Chieftains persevering in spite of a lessened bench
By Ginna Young
Things have been difficult in the late part of the season for the Lake Holcombe girls basketball team, as a lack of players is wearing on the young squad.
Feb. 14 vs. New Auburn conference (L 62-21)
It may have been Valentine’s Day, but the Chieftains were not feeling the love at New Auburn, as scoring was at a premium. Lake Holcombe went into halftime with only seven points on the board, while the Trojans racked up 25 additional points.
“A good analogy for us, is it’s like a truck that lost a wheel,” said assistant coach J.D. Kirkman, “doesn’t really matter which one falls off, going forward is difficult.”
The Chieftains put up more points on the board in the second half, but New Auburn continued to score, taking a 62-21 victory.
“Our next two games would be challenging if we were firing on all cylinders, we have our work cut out for us, looking ahead,” said Kirkman.
Leading for Lake Holcombe, was sophomore Abby Jones, who notched 12 points, followed by senior Karly Kirkman, with 6, and senior Justine Kane, with 3.
“We’re very proud of the extra effort our athletes are putting forth, given the circumstances,” said J.D. Kirkman.
Feb. 16 vs. Prairie Farm conference (L 85-23)
Two days later, Lake Holcombe acted as host to undefeated league-leading Prairie Farm, where the scoreboard again felt empty to the Chieftains. Lake Holcombe only managed to add five points to the book in the first half, opposed to the Panthers’ 48.
Scoring was better for Lake Holcombe in the second part of the game, but it wasn’t enough to catch up with the Panthers and the visitors took an 85-23 win home with them.
“Prairie Farm has a very strong program and we knew this game was going to be rough, especially without a full bench,” said J.D. Kirkman. “We’re proud of the effort from the girls.”
Lake Holcombe is now 10-11 overall and finishes the season at 8-8 in the East Lakeland Conference. The next match for the Chieftains took place at Gilman, for Regional action Feb. 21.
K. Kirkman ended with 12 points on the night, while Kane added 9 and senior Belle Jones attempted a pair of free throws, with freshman Lexi Hoffner chipping in with 2 points.
Since it was the last home game of the season and likely the last on the Chieftains’ court for the three seniors, emotions were high. J.D. Kirkman says it was a privilege to have them wear the purple jerseys of a Chieftain and to have them on the court.
“We wish all our seniors the best of luck,” said J.D. Kirkman. “If you put the same effort into your careers as you do in your game…you’ll succeed in whatever you decide to do in life.”
