Junior High Tigers play fiercely to a packed gym
Nick Ianniello/Mineral Independent Superior Bobcat Vincente Guerro sneaks past St. Regis Tiger Andrew Managhan during a junior high basketball game in Superior Friday evening. The Bobcats and Tigers played two games, with the Tigers coming out on top in each.
The St. Regis Tigers Junior High School Basketball Team came out on top in a face-off against the Superior Bobcats Junior High School Basketball Team Friday night in two fiercely competitive games with the gym packed nearly to standing room by parents and fans.
The first game of the evening started off with the Tigers and Bobcats neck and neck at 2-2 early in the first quarter. Tiger Dallas Lewis gave the Tigers a lead with a two-point shot, but Bobcat Josh Benda answered with a foul shot and a two-pointer at the buzzer that put the Bobcats in the lead at 5-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Benda and Vincente Guerrero each scored once for the Bobcats in the second quarter. However the Tigers rallied six points when Shad Rich, Britt Ramsey and David Shadley dropped a basket each and put the Tigers in the lead 10-9 in the first half.
Coming into the third quarter the Tigers got aggressive and outscored the Bobcats 6-2 with Rich, Ramsey and Spur Hill all scoring baskets. Bobcat matt Zylawy dropped the only Bobcats basket of the third quarter.
The Bobcats made a strong attempt to come back in the fourth quarter with Zylawy scoring twice and Benda scoring once. However, the Tigers scored twice as well and kept the Bobcats from overcoming them in their 20-17 victory.
Even more parents and fans squeezed into the limited seating at the Superior Elementary Gymnasium for the second game of the evening, which proved to be even closer and more exciting than the first.
Both the Bobcats and the Tigers came into the second game with guns blazing, playing strong defensively and offensively. Each team scored twice, with Bobcat Cody Schrock tying up the score at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was just as competitive as the first with Bobcat Anthony Parkin scoring once and Bobcat Tucker Smith scoring twice. Tigers Keenan Ewalt, Jarrod Tippens and Ramsey each scored in the second quarter and the Tigers and Bobcats were tied 10-10 in the first half of the game.
In the third quarter the Tigers took a lead over the Bobcats with a basket from Rich.
While the Bobcats did their best to keep up in the fourth quarter, the Tigers took a commanding lead with baskets from Ewalt, Tippens and Shadley and finished out the game ahead 24-21.
The games are early in the season, and both coaches said that they expect to see some great things from their players as the season wears on.