Lynx B, C, D Wins, A Falls to Whittier

A Team: Lost
B Team: Won
C Team: Won
D Team: Won

(You may be wondering about the lack of description for the four games. Reason: The A team is/was too painful to write about as they dropped a close one that they should have won. The B game went pretty much like every other game this year, 30 point win. The C and D team games I did not witness and their coach had to take his child to the hospital and was unable to write anything. I apologize for the let down on game summaries. However, Lynx Hoops will end with a bang as there is one game left, as well as the "Season Wrap-Up")

BV Lynx Take 3 out of 4 from Patrick Henry

A Game:

BV 32, Patrick Henry 38

(Sioux Falls, SD)-- Coming off three straight wins a week ago, the Brandon Valley Lynx "A" team was looking to keep their winning streak rolling. It was not to be on this night, however, as they dropped a heart breaker to the Patrick Henry Panthers. The theme for the first half was lack of scoring on the Lynx part. BV only managed to put up three points in the entire first quarter. Missed layups and turnovers resulted in scoring woes. The second quarter witnessed some improvement as they Lynx found a rhythm and put up twelve points to take the lead at half-time. In the second half, it was more of the same as the Lynx struggled to find any lasting rhythm and the refs struggled to find a consistent approach to officiating. The normally relaxed coach Klumper had this to say after the game: "I couldn't believe some of the calls that we were not getting. I mean, its not a good sign when I have to use all the gauze bandages in one game because of our players getting hacked so badly." Despite the poor officiating, the Lynx players did a decent job of not letting it affect them. Nothing can be done once a call has been made and the Lynx have gotten better at letting things go and focusing on things they can control, like their effort and attitude. Still, one must wonder when a Lynx player would drive to the basket and come out with a compound fracture in their arm and no foul call. So it goes... In the fourth quarter, offensive sluggishness hit again, as the Lynx only managed 4 points, which proved to be their undoing on this occasion, losing to Patrick Henry 32-38. Despite the fact that Patrick Henry did not run an offensive play the entire game, their wild, just-drive-to-the-basket-and-throw-up-some-horrible-shot-and-hope-for-a-miracle-that-it-goes-in style of play annoyed the Lynx just enough to beat them. It could also have been attributed to the fact that the court was extremely small and tiled. But excuses are not what this team is about, they know they had their chances and no outside factors cost them the win. The trip was not without highlights, however. As the Lynx were walking into the school when they arrived, a collection of 8th grade girls from Patrick Henry let out a few whistles towards the manly Lynx. Nate Winter was pretty sure that those whistle were for him: "Hey guys, I am pretty sure they were whistling at me. I did comb my hair differently today, that must have been it." Winter, excited that a girl whistled at him, kept asking coach Klumper if he thought they would still be there after the A and B games. "I simply, calmly explained to Nate that those girls would not stand outside for two hours while we played the game," explained Klumper. A dejected Winter found comfort in the huge PowerAde that his dad brought him and forget all about it. Leading the Lynx in scoring was Chase Marso with 13 and Adam Bauer with 7, respectively.



B Game (It's called the "B Game" but we are actually A-)

