Oak Glen storms back to topple Red Riders
NEW MANCHESTER — It was a typical high school rivalry game at the Oak Glen Field House with the lead changing hands several times and neither visiting Weir High nor Oak Glen holding a lead of more than seven points in the first three quarters.
The Red Riders, who had lost three starters to transfer or injury before preseason practice even started and were without another due to flu, scored seven straight points to take a six-point lead into the fourth quarter and were feeling like they might upset the veteran Golden Bear bunch in the mutual season opener for both teams.
Not on this night.
The Golden Bears caught fire with a 15-3 run to start the fourth. Nothing the Red Riders tried after that worked and Oak Glen outscored Weir High, 36-11, in the period to win going away, 76-57.
“I was extremely concerned because Weir High hustles their butts off,” said Oak Glen coach Jerry Everly in the locker room about Weir High’s six-point fourth quarter lead. “They were playing really well and we just couldn’t find it. It felt like we wanted it so bad that we were like spinning.
“We just needed to settle down. I think that fourth quarter we finally got to playing the way we want to play. At first, I think our experience kind of hurt us because they wanted it so bad, but then I think our experience kicked in in the fourth quarter.
“Ethan Travis, a sophomore coming off the bench, gave us the rebounds we needed. His play was a key to the rally and so was Noah Feicht doing the dirty work getting tips (he tipped in a missed free throw) and just the little things he does. He’s so athletic. And Jeff (Rice) scoring. We just had a lot of good players out there in that fourth quarter.”
Rice keyed the Golden Bear run to open the final stanza, starting it off with a steal of the Red Rider inbound pass to begin play and driving for a layup. He went on to score five more points in the run including a three.
Oak Glen did it very quickly. With just three minutes gone in the quarter, the Golden Bears were in command 60-51 and they finished the game with a 10-0 run over the stunned Red Riders.
“I think in the fourth quarter our lack of varsity experience really showed,” said Mike Granato, Weir High’s veteran coach. “Turning the ball over, missing an assignment, missed shots and then we got a pass out on transition, but missed the layup. They came down and hit a three so instead of being up by eight, it was a three-point deficit.
“So, you see those little things along the way. We have to do a better job of protecting the ball in fourth quarter scenarios like that. We gave up three of the old fashioned three-point plays with guys driving and we fouled them.
“Overall, though, the first 24 minutes of the game I was really pleased with our effort. I was pleased with the fire we played with. I told the kids tonight and we say it every day: Play hard and play smart. The only way you’re going to get smarter down the stretch — you can practice those situations until the cows come home — you have to play them.
“Tonight we played in one and hopefully we can learn from it and go from there.”
Rice and Logan Taylor led the Golden Bears with 22 points each. Rice canned three of Oak Glen’s five treys. Rice made 10 of his points in the fourth quarter and Taylor eight.
Feicht finished with 11 points while Travis added nine, all in the fourth quarter. The 6-3 Travis also hauled in eight of his game-high 12 rebounds in the final period.
The Red Riders, who were playing without junior Nick Krutilla due to the flu bug, also had three players in double figures. Junior Lavelle Hall scored 14 points, senior Lyric Washington got 13 and Frank Ty Hudacheck, another junior tossed in 11.
Granato said Krutilla led the Red Riders in scoring and rebounding in both of the preseason scrimmages.
Hudacheck led the Red Rider rebounding last night with nine caroms.
Oak Glen 76, Weir High 57
Weir High 15 14 17 11 – 57
Oak Glen 13 19 8 36 – 76
WEIR HIGH (0-1): Hall 5 3-6 14, Faulk 1 3-6 5, Hudacheck 4 1-2 11, Washington 6 0-0 13, Anderson 3 1-2 8, Mikula 3 0-0 6. TOTALS: 22 8-16 57. Three-pointers: Hudacheck 2, Hall, Washington, Anderson. Rebounds: 32 (Hudacheck 9); Turnovers: 18.
OAK GLEN (1-0): Rice 7 5-7 22, Feicht 5 1-3 11, Kokoski 1 1-2 3, Taylor 8 5-5 22, McHaffie 0 1-2 1, Poling 3 1-1 8, Travis 4 1-4 9. TOTALS: 28 15-24 76. Three-pointers: Rice 3, Taylor, Poling; Rebounds: 30 (Travis 12); Turnovers: 10.
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