Eagles over Mt. Zion
By TERRY LIDY
"It was a nice win for us after a couple of tough road losses," said Eagle coach Doug Mammoser after his Eagles derailed the Mt. Zion Braves 57-40 in the home opener at the friendly confines of the newly renovated NCHS gym. "Mt. Zion has given us a lot of trouble in the past, but the kids played a good game led by Jake Pilman and Peyton Wyatt. Wyatt did a good job with the ball and penetrating their defense. Pilman was a force inside and on the boards all night."
the Eagles led all the way as Japheth Bear drilled a pair of early treys to jump start the offense. After the Braves closed to 6-4 on a basket by Ryan Hartman, Jake Pilman was fouled inside. With 4:44 left, Pilman converted both tosses to double Mt. Zion at 8-4. A three-pointer by Joey Babich made it 8-7.
However, Mt. Zion crept no closer as Pilman and Bear scored baskets and Wyatt converted a pair of foul shots. Mt. Zion answered only with a field goal by Jordan Fortner as the Eagles led 14-9. Then in the waning seconds, Wyatt made a nice driving shot in the lane to give the Eagles a 16-9 first quarter margin.
With Mt. Zion in early foul trouble, Bear made it 18-9 with a pair of charity tosses early in the second quarter. Seth Myers connected for a three to cut the Eagle margin to 18-12. However, baskets by Wyatt and Pilman, on a steal, upped the cushion to 22-12 with 5:40 left and counting. Fortner converted a pair of free throws and Kendall Oliver scored for Mt. Zion. Meanwhile, Alex Frohning scored on a rebound and Wyatt and Scott Jansen added hoops to make it 28-16. When Pilman scored with 1:58 left, the Eagles had their largest lead of the half at 30-16. However, the Braves refused to buckle scoring the final six points of the half to close within 8 at 30-22. Japheth Bear led the first half attack with 10 points. Jake Pilman and Peyton Wyatt each accounted for 8.
In the third quarter, Brian Emmerich made his presence felt with a pair of threes from the corner. His second shot, built the Eagle lead back to 12 at 36-24. Later a Japheth Bear hoop and two Jake Pilman foul shots gave the Eagles a 40-24 cushion with 4:17 left.
The Braves scored the next five points as the Eagles were whistled for five third quarter fouls. None the less, the Eagles rebounded to score the final six points of the period to hold their largest advantage to that point at 46-29. Peyton Wyatt scored on a drive and converted two free throws with 1:05 left. Finally Wyatt found Dylan Casey open underneath the basket to make it 46-29 after three quarters.
Eventually the lead stretched to 50-31 early in the final quarter as Alex Frohning scored twice to give the Eagles their largest cushion of the night and take all the suspense out of the final outcome of the home opener.
The Eagles held the Braves to 36% shooting from the field and 5 of 9 from the line with 13 turnovers. Jordan Fortner led Mt. Zion with 13 points as the Braves fell to 0-3 in the Apollo and 0-6 overall.
The Eagles shot 43% from the field making 22 field goals including 4 from three-point land. They were 11 of 16 from the line and committed 11 turnovers.
Jake Pilman led with 14 points. Peyton Wyatt and Japheth Bear each were in double figures with 12 to balance the attack. Alex Frohning chipped in with 9, while Brian Emmerich had a pair of treys for 6. Scott Jansen and Dylan Casey each had baskets for the 5-2 Eagles who are now 1-2 in the Apollo. Taylor Kerner, Marc Brandenburg and Jerry Howze saw action, but did not score.
In the preliminary game, the junior varsity won 58-45 as A.J. Hyatt led with 17 and Mitch Mammoser added 14 to pace the attack. Dylan Casey and Dylan Davidson each scored 8 points. Derek Casey had 6, while Landon Rauch had 3 and Austin Blair had 2.
Up next for the Eagles is a match against league leading Robinson on Friday at Robinson.
In other Apollo action last Friday, Effingham belted Paris 77-52. Robinson stopped Salem 51-38. Olney edged Charleston 45-43.
The Apollo standings after three games include Robinson 3-0, Charleston, Salem, Effingham and Olney each at 2-1, Newton 1-2, Paris and Mt. Zion 0-3.
Eagles lose at Charleston
By TERRY LIDY
After playing a pretty fair game last Friday at Salem in which the Eagles lost 65-55, they fizzled down the stretch at Baker Gym in Charleston last Tuesday falling to the Tigers 54-47. The loss dropped the Eagles to 0-2 in the Apollo and 4-2 overall.
Charleston opened a 16-14 first quarter lead and remained on top 30-27 at the half. Peyton Wyatt, who led the Eagles in scoring with 15, scored 6 points in each of the first two quarters. Brian Emmerich scored 5 points all in the first half. Alex Frohning added 4 points. Japheth Bear hit a first quarter trifecta, while Jake Pilman had two free throws and Taylor Kerner had one to account for the 27 first half points.
The Eagles held their own in the third period tallying 15 points, but still trailed 46-42 after three quarters Jake Pilman had two baskets, while Scott Jansen, Peyton Wyatt and Japheth Bear connected for threes. Taylor Kerner added a basket in the quarter.
However, the Eagles were held to a single basket in the fourth period, that by Japheth Bear, and five points total in a slow down fashion.
The Eagles connected on 16 baskets including 7 from behind the arc. They were a solid 8 of 10 from the line. Peyton Wyatt led the Eagles with 15 points. Jake Pilman and Japheth Bear each scored 8. Brian Emmerich and Alex Frohning each added 5. Taylor Kerner and Scott Jansen each tallied 3 points.
Charleston had 19 baskets including 5 from the arc and added 11 of 15 from the charity stripe. Taylor Nead and Brad Wheeler led the Trojans with 16 points each.
