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GIRARD —
If the Girard Trojans’ double overtime victory against the Iola Mustangs serves as a metaphor for how their season will look, then they are in for a crazy year.
Playing in their season opener at home, the Trojans escaped with a 60-54 win in a game that featured close to everything from game saving shots to strange calls from the officials and more than four quarters to settle the score. It was a game where both teams traded turns at taking the lead.
The Mustangs had a chance to win the game off a clutch shot but a coaching goof would hurt them.
With 12.5 seconds left and still down by one, the Mustangs made a 3-pointer but it would not count as head coach Bill Peeper had called a time out. The Mustangs got another chance before Coons missed an inside jumper.
With 3.9 seconds left in regulation and with the Trojans in front 41-40, Iola’s Tyler McIntosh was sent to the line for a chance to tie the game. His shot bounced off the rim. The Mustangs managed to rebound before Mason Coons attempted a 2-point jumper for the win before it was blocked as time expired. But the Trojans’ celebration was cut short. The refs had called a technical foul on the Trojans, sending Coons back to the line for two shots with a second chance to win it. He missed the first shot but his second guaranteed overtime.
The Trojans took a four-point lead before an intentional foul was called on Girard’s Drew Davied. The Mustangs made both free throws to make it a two-point game, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.
“Drew Davied was called for the intentional foul, which that’s fine,” Girard head coach Rod Wescott said. “But they should have had us clear the lane when they called the intentional foul and that was where the mix up came. they should have had us shoot one by ourselves and them shoot one by themselves. But no harm there, it all worked out the way we thought it would.”
A stolen pass by Iola’s Kauth Adam led to a layup and tied the game at 47. A missed 3-pointer by Alters resulted in four more minutes of game time.
The Trojans wasted no time building a 56-52 lead, thanks to a field goal by Trenton Stolte. A free throw by Alters created a five point lead. The Mustangs would run out of opportunities to come back and Girard’s Nicholas George’s layup as time expired was the icing on the cake.
If the Girard Trojans’ double overtime victory against the Iola Mustangs serves as a metaphor for how their season will look, then they are in for a crazy year.
Playing in their season opener at home, the Trojans escaped with a 60-54 win in a game that featured close to everything from game saving shots to strange calls from the officials and more than four quarters to settle the score. It was a game where both teams traded turns at taking the lead.
The Mustangs had a chance to win the game off a clutch shot but a coaching goof would hurt them.
With 12.5 seconds left and still down by one, the Mustangs made a 3-pointer but it would not count as head coach Bill Peeper had called a time out. The Mustangs got another chance before Coons missed an inside jumper.
With 3.9 seconds left in regulation and with the Trojans in front 41-40, Iola’s Tyler McIntosh was sent to the line for a chance to tie the game. His shot bounced off the rim. The Mustangs managed to rebound before Mason Coons attempted a 2-point jumper for the win before it was blocked as time expired. But the Trojans’ celebration was cut short. The refs had called a technical foul on the Trojans, sending Coons back to the line for two shots with a second chance to win it. He missed the first shot but his second guaranteed overtime.
The Trojans took a four-point lead before an intentional foul was called on Girard’s Drew Davied. The Mustangs made both free throws to make it a two-point game, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.
“Drew Davied was called for the intentional foul, which that’s fine,” Girard head coach Rod Wescott said. “But they should have had us clear the lane when they called the intentional foul and that was where the mix up came. they should have had us shoot one by ourselves and them shoot one by themselves. But no harm there, it all worked out the way we thought it would.”
A stolen pass by Iola’s Kauth Adam led to a layup and tied the game at 47. A missed 3-pointer by Alters resulted in four more minutes of game time.
The Trojans wasted no time building a 56-52 lead, thanks to a field goal by Trenton Stolte. A free throw by Alters created a five point lead. The Mustangs would run out of opportunities to come back and Girard’s Nicholas George’s layup as time expired was the icing on the cake.
“I’m really pleased with our effort, we really played hard,” Wescott said. “Sometimes, not so smart, we made some silly mistakes down the stretch. it’s the first game of the season and it was fortunate to come away with a win. Iola played pretty hard and probably deserved just as much to win as we did but a good hard fought game and i was pleased with the way the kids’ effort was.”
Wescott knows double overtimes are no fun. But he was pleased with his players’ stamina.
“I felt like they were in pretty good shape,” Wescott said. “I was worried going in because we had some sickness going around this week and we haven’t run as much this week as we should but i felt like the kids, effort wise, never let up on the gas and i was pleased with their overall effort.”
Girard girls 62, Iola 23
Girard had little trouble in beating the Iola Fillies in their opening game of the season, 62-23.
Hadyn Herlocker led the way for the Trojans, finishing with 24 points while Carly Heatherly had 15.
The Fillies kept it close in the first quarter and took an early 3-1 lead before the Trojans came back. A 3-pointer by Herlocker made it 10-7 and there was no turning back the rest of the way. The Lady Trojans are looking to build off of last year’s substate championship.
