By Fred Kroner
The seventh-grade boys’ basketball team from Oakwood is off to an 8-1 start to the season.
The Knights won their first five games, starting with a 33-23 verdict at home over Bismarck-Henning on Monday (Nov. 15), followed by a 29-21 decision at Salt Fork on Tuesday (Nov. 18), a 30-23 triumph at home over Schlarman Academy on Monday (Nov. 22), a 39-29 conquest at Prairieview Ogden on Tuesday (Nov. 30) and a 25-13 win at Hoopeston Area on Friday (Dec. 3).
The lone loss came on Monday (Dec. 6) at home against St. Joseph, 45-36.
Oakwood started a new winning streak on Thursday (Dec. 9) at Gifford, hanging on for a 48-43 overtime victory. On Tuesday (Dec. 14), the Knights won at Westville, 33-29, and added on a 52-26 win at home against Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Thursday (Dec. 16).
Carsen Dudley has led the Knights in scoring in each of the first nine games, including a 38-point outburst against Gifford. His other 20-point outings were against B-H (28 points), G-RF (26 points), Schlarman (25 points) and Westville (20 points).
Dudley netted 19 points against St. Joseph, 18 against PVO, 16 against Salt Fork and 16 against Hoopeston.
Cale Thomas had games of nine and eight points, Grady Johnson had an eight-point game, Camden Harris had a six-point game, Alex Wallace also had a six-point game and Collin Furry had a five-point game.
Other seventh-graders who have scored are Nick Cadle, Gage Carillo, Trenton Denhart, Walker Enos and Taylor Nevitt.
Oakwood’s eighth-graders have a 2-7 record. The wins were at Hoopeston, 36-33, on Friday (Dec. 3) and 41-39 at home over Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Thursday (Dec. 16).
The losses were against Bismarck-Henning, 38-24, on Monday (Nov. 15), at Salt Fork, 34-13, on Thursday (Nov. 18), against Schlarman, 49-11, on Monday (Nov. 22), at Prairieview Ogden, 57-7, on Tuesday (Nov. 30), against St. Joseph, 53-21, on Monday (Dec. 6), against Gifford, 35-31, on Thursday (Dec. 16) and at Westville, 37-17, on Tuesday (Dec. 14).
Five players have had turns leading the Knights in scoring.
The team’s top scoring performance was a 17-point outing by Ben Darling against Gifford. He drained five three-point shots in the game. Darling also had a team-high total of eight points against Westville. Against G-RF, he made nine points.
Dudley posted 13 points against Hoopeston, 12 against G-RF, 10 against Bismarck-Henning and nine at Salt Fork.
Landon Huddleston hit eight points against St. Joseph. Sailor Harrison had four points against PVO. Both Darling and Evgeni had four points against Schlarman.
Ethan Morger registered five points against G-RF. Avery Haughn had a six-point game and Alex Wallace had a four-point game.
Huddleston hit a season-high 14 points against Gifford.
