SPENCERVILLE – The boys of Crestview and Spencerville concluded their
regular season Friday night in The Ville with an old-fashioned
Northwest Conference battle. The Bearcats battled back late but it was
Crestview shutting the doors in the end to win their fourth straight
versus Spencerville.
Crestview’s star Senior and future Buckeye,
Kalen Etzler started hot from the field to lead all scorers with nine in
the opening quarter. Etzler’s fast start was countered by
Spencerville’s young star Josh Henline. With 4:49 to play in the first
Henline pushed the Bearcats to the lead with his 51st 3-point make of
the campaign. Sophomore Dylan Cook knocked down his first two shots
including Cook’s go ahead three with 2:38 to go.
Carson Kreischer
drove to the paint for a basket and connected on a pair of free throws
for the Knights, Etzler’s three at the 1:03 mark sent the visitors back
on top. Henline made a pair of trips to the free throw line charitable
and after one, Spencerville led 16-13.
The middle chapter would be
each teams lowest scoring quarter of the evening. Dylan Smith hit a
triple for the Bearcats, Henline provided the only other offense by
drawing a shooting foul after swooshing a three for a four-point play.
Etzler tallied five more for Crestview, Rontae Jackson and Nathan
Lichtle joined the scoring with a basket each. At halftime it was dead
locked at 25-25.
Kreischer was in a groove after the break
attacking the paint to chip in a trio of baskets. Kalen Etzler struggled
to get going due to a pair of offensive charges. Sophomore Gavin Etzler
kept the Knight spark lit adding seven in the quarter including a shot
from downtown. Spencerville was held to just three field goals in the
third, Keegan Goecke shot 4/4 at the line.
Kalen on his charges
“It happens almost every game. It is frustrating to play through, but it
is never something I will back down from. I’m always going to try to
take it at the rim, to avoid the charge I just try to jump over them.”
Leading
43-35 with the final eight minutes on the scoreboard Spencerville had
one more punch for the Knights. Tyler Koenig pestered the Crestview
defense all night long, and points started to show in the fourth. Koenig
scored five and Goecke added his second basket. With 2:16 to play
Dalton Prichard knocked down a three, then stole the following inbound
for a quick basket forcing Crestview into a timeout.
Crestview
found the spark they needed from head coach Doug Etzler during the
timeout to put away the Bearcats. Rontae Jackson shot a perfect 4/4 from
the free throw line to seal the regular season finale victory for the
visiting Knights. As time expired on the season Crestview escaped
Spencerville with a 62-56 conference victory.
(7-15) Spencerville
opens tournament play next Tuesday at Upper Scioto Valley as (18-4)
Crestview awaits the winner of Leipsic or Delphos St John’s.
Box Score.
CV: 13 12 18 19 – 62
SV: 16 9 10 17 – 52
JV Score.
Spencerville 34, Crestview 27
Scoring.
Crestview (62)
Kalen Etzler (21), Carson Kreischer (17), Rontae Jackson (10), Gavin Etzler (7), Nathan Lichtle (17), Brody Brecht (2)
Spencerville (52)
Josh Henline (13), Dylan Smith (12), Keegan Goecke (8), Dalton Prichard (7), Tyler Koenig (5), Dylan Cook (5), Cade Elling (2)