The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Dutchmen fall short in upset bid
Pair of 7-0 runs lift defending champs past Manchester
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 17, 2008
A slow start to each half prevented the Manchester varsity boys' basketball team from posting consecutive wins for the first time this season.
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Despite another strong offensive performance from Justin Welton, the Flying Dutchmen fell short in a 56-42 loss to the Hanover-Horton Comets in a Cascades Conference game Jan. 11 before a raucous crowd at Hanover-Horton High School.
Manchester (2-7, 2-3 Cascades) fell into a 15-point hole in the first half, but pulled to within 11 by the break. Hanover-Horton (6-1, 4-1 Cascades) opened the second half with a 14-4 run, and then held off another Dutchmen rally in the fourth quarter.
The defending Cascades champion Comets entered the game off of a loss to Michigan Center Jan. 8. With the standing-room-only crowd roaring, Hanover raced to a 12-1 lead in the first six minutes.
Nick Schaefer and Ken Warren combined to score the first eight points, then Kyle Ames' inside basket made it 12-1. Welton gave Manchester its first field goal on a three-pointer with 1:42 left in the frame, then converted a traditional three-point play seconds later, making it 14-7.
The Comets answered with an 11-3 run, capped by Alex Harris' inside basket early in the second quarter, giving Hanover a 25-10 lead.
"It's always fun to play here, but you have to be ready to go," Manchester coach Bryan Barnard said. "If you don't match their intensity, that makes it tough."
The teams exchanged scores until the Dutchmen inched their way back into the game late in the half. Trailing by 15, Manchester got an inside basket and layup by Randy Kleinschmidt and a free throw by Sam Hatt, cutting the deficit to 10. Warren answered by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 14 seconds left, giving the Comets a 32-21 lead at halftime.
"We talked about weathering the storm, and Hanover was at high speed right off the bat," Barnard said. "All their points came in the paint and we didn't box out well. You can't give a team like that easy stuff."
Hanover-Horton grabbed the momentum again after the break, opening the third quarter with seven straight points. Kleinschmidt answered with a jumper and Welton scored a layup off a steal midway through the frame, pulling Manchester to within 39-25, but the Comets put together another 7-0 run to close the quarter.
Schaefer buried a missile to start the run, then a pair of free throws by Jacob Vincent and an inside basket by Warren gave Hanover a 46-25 lead entering the fourth.
"They jumped on us again and we didn't match their intensity and take care of the ball under pressure," Barnard said.
The Dutchmen didn't go quietly and opened the fourth quarter with a 12-1 run. Baskets by Jarod Sawyer and Sam Brown, followed by a traditional three-point play by Welton and jumper from Sawyer pulled Manchester to within 12 just two minutes into the frame. After a free throw by Warren, Sawyer tipped in an offensive rebound with three minutes remaining, making it 47-37.
"We started doubling up more," Barnard said. "You can't do that against Hanover the entire game, but we stuck with what was working."
Hanover pushed its lead back to 14 points, but Kleinschmidt scored off a steal and Welton canned a three-pointer with 1:44 remaining, pulling the Dutchmen to within 51-42, but two baskets by Harris in the final minute sealed the win for the Comets.
Welton finished with a game-high 19 points to lead Manchester. Kleinschmidt added 10 points, while Sawyer had six points. Corwin Every scored three points for the Dutchmen.
"The kids played hard and I commended them for their effort," Barnard said. "There were some things we just didn't do well enough."
Barnard also credited Logan Ross for providing the Dutchmen with strong defensive play.
Warren had 15 points to lead the Comets. Harris added 11 points, while Schaefer had nine points. Vincent finished with seven points for Hanover-Horton.
The Dutchmen return to action today when they host the Grass Lake Warriors for a Cascades Conference game. The teams split their two meetings last year, with each team winning on the road.
Dutchmen vs. Addison
A strong defensive effort and more trips to the free-throw line paid off for the Flying Dutchmen in a 47-36 victory over the Addison Panthers in a Cascades Conference game Jan. 8.
Manchester never trailed in the game, and carried a double-digit lead for long stretches. Addison fought back behind its three-point shooting, eventually pulling to within three late in the third quarter, but the Dutchmen outscored the Panthers 16-9 in the fourth to take the victory.
The Dutchmen held Addison to two points in the first quarter and carried a 21-11 lead into halftime. The Panthers entered the game with a highly touted inside game, but Manchester took away the paint throughout the first half.
"Our defense was tremendous in the first half," Manchester coach Bryan Barnard said. "We followed the game plan and I thought our energy was good."
The Panthers had better luck from behind the arc, hitting seven three-pointers in the game. After watching its lead shrink to three points, Manchester ignited the court in the fourth quarter with a run of its own.
Sawyer provided a highlight with four minutes remaining, throwing down a slam dunk that ignited the crowd.
"That got everyone excited and it carried us the rest of the way," Barnard said.
Unlike most of its games, the Dutchmen benefited from trips to the free-throw line. For the game, Manchester was 16-of-29 from the stripe, while Addison finished 1-of-6 on the night.
Sawyer recorded a double-double to lead Manchester, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Randy Kleinschmidt had nine points and four steals, while Welton scored nine points. Sam Brown had five points and seven rebounds. Corwin Every and Sam Hatt each scored three points, while Trevor Hanewald and Beau Kingsbury each added two points for the Dutchmen.
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