Friday night saw a matchup of two teams having different results heading into the DVII Elida District Boys Sectional Semifinal at Miller City. #8 seed Continental came in with a 2 game winning streak having beaten Holgate in the regular season final and #7 seed Cory Rawson in the Sectional Semifinal. #1 seed Miller City had a bye to the Sectional finals and had closed the season with a loss to Columbus Grove and had a 2-3 record in their last 5 games.
The recent past was no indicator of the present as the Wildcats had no struggles against the Pirates at the start. It was all Wildcats after the tipoff as they started the scoring with a pair of free throws and then went 4-5 from 3 point land. When the dust settled the Wildcats had put in the first 22 points of the game before Junior Monty Rayle put the Pirates on the board with a basket. Wildcats 22-2. The teams played even the rest of the quarter as the Wildcats would get a free throw and basket while the Pirates Rayle would hit a 3. 25-5 Wildcats after 1.
The second quarter was even as both teams scored 7 with the majority of the points coming from the foul line. The Wildcats were 3-8 from the line and added 2 baskets while the Pirates Junior Brady Thomsen went 5-6 from the line and Rayle added a basket. Wildcats 32-12 at half.
The Wildcats added 23 to their total in the third going 3-4 on converting the free throw on 3 point plays and shooting 7-10 from the line. The Pirates would add 14 to their total with Thomsen making 3 baskets, Rayle 2 free throws and a basket, Sophomore Collin Hammond going 2-2 from the line and Junior Tyson Clementz making a basket. 55-26 Wildcats after 3.
A close 4th went the Wildcat way as they put in 15 points to the Pirates 13. Junior Quinn Tegenkamp opened up the Pirate scoring with a 3 while Thomsen and Clementz both made a pair of baskets and Rayle made a single basket. Wildcats 70-39 final.
Brady Thomsen led the Pirates with 15 points. Monty Rayle added 13 points. Tyson Clementz put in 6. Quinn Tegenkamp scored 3 and Collin Hammond put in 2. Rayle and Tegenkamp both made one 3 pointer. The Wildcats made five 3s. The Pirates were 9-13 from the line while the Wildcats were 13-24.
Continental closes the season out at 3-20. Miller City improves to 17-6 and will play #2 seed Ottoville on Thursday at Elida in a DVII District Semifinal. Ottoville advanced by defeating #5 seed Leipsic 50-47 in overtime. #3 seed Kalida will play #4 seed Fort Jennings in the other District Semifinal. Kalida advanced on with a win over #9 seed Holgate 57-30. Fort Jennings defeated #6 seed Pandora Gilboa 69-56.
This marks the end of the 2024-25 season for the Pirates Boys Basketball. Congratulation to the team on a well played season and to Coach Keck and staff.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
