Trojans post first win at Anna inside two decades

BOTKINS — Visiting Botkins won for the first time since 2002 at Anna 60-43 in

Shelby County League boys basketball action Friday night.

“Anna is a tough place to play at, it was the first time since Jan. 4, 2002 that we won there,” said firstyear Trojan head

coach Phil Groves. “So we had quite a bit of motivation.”

Botkins improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the SCL with the

big road win. The Rockets fell to 1-2 and

0-1 in SCL play with the defeat.

Botkins held a narrow 17-16 edge after

one period and advanced the lead to

31-24 at the half. The Trojans seized control

by extending the margin to 48-32 after three periods.

Jacob Pleiman scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half

on the strength of four 3-pointers to pace the victors.

Dylan Topp contributed 14 points, while Carter Pleiman added 11 points and tough defense.

“Carter had a great defensive performance, he made Mckabe Finkenbine work for his 22 points,” Groves said. “We also

had a big performance from Jacob Pleiman.

“I felt like we did a really good job rebounding the ball and limiting them to only one shot,” Groves

said. “We only gave up two or three offensive rebounds. It was a total team effort.”

Botkins visits Minster on Tuesday, and hosts Parkway next Friday in a pair of

non-league games vs. MAC foes. Minster lost to Wapakoneta 47-24, and Van Wert

knocked off Parkway 48-43 on Friday.

Waynesfield-goshen 52, New Knoxville 41

NEW KNOXVILLE — Visiting Waynesfield-goshen pulled

away late at the foul line to defeat New Knoxville 52-41 on Friday night in nonleague boys basketball play.

W-G improved to 1-1 with its first victory this season.

The Tigers sank 21 of 34 free throws to clinch the victory. W-G led 22-20 at the

half and 31-28 after three periods as the

contest was very close through 24 minutes.

Jayden Elliott led a balanced effort by the Tigers with 15 points,

including 13 of 21 from the charity

stripe. He made seven free throws in the fourth quarter, when W-G outscored the Rangers 21-13.

Blake Barnes hit four 3-pointers to add 15 points as well for Waynesfield-goshen. Za’mere Daniels added 11 points, while Drew Breitigam contributed nine markers.

“We did a nice job of creating turnovers and attacking the rim to allow all our opportunities at the foul line,” Tigers head coach Nathan Swaney

said.

to turn.

As the match lineups turned over to the lightweight classes, the Bulldogs won the next four contests with three pins and a

decision to take a three-point (33-30) lead with one match remaining. Senior Gavin Hall went up

against Treven Rittenhouse in the 138-pound match.

It was a battle worthy of the titanic

struggle between these to traditional WBL wrestling powers had put on. Hall took the early lead with a two-point take

down, but Rittenhouse

managed an open the third stanza,

escape then recorded Hall battled his way a takedown of his to a two-point reversal

own to go up 3-2. Hall to up the final kept working hard winning margin to and pulled a reversal 8-4. before the period The Wapak middle

ended to take a 4-3 school wrestlers got advantage. their season off to a

Hall let his opponent good start with a 7518 escape in the win over their Defiance second period, hoping counterparts. a two-point takedown

Wapakoneta will be would give

him a bigger lead and back in action today that’s how it played as they travel to Sidney

Annua out with the Redskins’ High School for wrestler gaining the Mccraken Invitational his takedown at 9 a.m. Versailles, with 2 seconds left on Tecumseh,

the clock for a 6-4 advantage. Van Wert, Sidney, Ben Logan, Fairborn,

Starting in the Greenville and Shawnee down position to will also compete.