Centre wins two in tournament
Centre High School boys' basketball team took second place at the Herington pre-season tournament by defeating Hope and Northern Heights. They were defeated by Herington, which won all three games to claim the top spot.
Centre vs. Herington
In their game with Herington Dec. 10, the Cougars got off to a fast start. A three-pointer by Curtis Gutsch put Centre up 5-2, and by the end of the first quarter they had jumped ahead 15-8.
Their rhythm began to falter somewhat in the second quarter but half-time found them up by four, 29-25, after two three-pointers, one by Gutsch and one by Aaron Barney, in the last 50 seconds.
It wasn't until 4:35 in the third quarter that Herington took the lead, 35-32. Continued missed shots by the Cougars put them down 38-48 at the end of the quarter.
After many missed goals and with four and one-half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Centre was trailing by 14, 44-56. But the Cougars didn't give up.
With 45 seconds remaining, a three-pointer by Travis Burns and a couple of steals resulting in free throws narrowed the gap to eight. A bucket by Todd Stahlecker and a free throw by Herington resulted in a final score of Herington 63, Centre 56.
Gutsch led scoring with a whopping 22 points followed by Burns and Stahlecker with 11 each. Others who contributed points were Barney, eight, and Justin Garrard, four.
Centre vs. Hope
The most hotly contested game of the series was played Friday with Hope. The Cougars continue to revel in the long-coveted defeat of their archrival in the Eisenhower League.
Although Centre won by 16 points, the score was quite close most of the game.
Todd Stahlecker had his best game of the season, piling up 28 points.
The game started slowly as both teams were cold from the field. With four minutes to go in the first quarter, the score stood at 6-2 in Centre's favor. However, a burst of action on both sides resulted in a first quarter score of 14-8.
During the second quarter, Hope caught up with Centre and tied the game with three minutes to go in the half. The Lions then went ahead on a three-point shot, but that was answered by a three-pointer by Stahlecker to tie the game once again.
A last-second shot by Stahlecker from way out in the back court was successful, thrilling the crowd and putting Centre up by two, 30-28.
The game remained close in the second half, and the teams exchanged leads several times.
At the end of the third quarter, Hope was up by one, 42-41.
The score was tied 46-46 with five and one-half minutes remaining in the game. Justin Garrard sunk a basket and a free throw and Aaron Barney followed with a three-pointer. After two more Garrard free throws, Centre led 56-50.
Two technicals called on Hope during the final minute of the game resulted in four more points for Centre.
In desperation, Hope continued to foul. Curtis Gutsch completed numerous free throws, widening the gap. The final score was Centre 67 Hope 51.
In addition to Stahlecker's 28 points, Gutsch and Garrard each scored 16 points. Aaron Barney had three, and Travis Burns and Derek Belton each added two.
Centre vs. Northern Heights
The Saturday game with Northern Heights proved to be somewhat easier. Centre's strong defensive play was too much for their opponent. Centre led the entire game and won by a score of 58-46.
The game began with a three-pointer by Curtis Gutsch. There was not much additional scoring until the last minute of the quarter when Stahlecker landed a three, which was followed by a steal and a lay-up by Aaron Barney. The score stood at 12-8.
Two three-pointers and several steals during the second quarter made the score 26-14. A technical called on Northern Heights resulted in two more points for Centre and a half-time score of 28-18.
The third quarter saw the Cougars increase their lead as Gutsch and Stahlecker continued to be hot from three-point range. The quarter ended with Centre up, 43-27.
A technical called on Northern Heights after a shooting foul led to four points for Centre, two by Derek Belton, and two by Stahlecker.
Justin Garrard, the 6'3" center, blocked the ball twice. With a few seconds remaining, the score stood at 58-43. A three-pointer by Northern Heights right before the buzzer resulted in a final score of Centre 58, Northern Heights 46.
Stahlecker had another outstanding game with 23 points. Gutsch scored 14 and Garrard had 11. Barney added six, and Andrew Hajek and Derek Belton each added two.
