Bulldogs come up short in Oneida
On November 25, 2024, the Wartburg Bulldogs travelled the long, winding roads to play the Oneida Indians. This was the first away game of the regular season, and it featured a boys JV game followed by the normal Varsity girls and boys games. The Bulldogs had some down-to-the-wire games with a buzzer beater win for the JV boys and a double OT loss for the girls. Ultimately, they came away with only 1 win out of three games for the night - but it was a night of good basketball either way. Let's get into it:
Junior Varsity Boys - 39-38 Buzzer Beater Win!
With the sudden departure of varsity starter Ian "Beast Coast" Francis, sophomore standout Paxton "Man Hands" Quinney has been called up to the bigs officially. That means the Junior Varsity have to find a way forward without their floor general. It's next-man-up for the Bulldogs - and they were battling the Oneida Indians right out of the gate at 5 PM. Add to that the fact that it was next man up on the Coaching Staff as well. With Head Coach Travis Nelson serving his time for a suspicious phantom foul from last Thursday's game - normal JV Coach Jeremy Miller stepped into the Varsity role - and Coach Bryson stepped up into the JV coaching role. With a new mix of players and coaches, how would the boys respond?
Freshman post player "No-Nonsense" Noah Ward had a hot hand shooting in the JV game - leading the Bulldog scoring effort with 10. It might've been 13 if not for an ill-timed timeout called right as he shot his 3rd 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net. But those threes almost didn't matter as the charging Indians went up by 2 points with 15 seconds left on the clock. Who do you call when you need a buzzer beating shot? Let me just give you a quote from a June 14th write-up:
Freshman post player "No-Nonsense" Noah Ward had a hot hand shooting in the JV game - leading the Bulldog scoring effort with 10. It might've been 13 if not for an ill-timed timeout called right as he shot his 3rd 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net. But those threes almost didn't matter as the charging Indians went up by 2 points with 15 seconds left on the clock. Who do you call when you need a buzzer beating shot? Let me just give you a quote from a June 14th write-up:
In the final minutes of play - it was a VERY tight ballgame - it looked destined for overtime locked at 55-55 with mere seconds on the clock. Those are the moments guys like Daniel Bunch are made for. Give him the rock - let him cook... bada-bing, bada-boom... buzzer beater 3-point shot from beyond half court - and the shocked looks on the faces of Monterey said it all."
As it turns out - if you cut Daniel Bunch - he's got ice water in his veins. Just like June 14th versus Monterey's JV - against Oneida, he drove down the court - pulled up, and the BANK... WAS... OPEN! Rather than yell, scream, run laps around the court, or anything else crazy... He simply looked toward the bench, grinned a half grin, and casually held up three fingers. Bulldogs win by one on his last second heroics - and Daniel Bunch has now gone from Rambo... to Deebo... and now, most recently, to "Mr. Freeze" Daniel Bunch.
Coach Boles Looks the Part!
Huge shout out to the Assistant Coaches for stepping up in the absence of the Head Coach. They did great... They both deserve a nickname - but I need some help...
Lady Bulldogs Lose a Nail Biter
The Lady Bulldogs played a very tight game that felt like it might never end as they headed into a 2nd overtime. I'm not sure if they were tired, or if things just didn't fall their way in the 2nd OT, but the 62-57 score doesn't come close to representing how tight this one was. I'm unsure of the stats on this one - but I can tell you that two main things stood out... Myrah "All Good in the" Hood had another game of slick shooting. She may be the best pure shooter in Wartburg at the moment - boys or girls. If she can keep her composure - she's a tone setter! And speaking of tone setter, "Speedy" Ann Williams zooms up and down the court and plays a very smooth style of ball. She makes very few unforced errors and has a great shot. She's the point guard you need running the show - and it showed up HUGE in this one. My last shout out to the ladies on their almost-win is to freshman phenom "Bulletproof" Banner Brown... It's pretty impressive to head to high school and get starter's minutes as a freshman. The game moves much faster, and the athleticism is next-level... but Brown looks and plays the part, knocking down a nice three-pointer at a crucial point in one of the games 6 quarters of play. Great work ladies... let's get this next W!
Varsity Boys fall flat 64-55
The varsity boys rolled into Oneida in the 2nd half of the Junior Varsity game. They looked slick in their new, matching warmups. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs - they will have to play out the season without stalwart contributor Ian Francis. He will be missed, but we hope he has a great transition to his new home and town. Being down Francis hurt, but having Lawson Swint back was huge for the Bulldogs. He's the most physical presence the Dogs have down low - and he parlayed that physicality into his season-high, and a Bulldogs game-high, 16 points. He also looked like a different player - very vocal - as he played hard, and even coached his teammates from the sidelines on his breaks. Swint was dialed in on this one - and it was a good look for him! Stay focused and keeping laying the Law down...
Another couple of players that deserve a shout out are Ian Robinson and Paxton Quinney. Robinson's athleticism stands out every game - and he was the 2nd-highest scorer for the Bulldogs with 14. His speed is impressive, and he can jump through the roof.
Paxton Quinney tested the waters as a starter after moving up the chain of command with the Francis departure. He looked the part with a season-high 9 points. The crazy part is, I think we are just scratching the surface on the possibilities for Paxton. He's got a slippery ability to carve up defenses - but he's just now starting to get in his rhythm. Look for Quinney to get exponentially better with the increase in minutes throughout the season.
Although the boys were up 29-26 at the half - we came out flat in the 2nd half as the Indians went on a tear in the 3rd quarter getting a massive lead. We ultimately never recovered from that run up in the 3rd.
Another couple of players that deserve a shout out are Ian Robinson and Paxton Quinney. Robinson's athleticism stands out every game - and he was the 2nd-highest scorer for the Bulldogs with 14. His speed is impressive, and he can jump through the roof.
Paxton Quinney tested the waters as a starter after moving up the chain of command with the Francis departure. He looked the part with a season-high 9 points. The crazy part is, I think we are just scratching the surface on the possibilities for Paxton. He's got a slippery ability to carve up defenses - but he's just now starting to get in his rhythm. Look for Quinney to get exponentially better with the increase in minutes throughout the season.
Although the boys were up 29-26 at the half - we came out flat in the 2nd half as the Indians went on a tear in the 3rd quarter getting a massive lead. We ultimately never recovered from that run up in the 3rd.
Revenge Game? Nah - We're Family
The last thing I'd like to comment on... against Oneida, we were playing against a player that was a basketball Bulldog as recently as the summer. Kasan Hutcherson, a long-time Bulldog, made the move to Oneida this school year. Some might see him coming and think "Revenge Game"... but really, Kasan was a good teammate and a hustle and grind kind of guy. He's missed - and we have nothing but love for him and his family. Rather than a revenge game - it's more of a reunion game as we get to see a kid that always gave his all for the blue and white. If you read this - we miss you buddy! It was good to see you...
Community
To the ones who have moved on or couldn't be there for the Oneida game - it's not the same without you. To the ones that are forced to step up - we are proud of you and stand behind you. From coaches to players... from JV to varsity... both boys and girls teams - we have a powerful weapon at our disposal. We have a strong sense of community in Wartburg, TN. It's small-town USA at its finest. Let's get behind our Wartburg Basketdogs - lick our wounds - enjoy our Thanksgiving - and come out blazing with the start of a win streak in December!