By FRED KRONER
Oakwood’s eighth-grade boys’ basketball team will enter the 2023 portion of its season with a 7-3 overall record and wins in four of its last five games.
The wins are against Hoopeston (51-16), Bismarck-Henning (34-25), Salt Fork (37-19), Armstrong-Potomac (54-22), Gifford (59-48), Schlarman Academy (48-35) and Georgetown-Ridge Farm (51-23) on Thursday (Dec. 15) in its final game of the 2022 portion of the season.
The losses were to Prairieview Ogden (39-27), St. Joseph (41-27) and Westville (38-27).
Carsen Dudley has led the team in scoring in nine games, including a 46-point outburst at Gifford. Dudley put up 32 points at Armstrong-Potomac and 31 points in a game at home against Hoopeston and another one on the road at Schlarman Academy.
Dudley is averaging 24.4 points through 10 games and hasn’t been held to less than 13 points in any of his games to date.
Alex Wallace tallied a season-high and a team-high 15 points in the most-recent win at Georgetown-Ridge Farm.
Other eighth-graders who have connected for at least six points in a game are Camden Harris (eight against Georgetown-Ridge Farm), Collin Furry (seven against Schlarman Academy) and Cale Thomas (six against Hoopeston).
The Oakwood seventh-graders have a 3-7 overall record. The wins are over Hoopeston (43-8), Armstrong-Potomac (38-26) and Georgetown-Ridge Farm (30-16) in their final pre-Christmas game on Thursday (Dec. 15).
The losses were to Bismarck-Henning (43-21), Salt Fork (34-26), Prairieview Ogden (45-18), St. Joseph (35-25), Gifford (41-29), Schlarman Academy (40-16) and Westville (38-34).
Three different players have led the team in scoring in at least one game.
Jaethan Perez was the leader in five games, including 19 points against Westville, 16 points against Georgetown-Ridge Farm and 13 points against Schlarman Academy.
Nathan Young was the leader in four games, including a 20-point outburst against Hoopeston, 15 points against Armstrong-Potomac, 12 against PVO and 11 against St. Joseph.
Riglee Hart was the leader with a 13-point effort against Salt Fork.
Another squad member with games of at least five points is Lane Stitt, who put up seven points against Armstrong-Potomac, six against Gifford and five against St. Joseph.
