Friday night was Senior night for the Kalida High Boys Basketball team and following the ceremony they came out ready to play. The first half was all Wildcats as the Pirates struggled to put the ball in hoop while the Wildcats converted on almost every possession. The Wildcats opened up the scoring by hitting a 2 and a 3 for a 5-0 lead. Gavin Huff put the Pirates on with a basket but the Wildcats followed that up with a 3. Wildcats 8-2. Andrew Hoeffel made a free throw to make it 8-3. A 3 by the Wildcats was followed by a Konnor Knipp Williams baskets 11-5 Wildcats. A 7 point run by the Wildcats put them up by double digits 18-5. A Knipp Williams basket would make it 18-7 but the Wildcats would make 2 more baskets for a 22-7 lead after 1.
The teams opened up the second quarter by each hitting a basket with Huff converting for the Pirates. 24-9 Wildcats. A Wildcat basket was followed by a Huff free throw 26-10. The Wildcats would then score 11 of the last 13 points of the half, including a buzzer beating basket, to take a 37-12 lead into the locker room. Alex Sharrits put in the Pirate basket to close out the Pirate scoring in the half. The Wildcats hit six 3s in the half.
The Wildcat scoring pace almost came to a stop in the second half as they only put in 9 points. In the third quarter the Wildcats put in 7 points while the Pirates got a 3 from Carson Etter. Wildcats 44-15 after 3. Pirates outscored the Wildcats 6-2 in the final quarter getting a basket and a pair of free throws from Rhenn Armey and a basket from Sharrits. Wildcats 46-21 final.
Gavin Huff led the Pirates with 5 points while Rhenn Armey, Konnor Knipp Williams, and Alex Sharrits all had 4. Carson Etter had 3, Andrew Hoeffel 1. Etter made the only 3 for the Pirates while the Wildcats put in 6.
Continental falls to 6-14 (1-5 PCL) and will host Holgate on Saturday night. Kalida improves to 9-11 (4-3 PCL).
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
