New Madison – 1/8/05
When people from Tri-Village hear the words St. Henry it conjures up images they would soon like to forget. St. Henry handed the Patriots a loss in the 1991 State Championship game. Over the last two years they have convincingly handled TV as they finished State Champions again in 2004. They are ever impressive and look even stronger this year poised to make another run to Columbus.
Despite all this Tri-Village was looking to make a game of it looking competitive in the first quarter. St. Henry got out of the gates early with 6’5” senior Nate Stahl dropping in a 3 pointer from the corner. Josh Fisherback drove into the lane for two on the next possession. Cameron Quinn followed up with a 15’ jumper and the Patriots led 4-3 early on. Stahl answered with a deuce but Fisherback countered with two free throws and TV led 6-5 at 5:40 but that would be their last lead of the night. St. Henry went on an 8-0 run over the next 4 minutes until Daniel Foreman drove the lane for two against a very massive Redskin zone inching closer at 13-10. St. Henry worked the clock until they found another 6’5” senior in Ross Niekamp who drained a trey to close out the quarter leading 16-10.
The wheels would fall of the cart for Tri-Village in the second quarter as the Patriots went cold unable to score for the first 5 minutes of the period. Meanwhile the Redskins were rolling led by 6’9” junior Kurt Huelsman who stole an errant pass and drove the length of the floor for a resounding two hand jam. Two plays later Stahl stole a pass and looked like he was going to alley-oop a pass to Huelsman but… instead decided to throw down his own one handed drunk springing from the middle of the lane. Not until Sam Lindamood scored two in the lane at 2:57 did the onslaught stop as St. Henry led 32-12. Corey Jay would finally get a tough basket inside at 1:29 but St. Henry would take a 36-14 lead into the locker-room at the half.
When a team is physically and athletically more talented than your team what do you tell your players? You still have to play hard and with heart without giving up but also relax and try to enjoy the game.
In the third period it would be more of the same as Tri-Village continued to struggle offensively and it was just too much St. Henry, inside, outside you name it they can do it and the third quarter ended with St. Henry up 48-18.
In the final stanza Coach Sagester substituted his reserves, late in the quarter sophomore Derrick Chowning and freshman David Barger saw their first varsity action. Barger would drop in a free throw with about a minute to go for his first career point. Freshman Logan Brubaker finished up the Patriot scoring with a trey as St. Henry left town with a 54-24 victory and… etched another bad memory in the minds of the people from Tri-Village.
Everyone knows that the schedule has been tough for the Patriots and if anything should help prepare them to challenge when it comes time for the post season. I for one wouldn’t want to have the unlucky draw of playing the Patriots come that time. This team has plenty of basketball left to play and with hard work can still make a strong statement in the how things finish up in the league.
The Patriots stand 3-8 on the season, 2-3 in the league, good luck the rest of the way and GO PATRIOTS!
SCORING
Tri-Village
Pipenger – 0
Foreman - 2
Fisherback – 6
Quinn – 4
Lindamood – 4
Snyder – 2
Jay - 4
T. Brubaker – 0
L. Brubaker – 3
Chowning – 0
Barger – 1
Totals – 24
St. Henry
Stahl – 18
Niekamp – 11
Ramly – 5
Uhlenhake – 2
Stammen – 2
Putoff – 2
Boeckman – 4
Huelsman – 10
Totals - 54