BV 56, Patrick Henry 28

(Sioux Falls, SD)-- The A game left a bad taste in the mouths of all the GOATS as they watched their good friends lose a close one. They definitely wanted to avenge that loss and make sure we at least left Sioux Falls with one victory. "I could see the fire in the eyes, they were really ticked off," said a scared Klumper. The GOATS have been earning respect all season with their tough style of play. In fact, as the GOATS arrived at Patrick Henry Middle School, the Patrick Henry students actually made a tunnel for the GOATS to walk through, entering the gym. It was a special moment. The always alert Trey Ethreim quipped, "I think a girl almost looked at me while we were walking through the tunnel." The gesture was nice, but still the GOATS showed no mercy as they pounded the P.H. Panthers 56-28 for their eleventh straight win and their eleventh straight game reaching the fifty point mark. Coach Klumper was a little nervous to start the game, "I was nervous because during warm-ups, I saw Jared Mulder flashing his huge wad of money all over instead of shooting." Klumper's nervousness soon dissipated as the Lynx began the game with the same fiery intensity that has been the staple all season long for these dudes. Thomas Gardner turned in a Buffalo-in-the-middle-of-a-pasture-of-bunnies-like dominant performance, filling up the scoring column with 16 points. Adam Guthmiller also hit double digits with 12 points. Individual accolades are nice, but these GOATS are only worried about one state, the big "0" in the L column. If they finish out their last two games with the same intensity and effort they have displayed all season long, a perfect record will be theirs. The summary of the actual game is something like this: the Lynx got a bunch of steals, scored a bunch of points and crushed another opponent by almost 30. The key to tonight's game was the warm-up song "Eye of the Tiger" which, you may not know, has a direct connection to Coach Klumper. It got the players and Klumper very pumped-up for the game. The video is below and will not work at School since it is YouTube.

The C Game

BV 35, Patrick Henry 20
(Wire Reports from Matt Reese)

(Brandon, SD)--Leading Scorers: Forrest Hanisch 9, Dylan Tibke 7, Nick Wilde 6
Free throws (team) 6 for 10
P-H attempted to slow the pace of the game to a crawl by employing an attempt at the Princeton offense. The C-team was not phased by this attempt to set basketball back 30 years, and with the help of swarming defense and much improved free throw shooting were able to over come a slowed pace to emerge victorious. In a total team effort each player contributed with solid defense, timely rebounding, and solid shooting.

The D Game

BV 47, Patrick Henry 9
(Wire Reports from Matt Reese)

(Brandon, SD)--Leading Scorers: Jack McCann 12, Sawyer Barth 8, Derek Bose 6 (and four others with at least 4 points)
Free throws (team) 3 for 11
The BV D-team dominated from the tip racing out to a 17-2 lead and never looking back. Sawyer Barth started the first quarter run by hitting consecutive 3's and the rout was on. Nine of eleven players scored for the night. The D-teamers hustled all night, diving for loose balls, scrapping for rebounds, and fast breaking at every opportunity. P-H was drastically over matched and BV called off the dogs in the fourth quarter and coasted to the victory.


On a side note, this may have been the best managed game of the year by the Lynx managers. My hat goes off to their stellar performance. They have been very consistant all year and do a great job.

Sioux Falls Rocky

Great Week in BVMS History: 8th Graders go 10-1, put stamp on the Record Books

To all my avid readers, I apologize for the tardiness of the game summaries from our previous games. Having three games in a row makes it difficult to keep up with Lynx Hoops. Thank you for your understanding. I appreciate your readership.

The A Team:

BV 53, Memorial 48

(Brandon, SD)-- The BV Lynx A team faced three tough opponents last week. The Lynx faced Memorial Middle School, Yankton, and Edison Middle School in three straight days. Three games in three days may make things difficult for some teams, but not for these Lynx who are starting to find their stride offensively and defensively. Despite the challenging opponents, the A won all three games, usuing strong defense and teammwork that has really come around. In game one of the week, the Lynx defeated the previous #1 ranked school in Sioux Falls Memorial Mustangs 53-48 behind the sizzling shooting from the Lynx guards. The lynx hit nine 3-pointers in the game, setting a school record. Leading the 3-point barage was Trevor Tobin, making 4 out of 33 attempts. Tobin credits his big night to some adjustments he made during warm-ups: "I knew I had to 'play the wind.' It was just a matter of aiming a little to the left. I knew the wind would bring it over." The Lynx played a steady game offensively and defensevly and would not be rattled by the poor attitudes of the Memorial Middle School players. The Lynx would not let the constant cheap shots and profanity get to them as they focused on their goal of winning. The Mustang did have great athletisicm, but nothing special compared to what the Lynx showed Wednesday night. Chase Marso led all scorers with 17 points. After the game, post player Jarad Bakker had this to say to coach Klumper, "Hey Mr. Klumper, did you get another picture of me touching the rim?" Klumper responded, "No."

