Rocky Night for Rockwood... Bulldogs Go 3-0 on the Night
On December 17, 2024, with Christmas Break right around the corner, the Wartburg Bulldogs took to the road. They headed south to Rockwood to play three games of basketball. The boys Junior Varsity started the evening off with a big win. They looked a little more focused and a lot more like a team with plays and strategy as they worked the ball around. Sometimes inside, sometimes outside. Big win 61-50 with plenty of contributors.
Next up was the Girls Varsity. The girls were a little bit out of sync, but they were the better team by a wide enough margin that it didn't matter. They took the win 37-31.
The last game of the evening was the Boys Varsity. Like their Lady Bulldog counterparts, the boys also looked a little out of rhythm - and struggled with one big, agile post player in the first half. It was, indeed, a bad night to be missing Lucas Wilson to sickness! With some late, dialed in shooting, Jadyn Pemberton hit a couple of timely threes, putting the Bulldogs in a position to win a semi-ugly away game 41-37.
Next up was the Girls Varsity. The girls were a little bit out of sync, but they were the better team by a wide enough margin that it didn't matter. They took the win 37-31.
The last game of the evening was the Boys Varsity. Like their Lady Bulldog counterparts, the boys also looked a little out of rhythm - and struggled with one big, agile post player in the first half. It was, indeed, a bad night to be missing Lucas Wilson to sickness! With some late, dialed in shooting, Jadyn Pemberton hit a couple of timely threes, putting the Bulldogs in a position to win a semi-ugly away game 41-37.
Bulldog Cheer Squad Wins With Spirit
In what is becoming the norm, the Wartburg Bulldogs rolled into Rockwood with quite a few more cheerleaders than their opponent. The Rockwood cheerleaders came out with crazy Christmas sweaters - but Wartburg was all business with matching uniforms across the board. They have such a big squad - it's always a crowded sideline where they take over. One special cheerleader that deserves a shout out is junior "Tenacious" Tori Ridenour. Ridenour gave up basketball in order to cheer, but she brings that same competitive edge from the basketball court to the sidelines. She is characterized as a determined young lady that spreads positivity through her ability to get loud and smile all of the time... wait... smile all the time? Reminds me of a movie I just watched...
JV Boys Getting Comfortable - Threes for Days
You never know what to expect the first time you play an opponent... and the Junior Varsity is always the first team to take the floor. The Boys Varsity carried over some of their chemistry from last weekend's Junior Varsity tournament with several key contributors. Here are some highlights:
1. Gavin "White Chocolate" Keathley got hot early from beyond the arc and stayed that way. Keathley popped a career-high 7... that's right - 7 three-pointers for his team high 21 points.
2. No-Nonsense Noah Ward also had a hot shot in the Junior Varsity game with 18 points. He had 2 three pointers, went 2/4 from the free throw line, and worked the ball inside effectively throughout the game.
3. Reid Quinney formerly played like a Rampage - but now he seems to have calmed down in his play style. Reid has maintained his quickness and an appropriate amount of aggression with stingy defense - but he keeps his cool and postures for the long-term game instead of getting lost in the moment. Quinney knocked down 8 points and played excellent defense as the primary Point Guard.
4. Sophomore transfer Mason Klement continues to make the most of his minutes. He plays instinctive - putting himself in the right places at the right time on defense. He also had a nice shoot and score.
5. Logan "Ax Man" Justice worked himself into the rotation in this one and was able to hit a couple of nice shots for a new career-high - 4 points.
Great work boys! Let's keep it rolling!
1. Gavin "White Chocolate" Keathley got hot early from beyond the arc and stayed that way. Keathley popped a career-high 7... that's right - 7 three-pointers for his team high 21 points.
2. No-Nonsense Noah Ward also had a hot shot in the Junior Varsity game with 18 points. He had 2 three pointers, went 2/4 from the free throw line, and worked the ball inside effectively throughout the game.
