Wildcats all over Pirates
December 21, 2021 at 9:50 p.m.
Wildcats all over Pirates
By Will Fehlinger-
Three coaches and 24 meetings later, the Wildcats finally got some vindication by rolling to a 63-37 win on their home court. Although the home team played extremely well from the opening tip, in full disclosure, the previously 7th-ranked Pirates were in a vulnerable spot without two starters – leading scorer Colin Comer and Brenden Stanley – and during the game, Dakota Walters and Ki Dyer headed to the bench with injuries.
Mark Foster's Cats never trailed in the contest and began pulling away from the undermanned Bucs late in the opening quarter. After FC's Brant Ertel and Greensburg's Addison Barnes-Pettit traded threes to tie the game at 5, a halfcourt trap led to easy buckets for Ertel and senior Bridger Bolos and a timeout by Pirate coach Stacy Meyer.
FC captain Chad Cox then put in the first of his game-high 22 points, followed by Bolos' triple to make it 15-5. A goal by Jeter Edwards set the score at 15-7 going into the next frame.
The Wildcats stepped on the gas over the next eight minutes. Bolos found classmate Austin Hill for two and Ertel dropped in two more trifectas. Cox then brought the house down, finding a lane to the basket and jamming it home while drawing a blocking foul; he completed the 3-point play to make it 26-9.
Greensburg had its best run of the game at 7-0 as Edwards scored two, sophomore Bradley Lutz a three and Dyer dropped in a pair. Foster called timeout at 3:06. FC rallied again with a 9-2 spread to end the half. Cox scored six more – 4-of-4 at the stripe – and Ertel landed another three from the corner.
A 35-18 game at the break, a Cox foul shot made it 36-20 early in the third before Dyer apparently rolled his ankle following a defensive rebound.
Still ahead by 16 midway through the period, FC got its first field goal of the second half on senior JD Stokes' stroke from the side for 3. Ertel then fed Bolos for another triple and a Cox trey was the dagger to put FC up 47-22.
With his teammates feeding him the rock, Cox inched toward the 1,000-point career milestone early in the fourth (see related article). He scored two before missing a breakaway; off a miss, Hill gathered the rebound and tapped it to Cox for a 3-point make and 52-25 lead. Shortly after, at 4:36, Cox reached the magic number and a timeout allowed him to be recognized by the crowd. FC had the Pirates doubled up at 56-28. Hill scored two buckets late for FC's final points.
Ertel finished with 17 points and Bolos reached double digits with 10. Lutz led the Pirates with 13.
The Franklin County holiday tournament is today at Wildcat Gym and FCMS. The hosts kick it off against 7-1 Seton Catholic this morning, 10:30 a.m. Hamilton Heights (2-4) faces Triton Central (5-3) in game two. Consolation game is set for 4 p.m., followed by the championship. Junior varsity games fill out the all-day slate.
Scoring
G (3-2, 0-1) – Dyer 4, Barnes-Pettit 9 (2 3s), Walters 2, Lutz 13 (3), Justin Adkins 2, Edwards 7 (3)
FC (4-2, 2-2) – Cox 22 (2 3s), Stokes 5 (3), Bolos 10 (2 3s), Ertel 17 (4 3s), Hill 8, Brady Morehead 1
Latest News
E-Editions
Events
Three coaches and 24 meetings later, the Wildcats finally got some vindication by rolling to a 63-37 win on their home court. Although the home team played extremely well from the opening tip, in full disclosure, the previously 7th-ranked Pirates were in a vulnerable spot without two starters – leading scorer Colin Comer and Brenden Stanley – and during the game, Dakota Walters and Ki Dyer headed to the bench with injuries.
Mark Foster's Cats never trailed in the contest and began pulling away from the undermanned Bucs late in the opening quarter. After FC's Brant Ertel and Greensburg's Addison Barnes-Pettit traded threes to tie the game at 5, a halfcourt trap led to easy buckets for Ertel and senior Bridger Bolos and a timeout by Pirate coach Stacy Meyer.
FC captain Chad Cox then put in the first of his game-high 22 points, followed by Bolos' triple to make it 15-5. A goal by Jeter Edwards set the score at 15-7 going into the next frame.
The Wildcats stepped on the gas over the next eight minutes. Bolos found classmate Austin Hill for two and Ertel dropped in two more trifectas. Cox then brought the house down, finding a lane to the basket and jamming it home while drawing a blocking foul; he completed the 3-point play to make it 26-9.
Greensburg had its best run of the game at 7-0 as Edwards scored two, sophomore Bradley Lutz a three and Dyer dropped in a pair. Foster called timeout at 3:06. FC rallied again with a 9-2 spread to end the half. Cox scored six more – 4-of-4 at the stripe – and Ertel landed another three from the corner.
A 35-18 game at the break, a Cox foul shot made it 36-20 early in the third before Dyer apparently rolled his ankle following a defensive rebound.
Still ahead by 16 midway through the period, FC got its first field goal of the second half on senior JD Stokes' stroke from the side for 3. Ertel then fed Bolos for another triple and a Cox trey was the dagger to put FC up 47-22.
With his teammates feeding him the rock, Cox inched toward the 1,000-point career milestone early in the fourth (see related article). He scored two before missing a breakaway; off a miss, Hill gathered the rebound and tapped it to Cox for a 3-point make and 52-25 lead. Shortly after, at 4:36, Cox reached the magic number and a timeout allowed him to be recognized by the crowd. FC had the Pirates doubled up at 56-28. Hill scored two buckets late for FC's final points.
Ertel finished with 17 points and Bolos reached double digits with 10. Lutz led the Pirates with 13.
The Franklin County holiday tournament is today at Wildcat Gym and FCMS. The hosts kick it off against 7-1 Seton Catholic this morning, 10:30 a.m. Hamilton Heights (2-4) faces Triton Central (5-3) in game two. Consolation game is set for 4 p.m., followed by the championship. Junior varsity games fill out the all-day slate.
Scoring
G (3-2, 0-1) – Dyer 4, Barnes-Pettit 9 (2 3s), Walters 2, Lutz 13 (3), Justin Adkins 2, Edwards 7 (3)
FC (4-2, 2-2) – Cox 22 (2 3s), Stokes 5 (3), Bolos 10 (2 3s), Ertel 17 (4 3s), Hill 8, Brady Morehead 1
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092