By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (January 20, 2024) – A wise younger man once said, “Don’t blink you might miss something.” In light speed fashion Evergreen turned five steals in to 13 straight points to turn a three-point deficit into a 10-point lead and went on to beat Pettisville 56-40.
“Absolutely the difference in the game, ” Viking coach Jerry Keifer said of the 13-0 blast. Pettisville started out having their way against the Vikings in the first quarter shooting 78 percent to take a seven-point lead.
Jack Leppelmeier was the key in the entire first eight minutes, finding Johnny Fenton twice for layups and draining a pair of triples from the right of the head of the key for a 17-10 margin.
Evergreen battled back to tie at 19-all halfway through the second as Drew Gillen used one of his 10 rebounds for a putback then Eli Keifer scored off a pair of drives and laced a deep left wing three-pointer.
Leppelmeier scored and got an ‘and-1’ off an inbounds play to make it 22-19, but with 2:05 to go, the Vikings parlayed as many steals and scores as Bonnie and Clyde had bank robberies.
Woodring had a swipe and fed Riley Dunbar for a layup. Keifer drilled another triple to give Evergreen the lead for keeps, then had a theft at halfcourt and a solo drive to make it 26-22.
Then in the span of 46 seconds, a theft by Keifer and two more in the person of Woodring led to a Dunbar bucket, one from Troy Manz and a Woodring to Keifer basket to make it 32-22 at the break.
Fenton and Leppelmeier scored four times, three off putbacks in the third but a Gillen steal and layup along with Blade Walker’s turnaround jumper and stick backs by Dunbar and Gillen kept Evergreen up 42-34 heading into the fourth.
The Vikings (11-2) held Pettisville without a point the first 4:19 of the last stanza while yet another pair of steals from Manz and Keifer led to Woodring and Dunbar hoops to open up a 51-34 bulge.
Keifer topped all scorers with 24, 20 of those in the first half. Gillen had a double-double getting 12 points to go with his previously mentioned 10 boards.
Dunbar hit double figures with 10 more. Woodring only scored four points but had six steals and eight assists.
Leppelmeier paced Pettisville (8-5) with 17 points and nine rebounds while Fenton added 11.
PETTISVILLE (40) – Leppelmeier 17; J. Ripke 8; Aeschliman 2; K. Wyse 2; M. Wyse 0; Z. Morris 0; Bishop 0; Fenton 11; Totals: 13-2-8 – 40
EVERGREEN (56) – Manz 2; Keifer 24; Woodring 4; Robertson 0; R. Hudik 0; Spadlin 0; Vaculik 2; Gillen 12; Walker 2; