When looking at the box score in the ADM boys’ victory over Boone on Friday, December 14th, it would be easy to simply see that Logan Essy had 23 points and Ben Larson had 20 and conclude that the two carried their Tiger teammates to a win. However if you saw or heard the game on 107.9, K-107, you undoubtedly know that not only were there a number of unsung heroes helping start and sustain the run that eliminated Boone’s double-digit lead, and then helping the Tigers come away with the win late.
In the first half Essy was certainly critical in allowing the Tigers to claw back into the game, but so was Robbie Sloss’ four points including going 4 of 5 from the foul line. Andrew Kollenkark came up with the ball all three times when Boone turned the ball over on three out of four possessions. And no points were more acrobatic in the game than Jonathan Reel’s 2-point field goal in the closing seconds of the half to bring the ADM crowd to their feet as they trailed by just four going into the locker room.
Of course Larson was a big part of the comeback, scoring 17 points in the second half, but again he was guided by a number of players that weren’t putting up the points that Larson was. Jackson VerWoert came down with several clutch rebounds in the game as did senior Blake Heimann and Grant Goeden, though the three of them combined for just two points on the scoreboard.
After the victory head coach Aaron Mager noted that it was the best that his squad had played as a team in the 2012-2013 season and stated that that’s the kind of basketball ADM can put on the court when the athletes stick to their assignments and play the game they were put onto the floor to play.
ADM hosts Dallas Center-Grimes on Tuesday, December 18th, and that game will follow the girls’ game on 107.9, K-107.