BV 43, Yankton 33

(Brandon, SD)--Game two of the week for the A team was against ESD rival Yankton. The Lynx once again played team basketball and kept their focus on the game despite the huge Hot dog feast awaiting them after the game. A lesser-disiplined team would have let the sweet smell of hot dogs boiling in water distract them. Although assistant coach Klumper was eating hot dogs during the A game, the BV players still were able to keep focus on the action and on winning. Guard Luke Hyronimus almost gave in to the temptation, asking Klumper on several occasions if he could just have one bite. Said Hyronimus: "That hot dog looked really good. I just really wanted to eat one, or two." Klumper held his ground, "It was in the best interest of Mr. Hyronimus to not eat the hot dog. After all, he asked me for it while he was shooting free throws. I didn't want to take the risk of him getting ketchup on the basketball, especially since the basketball was brand new." Chase Marso pointed out, "The hot dog goes in the hot dog bun." As far as the game went, the A team did their customary routine of getting a big lead, then letting the other team come back. However, on this night, the Lynx were able to withstand the comeback efforts of the Bucks, holding on for a 43-33 win. Chase Marso and Trevor Tobin once again led the Lynx in scoring, tallying 10 points and 11 points, respectively. Nine of Tobin's eleven points came way of the three-ball.


BV 62, Edison Middle School 30

(Brandon, SD)--The finale of the week turned into a laugher as the Lynx pounded the Edison Whatever-they-are by thirty-two points. This game was unique for the Lynx players as Coach Bisbee had to be away, lowly assistant Klumper had to take the reigns. "I was pretty nervous. I know the guys don't like me very much, I wasn't sure if they would listen to me or not," said Klumper. "I wanted to impress the players so I looked up a bunch of plays on the internet and told the guys that I made them up. Don't tell them I didn't that." remarked Klumper. The new plays were not needed, though, as the Lynx used suffocating defense and precision offense to carve up the Edison Whatever-they-are all game long. "It was a lot of fun to watch. They played great," said a relieved coach Klumper. Chase Marso continued his pursuit of the season scoring record for an 8th grade with 21 points. Jarad Bakker also chipped in with his season-high 14 points. The game was getting slightly boring until Jacob Bruget almost got a technical foul and was nearly ejected from the game for aruging with the referee. Bruget was yelling at the ref that people are suppose to put two lines of ketchup on their hot dog, not one. Apparently Bruget was still thinking about the Hot dog Feed. The ref was not amused, screaming back during game-play, "I can put one line of ketchup on my hot dog if I want to!" Other notes: Nate Winter continued his steady season with 12 rebounds and 7 assists. "Winter has been very consistent all season in the post. His hard work and consistency is greatly appreciated," said Klumper after the game.



The A- Team (B team)

BV 52, Memorial Middle School 31

(Brandon, SD)-- The GOATS came into the week with an undefeated record, looking to add three more tallies in the win column. The Lynx knew all three games were definately winnable, but since the Lynx took over the #1 ranking in the state, they have had a bullseye on their back all year. "We get everybody's best effort," commented Trey Ethreim, "To our opponents, the chance to play us is like their Super Bowl." Marso was quick to point out, "The Super Bowl is football." Memorial came into this game with a lot of athletisicm and a lot of attitude. Memorial hung around until late in the second quarter when the GOATS started to open things up. Every member of the Lynx scored in the game, which shows the type of teammwork and balance that these Lynx have. The Lynx managed to hit the 50-point mark for the 8th straight game, a new single season record for any 8th grade BV team. "The record is pretty cool," said Hintz, "Almost as cool as I am." These Lynx are not focused on records, though. They have one-track minds: winning (and the hot dog feed after the Yankton game.) "All my guys care about is playing their best and playing together. That combination breeds wins, and they know it," said a pleased Klumper after the game. Leading the well balanced scoring attack for the Lynx was Philip Volk with 11, Garret Martinmaas with 9 and Thomas Gardner with 9.


