Ian "Rooftop" Robinson lifts high off the ground as the Bulldogs blast off for a big win against Oakdale - 06 Dec 2024 - Photo credit: Tara B Photography
Bulldogs Stun Sunbright to Close Out the Regular Season
Greetings Wartburg fans! It was a good night of basketball to close out the regular season as both varsity teams won very good games against Sunbright. The Sunbright Tigers drove the curvy roads to Wartburg on a chilly Valentines Day. Back on January 24th, both the boys and girls teams lost to Sunbright in their first meeting. That was the last game before a coaching switch for the girls team - and it was the first district loss for the boys team. Since the loss to Sunbright, the boys went on a skid losing 2 more district games. Tonight's game for the boys had huge tournament implications. A loss would drop them to 4th and would require a play-in game against last-place Coalfield. A win would lock everything up in a 4-way tie for first place... but after drawing numbers, Wartburg held the rights to the #1 seed in the event of a tie.
In the girls game, they came out against a very solid 17-8 Sunbright Lady Tigers team who sits at 2nd in the District. The girls look to be getting their legs under them again - and they played a solid 4 quarters of basketball. Lots of smiles on their faces as they pushed the pace, up and down the court, tiring out the short bench of Sunbright. With big games from Speedy Ann Williams, Braylen "Queso" Melton, and Myrah "All Good" Hood - the Bulldogs are getting their groove back. This 46-42 win takes them to a 4-4 District record - solidifying their next opponent... a rematch with this same Sunbright team next week as the #2 and #3 seeds face off. Great job ladies!
Next up were the boys. They were facing a team that sports the "Coach of the Year" recipient in Hunter Crouch - and the "District MVP" in Garrett Rogers. Add to that the fact that the Tigers sport an impressive 21-6 record - and the Bulldogs looked to have their hands full. With very physical and impressive play from guys like Landon Quinney and Lawson Swint - they made life difficult for the District MVP - and big man Ben Carson got into foul trouble, eventually fouling out with all of the physical play on both ends of the floor. It was the perfect storm, as Wartburg had A LOT to play for. They played a very high energy, fast-paced game up and down the floor... and Sunbright got behind and stayed behind from halftime forward. It was a great win against a tough opponent - which leaves us playing the winner of Oliver Springs/Coalfield next week! Great win young men!
That's what really happened... now lets get into the rest of the silly stuff...
In the girls game, they came out against a very solid 17-8 Sunbright Lady Tigers team who sits at 2nd in the District. The girls look to be getting their legs under them again - and they played a solid 4 quarters of basketball. Lots of smiles on their faces as they pushed the pace, up and down the court, tiring out the short bench of Sunbright. With big games from Speedy Ann Williams, Braylen "Queso" Melton, and Myrah "All Good" Hood - the Bulldogs are getting their groove back. This 46-42 win takes them to a 4-4 District record - solidifying their next opponent... a rematch with this same Sunbright team next week as the #2 and #3 seeds face off. Great job ladies!
Next up were the boys. They were facing a team that sports the "Coach of the Year" recipient in Hunter Crouch - and the "District MVP" in Garrett Rogers. Add to that the fact that the Tigers sport an impressive 21-6 record - and the Bulldogs looked to have their hands full. With very physical and impressive play from guys like Landon Quinney and Lawson Swint - they made life difficult for the District MVP - and big man Ben Carson got into foul trouble, eventually fouling out with all of the physical play on both ends of the floor. It was the perfect storm, as Wartburg had A LOT to play for. They played a very high energy, fast-paced game up and down the floor... and Sunbright got behind and stayed behind from halftime forward. It was a great win against a tough opponent - which leaves us playing the winner of Oliver Springs/Coalfield next week! Great win young men!
That's what really happened... now lets get into the rest of the silly stuff...
Blue Man Crew
I knew it was "Blue Out" night tonight for the student section - but I'm not sure I was prepared for just how blue some of the students went! You know how it goes... one student shows up with a little paint on their face... then another kid paints an arm.... Then the next thing you know - you have students walking around with their entire bodies painted in dark royal blue paint. I'll be honest - it was freaky.... almost unnerving - to look over and see two white eye balls floating amidst a completely blue body. They reminded me of the "Blue Man Group" from the 1990s... and the fact that their hit "I'm Blue" wasn't playing at every chance... it just feels like a missed opportunity. For all those students that painted yourself fully - I hope it was worth it!
