By Kate Fulk
A massive student section turned out to cheer the Trojan boys basketball team to a 56-41 victory over the Creston Panthers Monday night in the first round of district play.
After a couple of early 3s by junior Nick Podhajsky and sophomore Brendan Holmes, the Trojans extended the lead to 14-8 at the end of the first quarter.
A slow start to quarter two resulted in neither team scoring a point until the 2:20 mark, at which point the Panthers out-scored the Trojans 7-2. Heading into halftime, the Trojans clung to a 16-15 lead.
Coming out of halftime, the Trojans hit some key baskets, but Creston matched them for a 20-20 score at 5:30. That was the closest the Panthers came to the Trojans all night, as the black and gold for sure came to play.
Early in quarter 4, the Panthers applied pressure. It took the Trojans a bit to settle back into the game. Panthers increased the fouling in a last ditch effort that wasn’t good enough. Free throws ultimately made the game, with an assertive final score of 56-41.
Junior Nick Podhajsky was a key player in Monday’s game. Hitting a couple 3s and few good drives to the basket and drawing fouls, he ended the game with 14 points.
Another key player was point guard Joey Walker who ended the night with 9 points. He commented on the game “We knew we were going to have the advantage playing at home and the crowd was great. We played good defense, and it was a good team win.”
A highly energized student section, dressed in black and white, roared throughout the game. Freshman Garrett Franken tweeted on the crowd: “Great atmosphere tonight! Best be seeing you in doah #trojanpride.”
This proves a crowd matters and contributes to a team so come support the Trojans as they take on the Glenwood Rams Thursday night in the second round of district games at Shenandoah. Game time is 7 p.m.
