ROAD WIN … Edon’s Corbin Chrisman powers up a shot while two Vikings challenge. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
MID-AIR ACROBATICS … Will Ruetz goes baseline for a reverse layup in the Vikings’ home loss to Evergreen.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (February 4, 2025) – There are nights that you come focused at the job at hand and play your heart out. Then are nights when after the game, your momma says, “good game”, and it’s an out and out lie because you played not so well. Edon was the former.
The Bombers, trying to raise their seed for the upcoming tournament draw, enjoyed a 21-10 bulge at the foul line, and notched a 57-50 over listless Evergreen.
Edon is 10-8 on the year and should rise from a No. 4 seed in Division VII. Evergreen, who is fighting Van Buren for a No. 2 seed in Division VI, dropped to 12-7.
“This was huge,” Edon veteran coach Matt Ripke explained. “We talked to them in pre-game that we were like .0006 of a point from being third in our district, and this goes a long way to bump us up.”
“It’s a huge win for us on the road.” “Our guys played with excessively great effort for all 32 minutes, that was huge.”
John Herdman’s triple and his dish to George Allendorf off a Bomber turnover gave Evergreen an early 5-0 lead but the Vikings struggled offensively for the brunt of the game from that point.
Max Radabaugh tripled, Kyler Sapp converted a three-point play and Carter Steinke came off the bench to hit a corner three to give Edon a 15-14 lead after a quarter.
Troy Manz went coast-to-coast off a steal to keep Evergreen within a point but Radabaugh’s two buckets, along with another by Corbin Chrisman boosted the Bombers on top 23-16 with 3:00 left in the second.
Manz’s steal-and-score and triple with 43 seconds left got the Vikings back to 27-25 at the half, but Evergreen shot just 30 percent in the first 16 minutes, including a frigid 3/18 from outside the arc.
The Vikings battled back in the third, forcing eight Edon turnovers. Allendorf and Manz each hit from long range, and Herdman got one from the corner to regain a 36-33 Viking lead with 2:37 to go.
Will Ruetz bucket increased the margin to 39-35 at the quarter, and Herdman’s hit from the top of the circle starting the fourth gave Evergreen their biggest lead. It took the Vikings over seven minutes to hit another field goal.
While Evergreen missed 15 straight shots, Edon got a huge break a minute into the fourth that turned the game.
Cohen Hulbert was fouled making a layup and when a Viking player showed his dismay with the call, a technical foul was called.
Hulbert converted the three-point play, Sapp split the technical free throws, and on the ensuing inbounds play, Briggs Gallehue got inside to bring Edon back from a five-point deficit to a one point lead.
Ruetz split a pair from the line to tie at 6:20, but Gallehue scored off a Viking turnover 22 seconds later and Edon never trailed again.
“Not only did the free throws help us, but we also got an extra possession,” Ripke explained of the impact of the technical that brought the Bombers back into the lead. “That was a huge swing, we had an opportunity and took advantage of it, that’s for certain.”
While the Vikings continued to misfire, Gallehue notched a three-point play, and Radabaugh led a parade to the foul line by going 4/4 to help hold the Vikings off.
“I think the biggest thing was that we stayed composed down the stretch,” Ripke said. “We got stops and were able to extend a little at the foul line to finish the game.”
In all Edon shot 10/14 from the line in the fourth, while Evergreen was going 2/17 from the floor.
Radabaugh had 15 to lead the Bombers. Gallehue added 13, Hulbert used 15 free throw attempts to get him to 11 and Sapp scored 10.
Manz had 13 for Evergreen while Herdman chipped in with 11 and Allendorf chalked up 10. Edon had 18 turnovers to 10 for Evergreen, but the Vikings shot just 27% from the floor.
EDON (57) – Steinke 3; Chrisman 5; Owens 0; Radabaugh 15; Sapp 10; Hulbert 11; Gallehue 13; Totals: 15-2-21 – 57
EVERGREEN (50) – Manz 13; Ruetz 9; Herdman 11; Allendorf 10; Eisel 3; Fritsch 0; Johnson 4; Totals: 8-8-10 – 50
EHS 15 12 8 22 – 57
EHS 14 11 14 11 – 50
