By Fred Kroner
Oakwood Junior High’s eighth-grade boys’ basketball team has won five of its first six games. The lone loss was in the championship game of the Schlarman Tournament, in Danville, to Indiana’s Heritage Park, 51-20, on Saturday (Nov. 4).
Oakwood opened the tournament with back to-back wins over La Salette, 50-20, on Friday (Nov. 3) and then Milford, 32-29, a day later.
On Tuesday (Nov. 7), Oakwood won at Milford, 35-26, followed by a win at Hoopeston Area, 40-27, on Thursday (Nov. 9) and a victory in the team’s home-opener, 31-20, on Monday (Nov. 13) over Bismarck-Henning.
Jaethan Perez tallied 16 points and Drake Roberts had 15 in the season-opener against La Salette. Riglee Hart notched nine points and Xander Wilson had six points. Ethan Huchel and Lane Stitt each contributed two points.
In the first game against Milford, Roberts led the way with 12 points. Hart and Perez each netted nine points. Wilson made two points.
Against Heritage Park, Hart totaled a team-best 10 points. Wilson recorded five points. Perez and Stitt each added two points. Roberts downed a free throw.
In the rematch with Milford, Perez registered 14 points and Roberts drained 13 points. Wilson hit four points. Finishing with two points apiece were Hart and Stitt.
Against Hoopeston, Perez swished a season-high 19 points and Hart matched his season’s high with 10 points. Roberts ended with six points and Wilson had five points.
Against Bismarck-Henning, Perez connected for 15 points. Roberts made five points. Stitt and Wilson each had four points. Hart’s three points came on a three-pointer, his team-leading seventh of the season.
Oakwood has a 5-1 record.
—
Oakwood’s seventh-grade squad features a roster of four seventh-graders and three sixth-graders.
The team is 0-3 following losses at Milford, 35-12, on Tuesday (Nov. 7), at Hoopeston Area, 35-13, on Thursday (Nov. 9) and at home against Bismarck-Henning on Monday (Nov. 13), 58-26.
Against Milford, Bryson Deline led the way with 10 points. Owen Fegett added two points.
Against Hoopeston, Deline totaled seven points. Keatyn Bruens, Camden Hazelbaker and Kylar Hartley all chipped in with two points.
Against Bismarck-Henning, Deline reached a season’s high with 16 points. Hartley drained two three-pointers to account for his six points. Bruens and Gavin Wells both contributed two points.
Oakwood returns to action on Thursday (Nov. 16) at Salt Fork.