Fear the Brow
My son came home from practice on Thursday with a "Fear the Brow" t-shirt. I had to do a double take when he showed it to me. It's bold and edgy - but such a random thing to rally around as Head Coach Travis Nelson now has his eyebrow emblazoned on a shirt and the focal point of a "movement". We were about halfway through the boys game when my wife leaned over and said, "How far will they have to make it before these boys start bleaching their eyebrows?" I immediately knew she was right... I mean - it's GONNA happen.... So a word of safety - if you are going to bleach half your eyebrow - DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYE! YOU WILL GO BLIND!
While there were many "Fear the Brow" shirts that went out tonight to the team and some fans... I'm told you can order your own shirt for $20 from Amanda Brown and MoCo Mascots. All proceeds go to Wartburg Central Basketball.
While there were many "Fear the Brow" shirts that went out tonight to the team and some fans... I'm told you can order your own shirt for $20 from Amanda Brown and MoCo Mascots. All proceeds go to Wartburg Central Basketball.
Points All Around
It's been a great season for the Wartburg Bulldogs. In 26 regular season games - the boys compiled an impressive 1,434 varsity points. With "Top Scorer" honors really coming down to a two-player race between Lawson Swint and Paxton Quinney, there were several players that played a big part in the Bulldogs' success. Let's run down a few:
1. Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney: The sophomore standout ended up being the leading scorer for the Bulldogs this season with 225 points. He grew into the prolific scorer that he is around mid-season - and never looked back. The only player that scored in every single varsity game of the season, Quinney had 13 tonight.
2. Lawson Swint: Honored as a departing senior tonight, Swint put up a team-high 16 points on the night - and is second only to Paxton Quinney on the season with 219 points. He shared responsibilities down low against the big, physical players from Sunbright - and he played admirably in that role. Swint also surprises with his shooting from range as he knocked down 2 three-pointers tonight.
3. Ian "Fast and Furious" Robinson: The junior slasher has an athletic profile that allows for him to jump out of the gym and speed down the court matching even the fastest opponents speed for speed. Tonight, he played with composure and discipline - adding 9 to his season total. He ends as the third Bulldog with 200+ points - with 201 on the season.
1. Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney: The sophomore standout ended up being the leading scorer for the Bulldogs this season with 225 points. He grew into the prolific scorer that he is around mid-season - and never looked back. The only player that scored in every single varsity game of the season, Quinney had 13 tonight.
2. Lawson Swint: Honored as a departing senior tonight, Swint put up a team-high 16 points on the night - and is second only to Paxton Quinney on the season with 219 points. He shared responsibilities down low against the big, physical players from Sunbright - and he played admirably in that role. Swint also surprises with his shooting from range as he knocked down 2 three-pointers tonight.
3. Ian "Fast and Furious" Robinson: The junior slasher has an athletic profile that allows for him to jump out of the gym and speed down the court matching even the fastest opponents speed for speed. Tonight, he played with composure and discipline - adding 9 to his season total. He ends as the third Bulldog with 200+ points - with 201 on the season.
The Future is Bright
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We've got business to attend to in our end-of-season tournaments... But whenever that comes to a close, there will still be basketball to see if you have "the sickness" and just can't get enough... Many of Wartburg's basketball players are gathering on an AAU team that will practice and play some local tournaments from March-May. If you'd like to receive updates about the "Downtown Roosters" to know when and where you might be able to come watch - fill out the below contact form and I'll send out tournament info. Here is your roster:
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What a great season it's been! I, for one, am thankful for our players and their hard work... I am grateful for our coaches and the time they spend pouring into our student athletes.... and I am thankful for a community that comes together regularly. Sometimes it's a community that gathers at the basketball courts... and other times we rally around families affected by tragedy like our tornado victims from last week. Keep loving your neighbor - and show that love to our teams that take the court!
Let's go Dogs!