BV 61, Yankton 24

(Brandon, SD)-- This game was a rematch from earlier in the season. When these two teams played early in the year, the GOATS were just kinda good. Now they are super good. With that being the case, there was a chacne things could get out of hand very quickly for the Yankton Bucks. The players could barely even hear Klumper's meaningless stories as both teams prepared for the showcase game of the night. As the ball was tossed in the air for the jump to start the game, the student section was as rowdy as ever. The A team players were especially enthusiastic, but their enthusiasm stemmed from the looming Hot Dog feed afterwards. At one point, as the crowd began to settle down, a very excited Trevor Tobin yelled at the top of his lungs: "I love hot dogs and I want to eat them." As the game got underway, the Yankton players looked like deer in head lights, as they knew at any moment the Lynx would spring from their "litter" and pummel the Bucks. It was quite the opposite, however, as the game was scoreless midway through the first quarter. The lynx got open shots whenever they wanted but the shots were just not falling. "I was not concerned with our lack of scoring in the first quarter, we were getting shots and I knew they would start to fall. Also, I had a new play to show the guys. We called it "new play" and I knew it would work great. I saw it in an NBA game. The T-Wolves ran it," said a winded Klumper as he tried to have the longest quote of the season. Klumper's confidence in his team proved to be justified as the GOATS unleashed the fury on the Bucks, taking a 15 point lead almost instantly. Philip Volk's weekend operation to add two more arms allowed him to get even more steals. "I was surprised to see Volk came back after the weekend with four arms, now he will get even more steals and will easily break the 8th grade steals record. Although there will be an asterick by the record since he has four arms now," said Klumper. The Bucks looked miserable as the GOATS attacked the ball handler in waves, completely overwhelming the guards. In fact, after the game two of the Yankton guards asked their coach if they could have a wrestling sign up sheet. The GOATS had broken the lead wide open, but did not play satisified. They played how they always play with a lead: looking for more. The one thing this team never does is start to relax with big leads. Even when the lead reaches 20 or 30 points, they continue to play as hard as they can. The action was stopped momentarily in the third quarter, however, as the ref saw blood on the jersey of Jacob Mulder. Actually, Mulder snuck over to the Hot Dog feed during halftime and polished off 3 hot dogs with extra ketchup. The red substance on his jersey was not blood. It was ketchup that had spilled all over. "Yeah, I can't say I'm surprised, Jacob really loves hot dogs. I could tell he was just itching to get over to the Feed," said a relaxed Klumper. The Lynx finished out the game in true GOATS fashion, hitting the 60 point mark for the first time all year. "It was a great game, they played very well. Everybody scored for the second game in a row. Up and down the roster, everybody played hard," said Klumper. Leading scorers for the Lynx was Philip Volk with 15, Jared Mulder with 9, and Adam Guthmiller with 8. Klumper tried to give a post-game speech, but as the buzzer sounded, his players had disappeared-the Hot Dog Feed had finally arrived. Chase Marso pointed out after the game that "Four plus three plus four equals eleven."

BV 51, Edison Middle School 30

(Brandon, SD)--Total Domination.

The C Team

BV 40, Memorial 35
BV 40, Memorial 24
BV 41, Yankton 17

(Brandon, SD)--The Lynx came out and dominated the Yankton Bucks right fromt he tip-off. The combination of fast break and in-your-face defense was too much for the unprepared Bucks. Dylan Tibke and Harlan Smouse led the game in scoring with 8 and 7 points, respectively.

