaign!
-Karl Brubaker
