On Saturday Continental High played host the Northwest Conference leader and Putnam County League rival Columbus Grove for the Pirates Homecoming game. After completing the Homecoming festivities with Konnor Okuley being crowned King and Brooke Davis Queen the Pirates and Bulldogs tangled in a game the was close at half but was all Bulldogs in the second half. Columbus Grove opened up the scoring by hitting a 3 which was followed by Pirate Reed Warnement hitting a 2. A pair of Bulldog baskets was followed by Pirate Mitchell Coleman hitting a 3 to make it 7-5 Bulldogs. A pair of Bulldog baskets was again followed with a Coleman 3 to make it 11-8 Bulldogs. The Bulldogs would put in the last 4 points of the quarter. Bulldogs 15, Pirates 8 after 1.
The Bulldogs opened up the second quarter with a 3 point play which was followed by a Warnement 2. Pirate Taron Bulter followed a Bulldog basket with a 3 to make it a 7 point game. Bulldogs 20, Pirates 13. The Pirates reduced the Bulldog lead by 2 when a Coleman 3 and a Andrew Hoeffel free throw followed a Bulldog basket. The Pirates would cut the Bulldog lead to 3 as they followed up a Bulldog basket with a pair of baskets by Warnement and Gavin Huff. A 3 by the Bulldogs just before the buzzer left the halftime score at Bulldogs 27, Pirates 21.
After watching the Elementary Pirate boys play at halftime it was the Pirates who got on the board first in the second half when Huff made a basket to make it a 4 point game Bulldogs 27, Pirates 23. A 16 point Bulldog run made it a 20 point game. A basket by Coleman stopped the run and was followed by a Huff basket to make it Bulldogs 43, Pirates 27. The Bulldogs would have a 5 point run which was stopped when Warnement made a basket. A Bulldog free throw would finish up the third quarter scoring. Bulldogs 49, Pirates 29 after 3.
The fourth quarter went the Bulldogs way as the outscored the Pirates 19-12. Bulldogs 68, Pirates 41 final.
Mitchell Coleman and Reed Warnement both had 12 points to lead the Pirates. Gavin Huff had 6 points, Taron Butler and Zach Moran 3 each, Gannon Prowant and Noah Becher 2 each, Andrew Hoeffel 1. Coleman hit 3 three-pointers while Butler and Moran both made 1.
Continental falls to 2-14 (1-3 PCL) and will host Wayne Trace on Tuesday in a rescheduled game from last week. Columbus Grove is now 12-4 (4-1 PCL).
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
