Chieftains declaw Panthers

By Ginna Young

It was a great way to open the conference season for Lake Holcombe’s boys basketball program, as they picked up a win on the road in one of their two games over the week.

Dec. 5 vs. Luck non-conference (L 74-56)

Opening the week, the Chieftains were off to Luck, where the squad struggled to stay with their opponents on the scoreboard. Although Lake Holcombe was only down by five at halftime, the Chieftains watched Luck pull away in the second half, for a 74-56 win.

Junior Brian Strzok led for Lake Holcombe, with 21 points, six of them from three-pointers, while senior Taye Yeager knocked down five shots from beyond the arc, finishing with 18 points. Freshman Emmit Johnson also nailed three long-range shots, coming up with 15 points on the night.

Freshman Connor Kane chipped in with 2 points and junior Trent Lee made a free throw.

Dec. 7 vs. Prairie Farm conference (W 81-76)

It was then off to Prairie Farm, two nights later, in what promised to be a battle. The Chieftains started off strong, capturing a 15-point lead before halftime. Prairie Farm wasn’t about to go down without a fight and the Panthers came clawing back, outscoring Lake Holcombe in the second half.

Thanks to the lead from the first half, the Chieftains were able to hold and bring home an 81-76 conference victory.

“A great win to open the conference,” said coach Joy Webster.

Strzok reeled in another double-double, with a season high 31 points and a season high 17 rebounds. Junior Chase Burgess and Yeager each had 13 points, while junior Ryley Craker was right behind, with 12. Senior Trent Nitek knocked in 8 points, followed by Johnson, who finished the night with 4 points.

Craker and Yeager combined for 13 assists, while Craker also led the team with 7 steals, followed by Yeager, with 4. Nitek had a big night defensively, with 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Chieftains now sit at 2-3 on the season overall and 1-0 in league play.