Schrag Before Christmas
Goessel Guys Basketball – Peabody @ Goessel – December 19, 2023
Goessel’s Noah Schrag lit it up from everywhere tonight, knocking down six treys, was credited with multiple steals, boards and assists and likely finished with a triple triple. Peabody is playing with a short roster this year that includes no Seniors. Goessel’s Seniors Noah Schrag, Wade Spurlin, Jake Flaming, Javin Schmidt, Eli Boden, and Chevy Gagnon proved too much of a matchup for the younger Warriors, despite Peabody having doppelganger 70’s Neil Young (trademark burns) and Travis Tritt (the hair, baby) players on the floor. It was 47-18 at the half and this one finished at 64-39. Schrag before Christmas break was on fire scoring 31 or nearly half of Goessel’s point production on the night.
Junior Koy Smith also kept the Blue fireworks ignited, launching his own long distance delivery from the top of the circle, getting nipped by the Bluebird beak upon delivery. Down the stretch of the first quarter, Jack Nickel delivered a high post bounce to Javin Schmidt backdoor for a great finish and 20-5 lead. Wade Spurlin had four charities tonight, converting on 3. Jake Flaming closed a great 24-8 first quarter with a drop in on the break. Brooklyn Wuest did her 11 flips during the break and at 7:22 Schrag delivered a three so smooth, all the blue and white bows in the Mini-Cheer participants’ hair lit up and glowed! Schrag nearly single-handedly took it to 35-14 with an array of artistry from all angles; if that sequence were put in fast motion it would make you dizzy. #4 fed a no-look to Chevy Gagnon in the paint for two, then Gagnon bagged two more on subsequent forays to the paint. Out of the scrum inside, Jake Flaming emerged, stepped back and lit up the final halftime scoreboard with a fine finish 47-18. Goessel won the 2nd quarter 23-10.
The Mini-Cheer Half time entertainment always draws a capacity crowd of eager parents, grandparents and other fans. This year’s rendition of “All I Want for Christmas” and “Blue and White” also featured multiple participants doing flips for the crowd as well. Tonight’s games started at 5:00 pm so this guys game felt like it was extraordinarily early. Great job kids and everyone got home before bedtime!
With extensive Bluebird subbing in the 3rd and 4th, the Warriors were able to win the 3rd quarter 12-13 and 4th quarter 5-8. Jack Nickel had a great lunge to the hoop to go up 49-18. Schrag and Smith each slathered a smooth as silk trey into the waiting nylon, then Nickel got a nice inbound set finish to fall 59-26. In the final stanza, Adam Wonser put up a 10 footer and got the bucket to lead 61-31 and put things into running clock. Wade Spurlin put up an in-pass to Nickel that was like a 2022 Mahomes on the money shovel shot. Luke Stucky put his name in the scorebook with a FT to close at 64-39.
Noah Schrag was on fire with 31 scored only in three quarters. Koy Smith put up 9 and Jack Nickel as well as Chevy Gagnon came in with 6 each. Jake Flaming put up 4 and Wade Spurlin 3. Adam Wonser, Javin Schmidt each got 2 and Luke Stucky finished with 1 on the night. Also putting in great minutes for the Bluebirds were: Eli Boden, Trey Gaddis and Evan Walker.
-Karl Brubaker
