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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2022
Scales Mound Hornets carry over regular season success By Trenten Scheidegger CORRESPONDENT
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Garrett Luke beats Tavius Hosley (Unity) in the state championship match. See more photos on page 5 inside.
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The Scales Mound Hornets have continued to be one of the best boys basketball teams in all of Illinois. After finishing the regular season with a record of 29-2 and earning the NUIC-West Conference Championship at 12-0, the Hornets have carried their success over into the postseason. On Saturday, Feb. 19, the Hornets played host to the Warren Warriors in the quarter-final round of regional play. Warren came into the game with an overall record of just 9-19, leaving them as the underdogs against the Hornets. It took some time for Scales Mound to settle the nerves. Just eighteen total points were scored in the opening quarter as both teams took their time getting comfortable. Still, the Hornets found themselves in a good position to end the first quarter, up 11-7. Scales Mound was able to rely on a physical style of play, doing a majority of their damage from the mid-range or inside the paint. That physical play allowed them to get to the free throw line often, where they hit nine of their 12 attempts as a team. Warren managed to keep pace with the three-point shot. As a team, they combined for six three-pointers on the game. Junior guard, Reed McNutt, and freshman guard, Treyton Pafford, each hit a pair of threes for the Warriors. The Warriors would outscore the Hornets 18-17 in the second
quarter, but Scales Mound still held a 28-25 lead going into halftime. The second half was where Scales Mound began to pull away. Four Hornets reached double digits in scoring as senior forward, Benjamin Vandigo, led the way with 20 points. Senior forward, Ben Werner, was next up with 17 points, and senior guard, Collin Fosler, was right behind him with 16. Zayden Ellsworth, a senior guard, had 11 to round out the leading scorers for the Hornets. McNutt led the Warriors with 15 points, while Brayden Bohnsack and Pafford each had eight points. They were unable to keep up with the high-scoring Hornets, however, as Scales Mound went on to win 6648. Scales Mound Head Coach, Erik Kudronowicz, spoke about the experience and chemistry that was on display by the Hornets seniors. “Our eight seniors are a hard-working, connected group. They love playing with each other and for each other. This starting five have all played four years of varsity basketball.” Kudronowicz explained. “There is nothing this team hasn’t seen or dealt with.” He added. The next week, the Hornets were set up to face off with the Lena-Winslow Pan-
thers in the regional semi-finals. The Panthers came into the game with an overall record of 18-13. It was a close first quarter, but the Hornets dominated the second quarter to take a 21-14 lead into the break. The Hornets, once again, found production from a number of players. Sam Cocagne, a senior guard, led the way with 14 points. Vandigo was close behind with 12, and Ellsworth had 11 on the game. The Hornets would go on to win by a score of 50-32, sending them into the regional championship. They would have to take on a very familiar opponent in the championship in the East Dubuque Warriors. It was the fourth time this season that these teams had faced off as the Hornets had won each of their first three meetings. Scales Mound was hoping to pull off the clean, four-game sweep of the Warriors. Although, Scales Mound handled the regular season meetings well, it is a challenge to beat a team multiple times, let alone four times in one season. The regional championship featured the closest of the four meetings as the Warriors managed to slow down the Hornets’ offense. Still, in the comfort of their home gym, the Hornets managed to hold on to
win by a score of 49-37. Following the regional championship and prior to their sectional meeting with Pecatonica, Kudronowicz shared his thoughts on the team’s postseason run up to that point. “First off, what a special team. We’re headed to the sectional semifinal as undefeated NUIC-West champs, defeated a tremendous East Dubuque team four times, and set a school record with 32 wins.” Kudronowicz said. Once again, the Scales Mound head coach acknowledged how special this year’s group of seniors are. “This group is a team in every sense of the word.” Kudronowicz shared, explaining “The regional opponents gave us their best efforts. This team stayed composed through each game. Their ability to use each other’s skills allowed them to advance.” A deep postseason run has been this team’s goal from the start but setting the Scales Mound record for single season wins, and doing so as conference champions, emphasizes how special this season has been. This group of seniors hold a career record of 76-34 as one of the winningest groups to go through Scales Mound. It is no surprise to see the exceptional display they have put on in their final campaign.
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