BV 42, Edison 32

(Sioux Falls, SD)--
Leading Scorers: Cole Hensley 10, Forrest Hanisch 9, Dylan Tibke 6, and Spencer Smith 5
Shot 7 for 24 from the free-throw line (29%)
The C team never trailed during the game; the guys rebounded well and played great help defense.

BV 29, Edison 30

(Sioux Falls, SD)--
Leading Scorers: Andy Waterfall 6, Zach Flannigan 6, Jack McCann 4, and Dylan Kasma 4.
It was a tight game that went back and forth the entire time. Edison scored the go-ahead basket with 4 seconds to go. We got off a last second shot, but it clanged off of the back of the rim.

Hot Dog Feed Highlights BV Sweep of Yankton

(Brandon, SD)-- Due to overconsumption of probably the finest hotdogs ever made in boiling water, there will be a slight delay in game summaries for this week.

Thursday, Feb. 19th:
A Game: BV 43, Yankton 33
A- Game: BV 61, Yankton 24
C Game: BV 41, Yankton 17


Wednesday, Feb. 18th:
A Game: BV 53, Memorial Middle School 48
A- Game: BV 52, Memorial Middle School 31
C Game: BV 40, Memorial Middle School 35
D Game: BV 40, Memorial Middle School 24

BV B and D Teams Victorious, A and C Fall to O'Gorman

A Game: BV 42, O'Gorman 47

(Sioux Falls, SD)-- The opening game in the Sioux Falls league saw high intensity action between Brandon Valley and the Knights of O'Gorman. The action was back and forth throughout the entire first half. As has been the case all year for the Lynx, inconsistency plagued them early on. The Lynx would break out into the lead, only to see the Knights come marching back. For the Knights, #3 gave BV fits all first quarter long. An ingenious coaching move by Coach Bisbee assigned Tony Tripp the task of shutting down #3. Tripp's defense put an end to any success the Knights sharp-shooter experienced in the first quarter. Tripp used his superior athleticism and toughness to make things miserable for the "could-explode-at-any-moment" #3. Coach Bisbee was pleased: "Tony did a great job shutting down there best player." On this occasion, the fans would see this game come down to the wire as neither team refused to quit in the third quarter and into the fourth. The Lynx found themselves behind by 6 to 8 points most of the way through the fourth quarter. Trevor Tobin, who struggled in the first half shooting the ball, kept his confidence and hit a big three with under a minute to play to tie the game. "That shot was huge!" exclaimed a exhilarated Bisbee. The coaches never lost faith in Tobin's ability to hit the big three. Bisbee also added, "I just knew he was going to hit a big shot eventually, I never doubted it for a second." In fact, when Tobin hit the momentum-changing three-pointer, Bisbee was so excited he turned to his assistant, Coach Klumper, and punched him in the shoulder, exclaiming "I knew it! I knew it!" Klumper's shoulder went numb, as if it had been injected with 7 syringes of Novocaine. Holding back the tears, Klumper, displaying the toughness of a 6 year old girl, remained on the bench for the remainder of the A game. After Tobin's big shot, O'G came down the floor and turned the ball over, which led to Chase Marso putting in a bucket to give the Lynx a two point lead and all the momentum in the world. O'G, down by two with the ball, could not muster up any half-way decent shot resulting in the Lynx taking over, seemingly in control of the game. It would come down to free throws for these ferocious felines. The Lynx stepped to the line, up by two, with 10 seconds remaining in the game, with a chance to ice the game. Two misses later, the Knights charged down the court and tossed up and made a miracle shot at the buzzer to tie. Overtime was needed on this afternoon to decide a very tough fought battle. In the overtime period, the Lynx got off to a slow start, allowing the Knights to build a sizable lead. That proved to be costly, especially in an overtime that is only two minutes long to begin with. The Knights managed to control the game and come away with the victory. For the Lynx, the loss was bitter. Free throws proved to be the undoing of a sure-thing victory. In the fourth quarter alone, the Lynx shot 4 out of 11 from the charity stripe. Despite the loss, a few Lynx turned in impressive performances. Other than Tripp's stifling defense, Chase Marso tallied a game high and season high 20 points. Marso got his 20 by dead-eye shooting from the three-point arc and penetrating moves to the basket. The Lynx will have a week off as parent/teacher conferences begin for Brandon Valley. They better get their rest, however, as they try to get back on the winning track when they play three games in three days on Feb. 18, 19, 20. All homes games, by the way. The Lynx fall to 4-3 on the season.



