Junior High Players Showcased at Year-End Nashua Tourney

The boys junior high basketball season came to an end last Friday with the year-end tourney held in Nashua. Five teams – Nashua (7-0), Saco/Hinsdale (4-4), Frazer (4-6), Dodson (2-3) and Lustre (1-4) – participated in some very entertaining games. Stay tuned for the details brought to you by Frod Frodulunt Esq. attorney at law and certified massage therapist.

In the first game Dodson was down by three pernts at the half but came coyoting back in the second half to take the lead and hold it until the final beeper winning 37 to 27 over the Lustre squad ,which fielded two boys and six girls for its team. Neither boys nor girls have enough players to put a full team on the court.

The game's most memorable play for me was when Lustre's Sadie Brown snagged an errant Dodson shot and took it to the other end dribbling first left-handed then right, then cross-over to left and a drive to the hoop between three defenders for two points.

Shaun Ball was game high with 17 points for Dodson while Zach Brown tallied 14 and Sadie Brown added 9 for Lustre.

In game two, Saco/Hinsdale pitted their strength against the boys from Frazer. S/H's John McColly stopped Frazer's 5-0 run by grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back up and in for the ORPB.

Frazer tallied another three points before McColly fought for and added another ORPB making the score Frazer 8 and S/H 4. The Bearcubs added another bucket before Loden Idler grabbed a rebound and took it coast to coast for the deuce.

McColly took a pass from Idler, pump-faked a Bearcub out of his shoes, turned around and hit a six foot jumper. Score two pernts for the good guys. Idler added a three before the half ended.

Dodson's Alex Raining Bird took over after the break and the S/H Titans didn't have an answer for him.

A couple hi-lites for the Titans came when Cordell Younkin grabbed an OR and passed out to Jon Rey Taylor, who shot a quick pass to Idler. He located Ty Murphy under the bucket and hit him with a no-look zinger which Ty put up and down. Yikes. That was sweet! Then McColly got a steal under the Titans basket and scored a deuce.

But that was as good as it got for the Titans as the Bearcubs went on to win 30 to 22. For Dodson, Raining Bird scored 21 points and Lane Turn Toes added 6. Saco/Hinsdale's McColly tallied 8 while Idler added 7.

As the Nashua Porcupines took to the court, I was standing by Nashua assistant coach Kirk Sibley and remarked, "There's some big kids out there!" Sibley replied, "You bet. We have some height, ability and lots of heart, and they are a really good bunch of kids on and off the court."

It was Gunner Greene and Dylan Sanner who were instrumental in the Porkies' win, 37 to 31, over the Dodson Coyotes but not easily.

With a a couple minutes left in the contest and Nashua in the leadby two beans, 31 to 29, Greene took it to the hoop but was thwarted by six Dodson arms hanging on his. He hit one of two free throws. Nashua by 3.

Then Tyrese Messerly snagged a defensive rebound and took it to half court where he passed to a teammate for the easy layup and the lead was cut to one.

Then Sanner got fouled and hit both freebies and shortly after that Gavin Adkins stole a pass from Dodson and quickly hit Green for the score. Cassity Green scored the final Nashua point with a free throw and the Porkies celebrated their 37 to 31 win over the Dodson Coyotes, putting Nashua into the Championship game with Frazer.

Messerly scored 16 for the Coyotes while Sanner hit 13 and Green added 11 for the Porcupines.

Then came one of the best games of the tournament, pitting the Titans of Saco/Hinsdale against the Lions of Lustre.

Lustre held a slim two point lead after the first quarter. S/H took the lead back 12 to 10 at the end of the first half with action, such as Cordell Younkin with a steal and points, John McColly with a drive and up for two, then Zach Brown of Lustre with a steal and coast to coast for the deuce, and his sister Sadie took a defensive rebound to the other end for two. Wesley Leatherberry hit two free throws and Ty Murphy drive the lane to tie the game at ten. Then Murphy took down a defensive rebound and drive coast to coast, when he saw McColly underneath all alone. Murphy shot a pass to John, who took the ball, pumped once, turned right dribbled once came up under the bucket for the left handed reverse lay-up. These kids are going to be fun to watch in high school.

Jon Rey Taylor drove the key for two for S/H followed by a deuce from Sadie for Lustre and that's the way the fourth quarter went: Two for you, two for us.

Loden Idler drove the key for two, Sadie hit a freebie, Zach got an ORPB and Lustre led at the three minute mark 32 to 31. Then Idler got a steal which he shot to Dustin Ostrom for the lay-up and later Lustre hit 3 of 4 from the charity strips to go up 35 to 33 with :51 ticks left on the Timex.

Awhile back John McColly picked up his fifth foul and had to sit. Murphy hit a running 10 footer, tying the game and Zach Brown fouled out and had to sit on the Lustre bench for the last 26 seconds of regulation.

At the beginning of the three minute OT, Ty stole a lazy Lustre pass and took it coast to coast putting the Titans up by two. Then Sadie hit 3 of 4 from the charity line, Ty got another steal and pointed it.

Younkin stole a Lustre pass, got fouled but missed the freebie. S/H 42, Lustre 41.

The final play of the game saw Ty Murphy make a really great out of bounds save, passing to Younkin who up and inned it for the deuce. Saco/Hinsdale wins 44 to 41.

For Lustre, Zach Brown scored the game high 20 pernts while Sadie hit for 16. Yikes. This young lady is going to be a good one to watch, friends.

For the victors, Murphy scored 14 and McColly hit for 10.

Dodson won over Saco/Hinsdale for third place, and Nashua topped scrappy Frazer, 45-37, for the championship.

It was a good junior high tournament for the Porkie Universe. The Nashua girls also won a title, beating Frazer in the final.

That's it for now folks. Thanks for listening.