Eagle Teams Start off Season with 1-1 Records

Watonga basketball has officially taken flight for the 2022-2023 season. On Tuesday, Nov. 29 the Eagle teams played Hinton. The girls came out on top with a win and the boys ended the night with a loss. Friday, Dec. 2 they faced the Thomas Terriers. The girls fell to Thomas, and the boys triumphed with their first win.

The Lady Eagles started off the game against Thomas with high energy. Starting lineup for the Lady Eagles consisted of Briah Holdge, Aubrey Bridges, Evelyn Carmona, Jaiden Alexander and Shelby Miller. After losing the tip and getting back on defense, the Lady Terriers took the first point of the ballgame. Bridges took control of a fast break and was able to even the score with a layup up the left side of the court. The end of the first quarter left the Lady Eagles behind by one with a score of 4 to 5.

Natalie Walker opened up the 2nd quarter with a three on the right wing, putting the Lady Eagles ahead by two. Kiah Black followed that with another three from the left baseline. The Lady Terriers had a good run in the middle of the 2nd quarter and put themselves ahead of the Lady Eagles. Miller was able to step around a defender to make a short jumpshot, causing a timeout call from the Lady Terriers. Alexander made her inside presence known near the end of the quarter with a post move on the left block which put the Lady Eagles ahead once more. It was back and forth the entire quarter, which ended with the Thomas Lady Terriers ahead by 1 at 15 to 16.

Bridges commanded the court at the beginning of the 3rd. She went 2 for 2 at the free throw line, and followed it with a step back three pointer on the left baseline. This put them within one point of the Lady Terriers before they pulled away slightly again. Walker evened up the score once more with her 2nd three of the game on the right baseline. It was a game of cat and mouse as the Lady Terriers kept pulling away everytime the Lady Eagles evened the score. The 3rd quarter remained relatively low scoring at 26 to 31, the Lady Eagles trailing.

Bridges was on the roll on the outside of the three in the 4th quarter as she tried to rally against the odds. The Lady Eagles were in a full court press, going for steals and pressure against the Lady Terriers. The Lady Eagles fell short by 7 points, ending the game 39 to 46. Bridges scored 23 points to put herself in the leading scoring position. Their season record is now 1-1.

Watonga Boys

The Eagles came off of a loss from Hinton earlier in the week,and were ready for some redemption. The starting lineup consisted of Aajhay Johnson, Laron Whiteshield, Talen Smith, Trenton Cole and Octavin Brown.

Whiteshield largely won the jump and The Eagles started the game with an offensive possession. Brown, otherwise known as “Big-O” scored the first 6 points of the ballgame, 2 with a 15-foot jumper, 2 from an offensive rebound, and 2 from a fast break. The Terriers responded with 2 points of their own, putting them on the board for the first time in the game. Whiteshield made himself known on the court with a fast break dunk over a Thomas Terrier. Johnson with a three put himself on the board with three minutes left in the 1st quarter. With 30 seconds left in the 1st, Whiteshield got his 2nd dunk of the game after he got a steal up the left side of the court. The Eagles made quick work of the Terriers in the 1st quarter, and brought the score to 20 to 6.

The Eagles were able to hold up against The Terriers during the 2nd quarter. Smith, a newcomer for The Eagles this year made the first points of the 2nd quarter with a short jump shot inside the left wing. Big-O continued on his roll during the 2nd with more rebounds and jump shots. Whiteshield earned his 7th dunk of the season during a fast break up the right side. Boomer Mendenhall, another newcomer for The Eagles, got off a three pointer near the end of the quarter. The 2nd quarter ended 36 to 17 with The Eagles still ahead.

Smith opened the 3rd with another three pointer from the top of the key, followed by a left baseline three from Johnson. Johnson followed up on his own three with another from the exact same spot from the other side. He kept it raining down throughout the entire quarter. The Eagles stayed on top at 51 to 30, ending the quarter.

Big-O remained to be a powerhouse through the last quarter of the game. During the last few minutes, the crowd got to the entirety of the boy’s bench. The game ended 62 to 37, the Eagles also bringing up their record to 1-1. Brown was the lead scorer of the game with 18 points, Johnson following that with 17, and Smith trailing with 11. Brown also led the game in offensive rebounds.

Both Eagle teams will be heading this week to the Minco Tournament, Thursday -Friday.