Be Uncommon
Goessel Basketball – Rural Vista Heat @ Goessel December 16, 2022
Using balanced scoring, quick hands and pushing hard down the floor, Goessel put the hammer down tonight against the visiting Rural Vista Heat. In Goessel’s two wins so far this year, they have held their opponent to 39; the team experienced losses to two athletic Wheat State rivals Canton Galva and Little River. Despite experiencing as many travelling calls as Rick Steeves, Goessel was able to tie or win every quarter tonight and put on a 19-8 2nd and 20-9 3rd quarter performance to close this one 62-39 in front of many alumni, the assembled mini-cheer camp participants, bad Christmas sweaters and a very full house. This year’s theme for the Bluebirds is “Be Uncommon.”
There were only two lead changes, both occurring at the beginning of the contest. At 6:20, Junior point guard Noah Schrag polished two perfect charities to go 2-0, then threw over the top to Senior Caleb Burkholder to permanently take the lead 4-3. Senior Jake Wiens caroused one in baseline and Burkholder put up a stop and pop to lead 8-3 before the Heat nudged back in it on efforts from solid RV ball handler Parker Stilwell.
To start the 2nd, before you could quit talking about Garrett Hiebert’s prize-winning Christmas shirt, Burkholder had turned in the post. Joey Lapp galloped one in from the top of circle, perilously close to the center court Bluebird beak, causing the band to spontaneously break into “Sharp Dressed Man” and every kid with a net hat on to put on their Ryan Hoopes scarlet jacket. 13-8. Senior Grant Bryant cavorted into the paint, got fouled and hit the back end of two, then Lapp polished off another finish so crisp it caused a visible grimace on the visitor’s mascot. At 4:11, Schrag hit one so absolutely scintillating, it looked like Curry doing an exhibition. Goessel jumped ahead 21-12 on a brilliant steal, bounce and lay-in, then closed out the half with two more long distance run-arounds, one from Sophomore Koy Smith at the deepest corner of 130th Street, and then Junior Javin Schmidt lit it up from what looked like the east bumper of one of Principal Boden’s Dusters. 27-15.
Goessel Nation was treated to several cheer routines at half time by the Mini Cheer Clinic participants, led by Goessel’s cheer team and team leaders.
Starting the 3rd quarter, Goessel pitched to the post then Schrag caught the backdoor bounce for a pretty two. Bryant scored then Schrag went coast to coast, got fouled and toasted the two FT’s. Wiens completed the 8-0 streak with a neat and tidy 8 footer. On two possessions, Schrag was credited with a charge taken then Burkholder also took a charge. Out of a defensive scrum, somehow Schrag emerged rugby style, skated left and finished 38-19. Wiens tossed in a nice floater, then emerging key player Sophomore Jack Nickel pulled down a board and followed quickly for two more 42-20. All in to the hoop, Schrag showed sheer kamikaze to paint the town 44-22, then Lapp finished the highlight quarter with a deep shot that caused northern lights to be sighted around the Goessel water tower. 47-24.
To the strains of “Blue and White” and the always formidable Goessel Bluebird band (tonight’s chairs occupied by a collection of great students all the way from 5th grade to alumni), this game wound down. Goessel was able to maintain a 15-15 tie in the 4th, so no quarters were lost tonight. Two highlight long threes from Javin Schmidt, one so long it absolutely left Karl Raddatz radiating in disbelief, show promise. Goessel had won this one 62-39. Schrag led Goessel scorers tonight with 14, Schmidt scored 11 and Lapp put up 10. Burkholder closed with 8, Bryant and Wiens 6, Nickel 4, and Smith 3 in the balanced scoring night. Also in the for the Bluebirds were Jake Flaming, Royser Duran, and Eli Boden. Coaches for Goessel are Curtis Guhr and Gerard Dunne. -Karl Brubaker
