by Tad Heitkamp, coach
On February 20th, 2023, the Garretson Blue Dragons played host to yet another top-ranked team in Class A Basketball…the Dell Rapids Quarriers. The Blue Dragons came out and went toe to toe with the visiting Quarriers the opening quarter and found themselves only down 22-15 after the 1st 8 minutes.
“We came out with a lot of energy and willingness to battle the opening quarter," said Head Coach Tad Heitkamp. "We were executing our offense, limiting them on 2nd chance scoring opportunities, and we were just working our tails off.”
Dell Rapids didn’t take their foot off the gas the second stanza as they dropped in another 23 points, taking a commanding 45-24 halftime lead.
The second half the Blue Dragons played inspired basketball, but unfortunately fell short as they were defeated 42-74 to end their regular season schedule.
“As a coaching staff we were so proud how hard the kids worked all night. We asked them to put forth the effort, which is exactly what they did and that is all we can ask for at times,” mentioned Heitkamp.
The Blue Dragons were led by Ramsey Schweitzer (7 rebounds) and Sam Schleuter (7 rebounds) who connected on 15 and 13 points, while Dylan Jessen added 5 more points of his own. Blaine Trower dropped in 3 points, while Ian Buettner, Tyler Edmundson, and Cole Jessen rounded out the scoring with 2 points apiece. Brecken Weir tallied 4 steals on the night for the home team.
The team entered post-season play on Tuesday, taking on Sioux Falls Christian (results not available at press time). The winner of that game plays tomorrow (Friday) night at Augustana University's Elmen Center, starting at 6:30 p.m.