The Eagles did win the junior varsity game 50-40.
Lady Eagles fall in Apollo home opener
By TERRY LIDY
It was too much Jade Becker as the 6'0" junior scored 25 of Mt. Zion's 65 points in the Lady Braves 65-35 belting of the Lady Eagles last Thursday at the NCHS gym in the Apollo home opener.
Mt. Zion led 15-7 after the first eight minutes as Joni Hahn and Amy Bierman scored 3 points each and Mallory Kocher converted a free throw. Mt. Zion continued hot in the second quarter outscoring Newton 16-9 to take a 31-16 advantage into the half.
Mallory Kocher had 4 points in the quarter, while Terra Flowers had 3 and Megan Jansen canned a pair of free throws.
The margin widened even more as Mt. Zion scorched the net with 23 third quarter points to take a 54-22 cushion into the final stanza.
Mt. Zion scored 25 field goals in the contest including 8 from three point land. They were 7 of 9 from the line. Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles were hitting 10 baskets including a pair of treys and adding 13 of 23 free throws as Mt. Zion was whistled for 19 fouls.
Mallory Kocher led the Lady Eagle attack with 10 points. Amy Koebele scored 7 second half points. Megan Jansen converted 5 of 6 free throws. Amy Bierman and Joni Hahn each added 4. Terra Flowers scored 3 and Morgan Swingler scored a basket.
Sydney May, Tara Wirth, and Brianna Nail saw action but did not score.
The Lady Eagles are now 0-4 in the Apollo and 1-7 overall while Mt. Zion is 1-3 in the Apollo and 5-8 overall.
In other Apollo games last Thursday, Salem belted Robinson 78-48. Charleston edged Olney in overtime 60-57 and Paris nipped Effingham 56-52.
After four Apollo games Charleston and Salem lead the conference at 4-0. Olnye is 3-1. Effingham and Paris are 2-2. Mt. Zion is 1-3. Newton and Robinson are 0-4.
Lady Eagles cold at Olney
By TERRY LIDY
Turnovers and cold shooting plaqued the Lady Eagles last Monday at Ron Herrin Gym in Olney as the Lady Eagles were stopped by the Lady Tigers 55-27 in Apollo action.
The Lady Eagles were in the game trailing only 10-6 after the first quarter as they caused some problems for Ebany Brumfield. When Joni Hahn scored the first basket in the second quarter to make it 10-8, Olney scored the next 6 points to their lead at 16-8. The Lady Eagles answered with field goals by Amy Koebele and Amy Bierman to reduce the margin to 16-12. However, the Lady Tigers scored the final 6 points in the quarter to take a 22-12 edge into the intermission. Cold shooting and turnovers hurt the Lady Eagles as they committed 25 in the contest. However, their 2-3 zone defense bothered Olney considerably.
The third period was played even as Olney outscored Newton 12-9 to take a 34-21 advantage into the final quarter. Here the Lady Tigers took over with a 21 point output to coast to a 55-27 Apollo win. Olney improved to 3-0 in the Apollo and 5-3 overall. Newton fell to 0-3 in the Apollo and 1-6 for the season.
The Lady Eagles made 11 baskets with one three pointer. They added 4 of 10 from the foul line. Olney had 19 baskets with a three pointer and 16 of 20 from the charity stripe.
Amy Koebele led the attack with 10 points. Joni Hahn and Mallory Kocher each had 5. Amy Bierman scored 4, while Morgan Swingler had 2 and Megan Jansen added a free throw.
Taylor Stevenson led Olney with 22 points.
Lady Eagles fall to Paris
By TERRY LIDY
In girl's Apollo action on Monday at the NCHS gym, the NCHS Lady Eagles were downed by the Paris Lady Tigers 53-35.
After a 2 all tie on a basket by Amy Koebele, Paris led all the way as they scored the next 10 points to open a 12-2 edge with 1:45 left. Morgan Swingler broke the string with a basket and Mallory Kocher swished a long three to pull Newton within five at 12-7. Tara Wirth converted a free throw later as the Lady Eagles trailed 14-8 after the first quarter.
In the second period, the Lady Eagles hung tough as two baskets by Megan Jansen and another by Morgan Swingler kept Newton within range of Paris. Up only 19-14, the Lady Tigers scored the final 9 points of the quarter to double the Lady Eagles at the half at 28-14.
Both teams had productive third quarter outputs with Paris outscoring Newton 17-11 to open a 45-25 cushion. Morgan Swingler had two baskets in the period, while Amy Koebele had a basket and a free throw for 3. Terra Flowers converted two free throws and Brianna Nail scored a basket in the quarter.
Newton came back with a 10-8 edge in the fourth quarter to cut the final deficit to 18 at 53-35. Amy Koebele had 5 points in quarter, while Terra Flowers canned a three and Megan Jansen had a basket for the 0-5 Lady Eagles in the Apollo and 1-8 overall.
The Lady Eagles sank 14 baskets including two from the arc. They were 5 of 12 from the line. Paris made 23 baskets including 3 from the arc and added 4 of 10 free throws. Amy Koebele led the Lady Eagles with 10. Morgan Swingler scored 8. Megan Jansen had 6.
Terra Flowers had 5. Mallory Kocher scored 3. Brianna Nail had 2 points, while Tara Wirth had a free throw. Joni Hahn, Sydney May and Amy Bierman also saw playing time.
It wasn't a total loss for the Lady Eagles as they played one of their best games of the season in edging Paris 49-44 in the junior varsity contest.
Terra Flowers led Newton with 15. Amy Koebele scored 11. Morgan Swingler added 10. Megan Jansen and Tara Wirth each scored 4. Amy Bierman, Carly Niebrugge, Brianna Nail and Mallory Kocher also saw action.
Newton, Ill. —