A- Game: BV 39, O'Gorman 29

(Sioux Falls, SD)-- The finale of the night on the campus of O'Gorman saw undefeated Brandon Valley, 6-0, facing off against the undefeated O'Gorman Knights, 17-0. The student section, decked out in their khakis pants and blue polo shirts, were ready to see their Knights slay the Fire-Breathing Lynx. Through some cunning scouting by coach Klumper during warm-ups, the Lynx learned that O'G pummeled Yankton by 20 earlier in the season. "It was actually pretty easy," said Klumper about the scouting, "I just asked some kid what their record was and who they have played." As the game got underway, coach Klumper took his spot on the bench with his arm in a sling from the earlier mishap (a.k.a punch). Phillip Volk was inspired by the display of courage from his coach: "I have never been so inspired as I was when I saw Coach Klumper get back from the ER and take his spot on the bench with us, a truly memorable moment in the history of my life." After hearing the quote, Klumper responded, "Thanks Phillip. You can be a starter for this game for saying that." The pre-game speech was all business, as Klumper knew that the Lynx could not take O'G for granted. "I knew these Knights were not going to show us any 'chivalry' tonight. I knew their 'armor' would be tough, their swords would be sharpened and their thirst for victory overflowing." Trey Ethreim responded, "What is he talking about?" The first half was all the game was cracked up to be, as the half-time score was 21-18 in favor of the Lynx. For BV, turnovers proved costly as they began to pile up in their high-paced style. Always looking to fast break, the Lynx came up against a team that could almost stick with them, causing bad passes and mis-handles. Klumper decided to scale back the attack and actually run some offense. "I knew we could dominate them in the paint. They simply let us get it in the post and from there, Garrett Martinmaas, Adam Guthmiller, Thomas Gardner and Zach Van Ede just dominated King Arthur and Lancelot," explained Klumper, using another cheesy reference of real knights. Ethriem again chimed in, "He basically is the only one that laughs at his jokes." As always, the defense of the Lynx was outstanding all game long. The most consistent thing for the Lynx during their seven game winning streak is their effort and defense. They need to keep that ball rolling as they begin to face tough opponent after tough opponent. The Lynx began to pull away in the second half, using solid free-throw shooting to keep the Knights from catching up. Unlike the A team, the GOATS dominated the free throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting 11 out of 12 from the line. Tom Gardner had ice water running through his veins as he did not miss a free throw the entire game. Garrett Martinmaas also hit big free throws as the Lynx won their seventh game of the year, improving to 7-0. Leading the Lynx in scoring was Martinmaas with 13 and Jared Mulder with 8. "It was a good test for us tonight," quipped Klumper, "It was good to face a quality team and to see where we stack up. We definitely passed the test tonight and anxiously await our next opponent."

C Game: BV 48, O'Gorman 51
(Wire Reports from Coach Reese)

(Brandon, SD)--High scorers were: Kain Koepp with 13, Forrest Hanisch with 11, and Dylan Tibke with 9. We shot 6 for 20 from the free-throw line. The theme from the first half for us was inconsistent play and too many unforced errors on our part. The kids got things together and played much better in the 2nd half. We were down by 8 at half-time and the guys chipped away at the lead, and we actually took the lead late in the 4th quarter. We traded free throws at the end and they forced over time. Kain had some nice steals that he took coast to coast, Forrest Hanisch played good defense on their leading scorer, Spencer Smith had a nice 3 point play, the kids did a nice job of feeding the post, and overall the team played very hard. In the end we missed too many free throws and too many layups.

