Built Different
Goessel Basketball – Rural Vista Heat @ Goessel December 16, 2022
This year’s team theme, “Built Different,” may sound like a tag line from Tesla but perfectly describes a team that is ready to go hard, be tough, and bring a chain saw to the tall trees. So far, the Lady Bluebirds have been able to eke out wins v. Marion and Burrton, but has had tough losses to Canton-Galva and Central Christian in the Bluebird Classic. Tonight at home in the next to last outing before the Christmas break, Goessel showed that grit that will put a few more W’s on the board before this season is done. With only one lead change, this one turned blue at the end of the 1st quarter and the home team lost no quarters tonight, putting away the visiting Lady Heat 41-26 in front of a full house.
Rural Vista’s go to 1-2 punch of Senior ball-handler Abby Worrell and Junior post Angie Linder led the visitors on a 6-0 run to start, but at 3:40 Junior Cheyenne Sawyer found the range from so far out every Christmas sweater in the house absolutely glowed. The Bluebirds’ quick hands in full court pressure created opportunities, and Sawyer nearly converted a steal/lay-in +1. Off yet another turnover, #5 fed Sophomore Abbigail Funk for another two to take the lead and the Lady Bluebirds never looked back. To close the quarter twin Abbigail fed sister Aimee Funk off the 2 on 1 break for a nice finish and 9-6 lead. Every Bluebird player was decked out tonight in sweaters so artsy social media sites were seeing a glow on their activity monitors. Players agreed that Spurlin’s won the overall prize. Coaches Hoopes and Hiebert came in with competing Christmas attire as well.
To start the 2nd, Sawyer fed Aimee Funk to go up 11-6; the Heat went into the 1-1 at 6:39. Goessel continued to show scrap, hustle, to go to the ball, execute on the boards and were able to get quick out passes down the floor several times. After Junior Braylyn Hoopes buried one 13-8, Goessel called time at 4:45. Savvy defense tonight played a key role in creating chances for the Blue. With 44 ticks left in the half, Senior Tiffany Popp hit the front end of a pair of charities to give Goessel a 14-9 lead.
After the break, Goessel turned up the Heat. Hoopes slathered one in from beyond the yeti in the Hoopes yard, then Abbigail Funk polished off a finish off a steal/break. Sophomore Brooklyn Wuest laid one in underneath to interrupt an 8 point Rural Vista run and left it at 21-17. Timeout Goessel 4:06. We got the Funk Fiesty Fairlydiscrete Fistpump from #20 as she buried one from Commercial Avenue, with Olivia’s cats Bruce and Ivy applauding with their little paws. Moments later, Sawyer went coast to coast for the layup +1, then Senior Riley Graber did a spectacular quick as a flash turn in the paint to suddenly lead 29-17. Seeking a repeat of the same move, this time Graber went up against 6’0 Linder and was fouled to close the 16-8 third quarter with a charity 30-17.
Hoopes pulled up from 12 feet and absolutely drained the jumper WNBA style, then let one loose from very close to the far side of the Lindeman Christmas display that smacked off the backboard to lead 35-21. Graber, leaving no doubt of her intent, went halfback down the lane, parted the waters and completed the drive in perfect fashion 37-21 – this looks like a move that can continue to work. Rural Vista seemed to stay in their zone throughout even as the Bluebirds played down the clock, only coming out of that stance at the very end. On one tie up deep in the paint, 3 or 4 players seemed to flail mercilessly at the ball with fortunately all involved coming out of the meat grinder none the worse for wear. Sawyer added another follow off a carom and two more charities to give the Bluebirds winning quarters in each stanza tonight and closed out the contest 41-26. Sawyer led the Bluebird attack tonight with 12 and #10 Hoopes followed with 10. Abbigail Funk finished with 7, Riley Graber 5, and Aimee
Funk 4. Brooklyn Wuest added 2 and Tiffany Popp added 1. Also in for Goessel tonight were Sarah Spurlin and Logan Bryant. Jaicee Griffin is out with injury. Goessel is coached by Ryan Hoopes and Brittney Hiebert.
-Karl Brubaker
