by Tad Heitkamp, Coach
On February 19th, 2024, the Blue Dragons jumped on the bus and traveled to Dell Rapids to take on the Quarriers in the final game of the regular season.
In the opening game of the night the Blue Dragons ran into a buzz saw as they were defeated 13 to 37. The Quarriers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
“We struggled all night trying to get things going on the offensive end of the court” stated Heitkamp “We were once again getting some decent looks, but we could not finish. I was fairly pleased with our defensive effort, but the bottom line we need to be able to convert offensively to come out on top at the end.”
Ethan McGregor was actually the game high scorer as he dropped down 10 of the 13 points, while Michael Hanisch hit a deep 3 for the final 3 points of the game. The C Team ended the season with a 1-5 record. The kids may not have had a “winning” record, but they worked hard all season and will be ready to continue their growth next year.
In JV action…the Blue Dragons came out with a little chip on their shoulder as they took a 13-10 lead into the 2nd quarter.
“The guys played with some grit the 1st quarter” indicated Heitkamp “We were playing with confidence and a little attitude, which was great to see!”
Dell Rapids turned things around defensively the 2nd quarter as they held the visiting Blue Dragons to 5 points, while scorching the nets for 12 points…taking a 22 to 17 lead into halftime.
The Blue Dragons found their groove offensively the 3rd quarter to tie the game at 30 apiece. Unfortunately, the Blue Dragons could not keep that momentum going as the Quarriers locked down the Blue Dragons to pull out a 41 to 33 victory.
“We need to find some consistency in our game” Heitkamp stated “If we come out and just play four solid quarters…we come out on top by 10+ points.”
Carter Siemonsma was the games leading scorer with 12 points, as Treyton Decker collected 10 points. Collin Olson and Cole Jessen finished the night with 7 and 4 points respectively. The JV team finished the season with a winning record of 8-7, which includes going 5 and 2 in the Big East Conference.
“I want to thank the parents, family members, and fans for their support throughout the season. I know there were a couple of more wins that we “should” have had, but we are defiantly moving in the right direction…see you all next year!!!”
