March 28, 2024

Middle school basketball

8th boys

Creston eighth-grade boys rolled to a 47-25 home victory over Red Oak on Dec. 4.

The Panthers raced to a 15-4 lead in the first quarter and outscored the Tigers 16-3 to hold a 31-7 lead. Kyle Strider led Creston with 25 points and Patrick Varner scored 14.

“We jumped out early and never looked back,” Creston coach Larry McNutt said. “The kids were energetic and ready to play. We hope to build some momentum as we enter the final stretch of the season.”

Creston (49) — Kyle Strider 25, Patrick Varner 14, Ethan Crawford 6, Gannon Greenwalt 2, Jaydan Pettegrew 2. Rebounds — Pettegrew 5, Strider 5, Payton Conley 3. Steals — Strider 3, Varner 3, Logan Anson 3. Assists — Strider 1, Conley 1.

Red Oak won the B game, 25-20.

“We came up a little short but gave good effort against a lot of kids who played in the A game,” McNutt said. “We had a few too many turnovers to pull this one out.”

Creston (20) — Loan Anson 5, Kyle Stafford 4, Noah Felix 3, Logan McIntosh 3, Riley Whipperman 3, Payton Conley 2. Rebounds — Stafford 4, Reese Glynn 3. Steals — McIntosh 4, Felix 3.

On Dec. 11 the Creston eighth-grade boys rolled past Shenandoah, 55-23. The Panthers led 21-3 after one quarter. Patrick Varner scored 20 points for Creston.

“We got off to a great start,” McNutt said. “Our defense forced many turnovers, which led to scoring opportunities. We also shot it well from the perimeter, making 12 3-pointers. It was a great team effort.”

Creston (55) — Patrick Varner 20, Ethan Crawford 15, Kyle Strider 13, Payton Conley 4, Gannon Greenwalt 3. Rebounds — Varner 6, Strider 6, Greenwalt 4.

Creston won the B game against Shenandoah, 14-4.

“It was a good game and good effort,” McNutt said. “A lot of kids did a lot of good things in a short amount of time. I was happy for this group to experience some success.”

Creston (14) — Noah Felix 6, Nolan Pryor 2, Willie Clayton 2, Wyatt Montanye 2, Kyle Stafford 2. Rebounds — Felix 3. Steals — Felix 2.

7th boys

Creston defeated Red Oak seventh-grade boys, 47-39, on Dec. 4. The Panthers also won the B game, 38-28.

“It was a good, competitive middle school ballgame with Red Oak,” Creston coach Mike McCabe said. “It went back and forth, much like the first time. We fought through some foul trouble by having others step up. We improved our rebounding, which was important against their size.”

Creston A (47) — Cael Turner 13, Dylan Calvin 12, McCoy Haines 6, Tony Davidson 6, Dillon Starlin 5, Sam Henry 3, Dylan Hoepker 2.

Creston B (38) — Dylan Hoepker 13, Brady Burton 9, Conner Wiley 7, Dillon Starlin 6, Tucker Rohrig 3.

On Dec. 11, the Creston seventh-grade boys defeated Shenandoah 65-19. Tony Davidson scored 19 points to lead the Panthers.

“It was a good all-around effort for us,” McCabe said. “We really did a nice job getting the ball inside as we got 44 points from the post position We had a chance to do some things on defense that we hope will help us down the stretch.”

Creston A (65) — Tony Davidson 19, Sam Henry 15, Dylan Calvin 8, Cael Turner 8, Tucker Rohrig 6, Dylan Hoepker 4, McCoy Haines 5, Dillon Starlin 4. Assists — Cael Turner 6, McCoy Haines 5, Dillon Starlin 4.

Shenandoah won a shortened B game, 19-14.

“It was a good ballgame. We had a chance late to tie it and then fell victim to some late free throws,” McCabe said.

Creston B (14) — Chris Chen 4, Conner Wiley 3, Anthony Eblen 3, Dylan Hoepker 2, Tucker Rohrig 2.