MOUNDRIDGE WILDCAT BOYS BASKETBALL

FREE READ – WILDCATS CONTINUE WINNING

By Staff

            MOUNDRIDGE – As defending two-time Class 2A state champions, the Moundridge boys’ basketball team continues  to roll along, scoring six consecutive wins to begin the  2024/25 season.

            The Wildcats opened the season with wins over Elyria Christian, Inman, Lyons, Hillsboro, Little River, and Sedgwick. Scoring three wins by 11-13 points, a win by 28, one by 36, and the final win of the month by 46, means the Wildcats know how to score.

            Senior Bear Moddelmog leads  the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points per game.

            Ahead in January the Wildcats will go on the road Tuesday, January 7 to tangle with Bennington, return home for a game with Sterling on Friday, January 10 before going  on the road for games at Wichita Central Christian Academy and Wichita Classical on Tuesday, January 14 and Friday, January 17, respectively.

            Here is a summary of the games played in December:

            On Friday, December 6, the Wildcats began the journey to defend their two-year reign as Class 2A state champions by traveling to play Elyria Christian, a Class 1A Division II team, and scoring an 11-point, 50-39 win.

            After holding a three point, 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats pushed the lead to eight points at 25-17 going into the halftime break. Elyria pulled back to within four, 33-29, by the end of the third quarter before Moundridge pulled away for the final 11-point victory.

            The Wildcats were led by seniors Henry Hecox and Bear Moddelmog as both scored 15 points while Heath Churchill  pitched in with 11.

            Wildcat Individual Scoring vs. Elyria Christian = Henry Hecox – 15 pts, 3 3pts; Bear Moddelmog – 15 pts, 1 3pt; Heath Churchill – 11 pots; Zach Dixon – 3 pts; Kaizer Kanitz – 2 pts; Jesse Lutz – 2 pts; Layton Schmidt – 2 pts.

            Tuesday, December 10 the Wildcats took on county rival Inman in the first round of the Moundridge Pres-Season Tournament where they scored a 36-point, 66-30 win.

            Inman held a four-point, 14-18 lead over the Wildcats at the end of the first quarter before outscoring the Teutons 24-1 in the second stanza to take a commanding 19-point, 38-19, advantage into the halftime break. Outscoring Inman 28-10 in the second half, the Wildcats finished out their 36-point victory.

            Bear Moddelmog  connected on four three-pointers in leading the team in scoring with 20 while Henry Hecox scored 15. Ten Wildcats put at least a pair of points in the scorebook.

            Wildcat Individual Scoring  vs. Inman = Bear Moddelmog – 20; Henry Hecox – 15; Heath Churchill – 8; Kepple Adolf – 5; Zach Dixon, Braden DenHartog – 5; Josh Koehn, Reid Graber – 3; Colter Adolf, Kaizer Kanitz – 2. 3-Pointers Made = Moddelmog – 4; K. Adolf, Graber, Koehn – 1.

            Thursday, December 12 against Lyons, the Wildcats scored a 12-point, 52-40, win after building on a three-point, 13-10, first quarter lead to a seven-point, 27-20 advantage at the halftime break, before  holding on for the final 12-point victory.

            Kaizer Kanitz and Heath Churchill each landed in double digits for the Wildcats with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Both Henry Hecox and Zach Dixon just missed double digits with nine and eight points each.

            Wildcats Individual Scoring vs. Lyons = Kaizer Kanitz – 13; Heath Churchill – 10; Henry Hecox – 9; Zach Dixon – 8; Bear Moddelmog – 6; Layton Schmidt – 4; Kepple Adolf – 2.

            On Friday, December 13 the Wildcats closed out their pre-season tournament with a 13-point, 53-40, win over Hillsboro.

            Leading by just one point, 10-9, at the end of  the first quarter, Moundridge pulled out to an eight-point, 26-18 lead at halftime before pushing the advantage to 14, 40-26, by the end of the third quarter and then closing out with the 13-point win.

            Henry Hecox led the team in scoring with 15 while Heath Churchill finished with 11 and Bear Moddelmog had  nine.

Wildcats  Individual Scoring vs. Hillsboro = Henry Hecox – 15; Heath Churchill – 11; Bear Moddelmog – 9; Kaizer Kanitz, Layton Schmidt, Zach Dixon – 6. 3-Pointers (2) = Hecox – 2.

            Tuesday, December 17 the Wildcats traveled to Little  River where they earned a 28-point, 66-38 win.

            After leading by 11, 19-8, at the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats took a 13-point, 31-18, advantage into the halftime break. After the break, Moundridge pulled out to a 23-point, 51-28, third quarter lead before settling in for the final 28-point win.

            Bear Moddelmog connected  on four three-pointers in leading the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points, while Kaizer Kanitz scored 13 and both Henry Hecox and Heath Churchill  chipped in with 11.

            Wildcats Individual Scoring vs. Little River = Bear Moddelmog – 17; Kaizer Kanitz – 13; Heath Churchill, Henry Hecox – 11; Kepple Adolf, Zach Dixon – 5; Jesse Lutz – 3; Layton Schmidt – 1. 3-Pointers Made = Moddelmog – 4; K. Adolf, Lutz – 1.

            Friday, December 20, the Wildcats closed out the first month of the 2024/25 season with a dominating, 46-point, 72-26 win on the road at Sedgwick.

            Going up by 11, 17-6, by the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats extended the lead to 20 points,  35-15, heading into the halftime break. Outscoring Sedgwick 25-6 in the third quarter, the Wildcats led 60-21 before closing out with the final 46-point victory.

            Bear Moddelmog and Jesse Lutz each connected on three three-pointers as Moddelmog let Moundridge in scoring with 23 and Henry Hecox  and Lutz closed out with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Nine Wildcats scored in the game.

Wildcats Individual Scoring vs. Sedgwick  = Bear Moddelmog – 23; Henry Hecox – 16; Jesse Lutz – 15; Reid Graber – 6; Lane Durst – 4; Kaizer Kanitz, Kepple Adolf, Braden DenHartog, Zach Dixon – 2. 3-Pointers Made = Moddelmog, Lutz – 3; Graber -2; Hecox – 1.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)