By: Sienna Gill
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
ARCHBOLD (February 8, 2025) — Led by distinguished efforts from Sonny Phillips and Micah Nofziger, the Archbold Bluestreaks earned a decisive 67-37 victory over the Napoleon Wildcats on Saturday night. From the opening tip-off, Archbold built an early lead and never looked back.
The first quarter was run by Archbold’s aggressive defense and sharp-shooting offense. Morgan Harris wasted no time at all, making back-to-back three-pointers within the first minutes of the game and giving the Bluestreaks an early advantage.
Meanwhile, Napoleon struggled to find their rhythm as they missed key shots and racked up fouls. Nofziger took full advantage, adding multiple layups to push the lead even further to 12-0.
Despite a three-pointer from Napoleon’s Brayden Black late in the quarter, Archbold maintained control and closed the quarter with a 13-7 lead.
As the second quarter unfolded, the Wildcats tried to claw their way back into the game, but Archbold’s defense was relentless. Phillips found his groove, knocking down multiple jumpers, while Evan Wendt added a three-pointer of his own.
Napoleon’s Spencer Durham managed to put points on the board, but each attempt by Napoleon to get ahead was quickly countered by the Bluestreaks before the Wildcats could even prove to be a threat.
Archbold tightened its grip on the game during the third quarter. Wendt opened the period with yet another three-pointer, stretching the lead to double digits.
With Archbold’s offense operating powerfully and effectively, Napoleon (6-12) struggled to keep up. By the end of the quarter, Archbold had built a commanding 47-31 lead against the Napoleon Wildcats.
The final quarter was all Archbold (11-8). Harris and Wendt continued to dictate the pace, while Phillips and Nofziger made their presence felt on both sides of the court. A steal and a three-pointer from Phillips propelled the Bluestreaks’ performance even further, their lead surpassing 20 points.
Napoleon fought until the clock ran out, but Archbold’s relentlessness proved too much for the Wildcats to overcome. As the final buzzer sounded out, Archbold sealed a 67-37 victory.
NAPOLEON (37) – Abbot 2; Mowery 0; Rubinstein 6; Liechty 0; Bockelman 0; Woods 5; H. Gerken 2; Speiser 4; L. Gerken 2; Black 3; Durham 11; Barton 2; Totals: 11-3-6 – 37
ARCHBOLD (67) – Gracia 0; Phillips 13; Krieger 0; Wendt 13; Bickel 2; Williams 5; Harris 10; Krueger 5; Piercefield 4; Valentine 2; Nofziger 13; Totals: 20-7-6 – 67
NHS 7 7 17 6 – 37
AHS 13 11 23 20 – 67
Junior Varsity: Archbold, 39-29