Superior Bobccat boys claim critical win
<p>Superior Bobcat Jarrod Tippens had a huge 26-point game against Arlee Friday.</p>
SUPERIOR - A post-season like energy was felt throughout the Superior High School Gym on Friday night when the Arlee Warriors came to town to face off against the boys basketball squad.
According to Superior Bobcat Head Coach Chris Toivonen, Arlee had some transfers to the school that propelled the team to “a very high level.”
“They are a fantastic team,” Coach Toivonen said. “Our kids wanted to defend our home court and play well against the team that everyone seems to be talking about.”
The Warriors began the game showing why they were highly regarded, coming out running in the first quarter and building a 23-13 lead over the Bobcats.
Superior rose to the challenge in the second, outscoring Arlee 14-9 to deficit to five-points at halftime.
The third went back and forth as the energetic crowd cheered wildly – willing the Bobcats towards victory. Whether it was the crowd or the increased intensity of Superior, the end result was the Bobcats being down only two possessions going into the fourth and final quarter.
In a frenzy of action, the Bobcats began to build momentum led by the efforts of the two big men – Clint Voll and Jarrod Tippens.
As the game wound down and the two teams traded blows on the scoreboard, an Arlee player head-butted Tippens several times before receiving a technical foul.
Tippens, with a smile on his face, looked towards the student section of Superior and pointed to his head before draining both free-throws. “The kids did a good job of staying calm while continuing to play hard through some of the extra curricular stuff that was happening,” Coach Toivonen said. “Staying together is something we talk about a lot, so I was proud of them for that.”
Momentum came with the two made free-throws and coupled with an offensive burst from Voll, who scored nine-points in the fourth, and a switch to man defense – the Bobcats claimed a critical conference victory.
The victory came only a day after news that senior Adam Kay would miss the season with an ACL injury and Coach Toivonen said that several players stepped up to fill the void.
“Bill Smith played an outstanding game with 7 assists and a commanding floor presence,” Coach Toivonen said. “Clint Voll was huge with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Jarrod Tippens played his best defensive game while delivering 26 points. Tucker Smith did an outstanding job defensively with 5 steals and on the offensive end with his pin point post feeds. Zach Benda was once again a huge difference maker on defense. Wyatt Zylawy came up with some big plays for us, and Tanner Smith was solid on both ends of the floor.”
The Bobcats won 69-59 and although they are banged up, Coach Toivonen said there goals remain the same.
“The group we have right now is different than what we anticipated having at this point in the year,” Coach Toivonen said. “While we might not have a full stable of kids, the boys that are able to play are great kids who will battle tooth and nail to achieve success. Because of their commitment and talent, our goals remain unchanged. From a personal standpoint, l am extremely lucky to coach such great young men.”