3. Reid Quinney formerly played like a Rampage - but now he seems to have calmed down in his play style. Reid has maintained his quickness and an appropriate amount of aggression with stingy defense - but he keeps his cool and postures for the long-term game instead of getting lost in the moment. Quinney knocked down 8 points and played excellent defense as the primary Point Guard.
4. Sophomore transfer Mason Klement continues to make the most of his minutes. He plays instinctive - putting himself in the right places at the right time on defense. He also had a nice shoot and score.
5. Logan "Ax Man" Justice worked himself into the rotation in this one and was able to hit a couple of nice shots for a new career-high - 4 points.
Great work boys! Let's keep it rolling!
Varsity Girls
This game showcased the Lady Bulldogs and their grit and determination to get a win when things are a little out of sync. That's the difference between a winning culture and a losing culture. In a losing culture, teams will find a way to lose the close games. In a winning culture, teams find a way to power through the close ones and come away with a win. Braylon "Queso" Melton and Speedy Ann Williams both continue to be impressive with their consistent hustle and mature leadership on the court. The girls have struggled this year on the road - coming into this one 0-3 in away games... but they broke the pattern and got the win! They now stand at 5-4 on the year and look to continue their winning ways!
Varsity Boys
Not too terribly long ago, Landon Quinney turned 18 and filled out paperwork to be an officially sanctioned referee - mainly due to his work at Wartburg Boys and Girls Club. Well, with the State hurting for referees pretty bad - Quinney got the email on Tuesday... he was being asked to go ref a JV game... Rockwood vs. Wartburg! LOL - you can't make this stuff up! It's not like he would have been a threat to play in the game as he outgrew JV a long time ago - but it would be a definite conflict of interest to ref with his teammates on the floor. While some would say, "Go for it!" - Head Coach Travis Nelson said, "Absolutely Not!" While Quinney did not ref in the JV game - he did play his normal role for the Varsity in this one, knocking down 5 points - giving him a 83 on the season.
Perhaps the bigger story in this game was about Ian "Fast & Furious" Robinson. We get used to Robinson's speed and natural athleticism, but he clearly injured a knee in this one. We saw many different versions of Robinson in this one. We saw limping, the KT tape version, and the full knee brace version. He was obviously not playing at 100% health, but he was still able to contribute with heart and hustle. Although he failed to record any points - he is still narrowly hanging on to the scoring title for the Bulldogs for the season with 85 points.
Dynamic Duo
The Bulldogs had a night where the shots weren't really falling. Maybe it was the pressure from Rockwood's defense, or maybe it was just a night where things weren't falling... it happens. But you have to find a way through the fog - and the Bulldogs did that behind crucial scoring from Johnny "Green Bean" Bingham and Jayden "J-Money" Pemberton. These two were the highest scoring Bulldogs combining for 19 of the 41 points. They both specialize in shooting from distance, and they accounted for 5 of the 7 Bulldog three-pointers. Johnny's 10-point effort was the top on the team, pushing him up to 84 points on the season - second only to Ian Robinson's 85.
Killer Bees Everywhere
The last player to highlight from the Rockwood game was Austin "Killer Bees" Beasley. The boy plays with a lot of heart and hustle, and that seems to be what is getting him onto the court. He's always going to give you everything he has. Sometimes, that comes in the form of an angry steal - or a twitchy, quick defense - but against Rockwood, Bees scored his season-high of 5 points with another three-point basket as part of his scoring. Every coach needs a player like Killer Bees. When the chips are down, the guy you can look in the eye, and simply say, "Go get me the ball." Bees knows the assignment and plays his role just right!
This win against Rockwood was a little tough. It was the Bulldogs' lowest point total of the season with only 41. So scoring was a bit of an issue... but the Bulldogs improved their record to 6-4, and improve their road record to 3-1. The only team to beat them on the road this year has been Oneida... but they've dug in and won their last three road games. And the continuation of a sneaky stat - the Bulldogs Varsity Boys haven't lost since Captain Landon Quinney shaved his head. Maybe all of that hair was just in the way - and now he can get to work!
Speaking of getting to work, the Bulldogs will have to get to work this Friday as they take on neighboring rival Coalfield in an emotional home game. Let's get it!