D Game: BV 41, O'Gorman 16
(Wire reports from Coach Reese)

(Brandon, SD)--High Scorers were: Nick Wilde with 10 points, Zach Flannigan with 6 points, and Dylan Kasma with 6 pts. 10 of 11 players scored. The theme for the game was run, run, run. We ran out to an early lead and kept running all game long. We were up 23 to 5 at half time. The kids played good defense, we had multiple steals, and the kids ran the floor fairly well. Nick Wilde displayed solid skills finishing from both sides of the basket with either hand. Flannigan and Kasma played well down low. Overall the team played well as a group.

BV Can't Dull the Arrows, drop 2 out of 3

A Game: BV 41, Watertown 46

(Brandon, SD)--In a match up to decide who would take over first place in the ESD conference, the sharp arrows of Watertown proved too much for the dull fangs of Brandon Valley. The fans got their money's worth, however, as excitement was the name of the game at Brandon Valley Middle School. The Lynx came out strong, opening a sizable lead midway through the first quarter. As they did all night, Watertown responded, shooting their way back into. Again, in the second quarter, BV went on another run, opening up a double digit lead. Lead by the volatile #10, Watertown again climbed its way back, tieing the game at half time. "It was a game of runs. We would go on a run, then they would answer," stated Coach Bisbee. Consistency was the name of the game for the Lynx in the second half, since that was totally lacking in the first half. Again, each team went on runs, as the back and forth action reached a feverish level. "We played hard, I will say that, we simply turned the ball over too many times," said Bisbee. In the second half, the normally lethal Trevor Tobin couldn't seem to find his shooting touch, as two of his shots went way right, missing everything. "Yeah, there was a stiff cross breeze in the gym tonight. It kept blowing my shot to the right," said Tobin. Chase Marso was quick to point out, "It was not windy. There is a roof on this gym." A rather heated exchange between Tobin and Marso ensued, each arguing their point of whether it was windy or not in the gym. Coach Klumper had to step in once the argument reached who could text message faster. "I had to step in, it was getting pretty ridiculous," said a relieved Klumper. The fourth quarter saw two teams desperately fighting for the victory. In the end, it was the Arrows who outlasted the pressure defense of the Lynx, holding on for a 6 point victory. Marso led BV in scoring with 10. Tony Tripp and Adam Bauer each had 9, respectively. The Lynx will travel to Sioux Falls to face undefeated O'Gorman in the opening game of the Sioux Falls League.




