A great atmosphere set the stage Saturday night as Continental High Boys Basketball traveled to Holgate for a regular, season ending, non league game. Entertainment was a plenty. Holgate recognized their seniors but that was just a small portion of the entertainment. Between halves Continental and Holgate 2nd and 3rd grade boys teams scrimmaged. But taking the show had to be the singing of the National Anthem by the Holgate Class of 2037 (Kindergarten). A large crowd quieted as the Tiger youth belted out the Star Spangled Banner. Then came the game.
Holgate opened up the game with a basket to take a quick 2-0 lead. An 8 point Pirate run fueled by 3s from Monty Rayle and Quinn Tegenkamp put the Pirates up for good 8-2. A basket and foul shot by the Tigers put the score 8-5 after 1 quarter. A Rayle 3 pushed the Pirate lead to to 11-5. A Tiger basket make it 11-7. A 5 point Pirate run pushed their lead to 9 as Brady Thomsen made a basket and free throw and Collin Hammond a basket. Pirates 16-7. The Tigers would answer with a 3 and 2 to make it a 4 point game 16-12. The quarter scoring ended with Rayle extending to make a finger tip catch and finish off with a layup. Pirates 18-12 going into the locker room.
The Tigers opened up the second half with a basket which Tyson Clementz matched. A pair of baskets by the Tigers made it a 2 point game Pirates 20-18. Thomsen and Hammond would make baskets for the Pirates to finish off the third quarter scoring. Pirates 24-18 after 3. The Tigers would make it a 4 point game with a basket. Tegenkamp would go 2-2 from the line to push the Pirates lead back to 6, 26-20. A 3 by the Tigers would cut the Pirates lead to 3 26-23. Tegenkamp would make a basket to make it a 5 point game 28-25. Another 3 by the Tigers and we had a 2 point game 28-26 Pirates. Hammond would make a basket for the Pirates to make it 30-26. The Tigers would make it a 1 possession game with a free throw, Pirates 30-27. Tegenkmap would seal the deal for the Pirates by making a free throw to put the Pirates up by 4. Pirates 31-27 final.
Monty Rayle led the Pirates with a game high 10 points. Quinn Tegenkamp scored 8 points. Collin Hammond put in 6. Brady Thomsen had 5 and Tyson Clementz 2. Continental made three 3s (Rayle 2 and Tegenkamp 1) while the Tigers put in 3. The Pirates were 4-8 from the line while the Tigers were 2-6.
Continental improves to 2-19 and will travel to Cory Rawson on Tuesday for a OHSAA DVII Elida Disrtict Sectional Semifinal. Holgate falls to 0-21.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
