(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
DISTRICT SEMIFINAL … Edgerton’s Joel Walkup puts up a shot in the lane during the first half versus Montpelier on Thursday night at Bryan High School.
LOCO LEADING SCORER … Kenneth Smeltzer makes a move inside on his way to a team-high 15 points in the loss.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
BRYAN (February 27, 2025) – Ask any coach and they will tell you it’s hard to beat someone three times in a season. Also ask any coach and they will tell you that big game players make big plays in big games at big times.
After losing twice to Montpelier during the regular season, Edgerton used a huge fourth quarter from Scottie Krontz as the Bulldogs avenged those earlier losses with a 57-45 triumph in a Division VII district semifinal before a full house at Bryan.
“Not often in life do you get a third chance to right something,” Bulldog coach Duane Miller expressed after.
“This was very similar to the second game we played (where Edgerton held a six-point halftime lead). So, it was a very familiar situation for us, a very familiar third quarter where they made a run on us.”
“I thought our guys learned from the first two meetings and stayed composed down the stretch and we were able to execute on offense and get great shots at the rim and open looks from the perimeter. I thought that was the difference between the first two meetings and tonight.”
Montpelier opened up a quick 9-4 lead as Hayden Sharps canned a turnaround jumper along with a corner triple, and Kenneth Smeltzer got inside the paint twice for two more hoops.
Smeltzer knocked in two more buckets, as the junior garnered nine first quarter points, but Edgerton came back to draw even when Cory Herman and Maddox Baker bagged a pair from long range to make it 16-16 at the end of one.
Just that fast, the Locos went cold in the second and Edgerton took advantage with a 9-0 run. Krontz’s bank gave the Bulldogs an 18-16 lead 38 seconds into the second and the Bulldogs never trailed again.
Joel Walkup’s drive, a baseline foray to the rim from Krontz and another Herman three-ball ballooned the margin to 25-16 with 5:27 left in the half.
Smeltzer’s back-to-back baskets got the Locos back to 25-20 but Kellen Sanchez got to the rim with 2:33 to go as Edgerton took a 27-20 advantage into the locker room at half.
Herman’s third triple and Walkup’s fast break hoop on a long feed from Sanchez bumped the Bulldog lead to double figures at 32-22 at the 6:46 mark of the third but Montpelier made a run.
CJ Fidler hit a three-ball and scored in close, then Miguel Alvira knocked home a wide open three-pointer and rolled to the left of the rim for another bucket to help chop the Edgerton lead to 40-36 at the end of the third.
Herman hit his fourth triple of the night leading off the fourth, but Sharps came back with a three-point play to keep the Locos within 43-39 and a chance to get closer with possession.
A pair of Loco misses and a turnover later, Krontz took over. His cross dribble drive began a trio of Krontz hoops that again opened up a ten-point lead.
The senior guard followed up with a steal and score off a Loco out-of-bounds play and his spin move with 1:59 to go put Edgerton in control.
Just for good measure, Krontz got two more baskets down the stretch as he scored 11 of his game-high 21 in the fourth quarter.
“You need your seniors to step up in big games at big moments where the other guys don’t have a lot of experience,” Miller explained of Krontz performance.
“As a team we don’t have a lot of experience playing in tournament atmospheres because we haven’t been here in a long time. I think this will be the first district title game we have played in since 2015.”
“Scotty inside, man he’s got all the moves, it’s just whether he corrals them enough times and tonight he was able to get space and when they came to double it allowed us to execute on those couple plays we were running to get him a post up isolation and in the fourth quarter he used his speed to his advantage.”
Herman tacked on 18 for the Bulldogs, who were 6/9 in the fourth quarter and forced five Montpelier turnovers in the period. Smeltzer had 15 for the Locos (17-6) and Sharps 12.
Edgerton (16-8) moves on to the district championship tonight versus Edon back at Bryan High School.
EDGERTON (57) – Krontz 21; Baker 7; Sinclair 0; P. Elden 0; Herman 18; Walkup 7; Meyer 0; Sanchez 4; Weaver 0; Totals: 18-5-6 – 57
MONTPELIER (45) – Saneholtz 0; Sharps 14; Fidler 9; M. Smeltzer 0; Hartsock 2; Sommer 0; Alvira 5; K. Smeltzer 15; Totals: 15-3-6 – 45
EHS 16 11 13 17 – 57
MHS 16 4 16 9 – 45