A- Game: BV 53, Watertown 26

(Brandon, SD)-- In the most anticipated game of the year for the GOATS, BV showed why they are in first place in the ESD conference. Before the game started, players, coaches, and fans were treated to a very special performance by Trevor Tobin singing the National Anthem. "I thought he did a great job singing," said Klumper, "however, he missed a few notes in the middle and sounded a little pitchy towards the end." Tobin was satisfied with his performance, however: "It felt good. I have a passion for singing that is unparalleled by anything else, though the wind carried my voice a little bit, I think."
The first half saw close action, both teams finding success offensively. The Lynx found themselves in unfamiliar territory--a close game. They had to dig in and rise to the occasion as the Watertown Arrows would not back down. The Lynx played their style of basketball as usual, but Watertown had some kids that could play as well. At the half, the score was 21- 18, Lynx holding a slight advantage. A half-time speech that was without jokes, emphasized the need to play even harder. The Lynx came out for the second half with a different strategy for the pesky Arrows. The Lynx employed a trapping style of defense that gave the Arrows fits all third quarter. Rarely did the Arrows even get the ball inside the three-point line before a BV steal would be going the other way for a fast break lay-up. The defensive pressure applied to Watertown was the most intense it has been all year. On one occasion, the Lynx were fast-breaking led by Jared Mulder, who spied a wide open Garrett Martinmaas under the basket. Mulder hit Martinmaas with a pass that went through the defender's legs. The crowd went wild with excitement. Girls were screaming as Mulder ran past the crowd, waving to his adoring fans. "Our guys just flew around the court. They trapped Watertown everyone. It was an impressive display of defense," commented Coach Klumper. The defense of the Lynx broke the game wide open in the third quarter and the Lynx did not look back, finishing the game with an exclamation point. They totally dominated the second half. "Everybody played awesome. Their effort was exactly what I was looking for. The game went as I expected it to go," complimented Coach Klumper. Watertown only scored 8 points in the entire second half. Leading the scoring for the Lynx was Jacob Mulder with 11 and Garret Martinmaas with 8. Coach Klumper tried to do something new for this game as he had the mangers try to keep track of steals, assists, and rebounds. "We were trying to get detailed statistics. However, we continued to get so many steals, assists, and rebounds that the pencils wore out and we could not keep up," stated Klumper. Final Statistic line for Team totals: Points: 53, Steals: A LOT, Assists: At least 30, Rebounds: All of Them. The Lynx continued their offensive explosion, reaching the fifty-point mark for the 6th straight game. For Klumper, it was a game of vindication as Watertown beat Klumper in his middle school coaching debut two years ago, 61-6. (despite the large margin of victory, Watertown continued to full court press into the fourth quarter, something that Klumper has not forgotten). "I absolutely love beating Watertown," stated Klumper. The Lynx will face a tough opponent, as they travel to O'Gorman on Friday for a clash of the two most prominent programs in the State.


C Game: BV 40, Watertown 46

Brandon, SD)--The Lynx put their undefeated record on the line against the equally talented Waterown Arrows Tuesday night at Brandon Valley Middle School. In an exciting game from start to finish, Watertown defeated the Lynx by 6 points. The first half was a display of two evenly matched teams fighting hard for the upper hand. Cole Hensley did a great job of pushing the ball up the court, forcing the action, and scoring lay-ups. Kain Koepp controlled the board for the Lynx in the first half. Dylan "The Kaz Man" Kasma displayed strength that is unmatched in 8th grade anywhere in the tri-state region as his defense overwhelmed and frustrated the Arrows. "Dylan did a great job playing defense and going after loose balls," said Klumper, "I was really impressed with his effort." Kasma is no stranger to playing defense, however, as he was unblockable last fall in football. The exciting first half ended with the Arrows holding a slight lead. During half-time, as the Lynx were preparing their second half strategy in the locker room, Trevor Tobin put on a shooting showcase that "wow-ed" the audience and left Bisbee and Klumper wondering where this was during the game. "Mr. Marso asked me if I would do the half-time show for the C game and I was like, 'sure, I'll go out and swish some turn around jumpers, no problem,'" said a giddy Tobin.
As the second half got underway, the Watertown Arrows began to build a sizable lead. However, the feisty Lynx would not go away quietly, storming back in the fourth quarter. The comeback was led by the guard tandem of Forrest Hanisch and Hensley scoring, Kain Koepp getting rebounds and Dylan Kasma getting steals. It was a very exciting turn around for the Lynx, as they came back to cut the deficit from 15 points to only 6 towards the end of the fourth quarter.
With a little under a minute to play, Watertown hit a big three-pointer. Hensley answered with a layup but the Arrows again came up with a bucket on their end. The Lynx turned the ball over with thirteen seconds to go in the game, sealing the victory for the Arrows. Despite the loss, the Lynx did a great job not giving up and continuing to play hard all the way to the end. Kain Koepp led all scorers with 11, while Hanisch chipped in 9. The Lynx will open the Sioux Falls League Friday night at Brandon Valley Middle School.

Important Notice: Due to the format of the Sioux Falls league, I will not be able to watch the C and D games because the A and B teams will be playing at the same time at a different location. As a result, the game write-ups will be shortened due to the fact I will not be able to witness the games.)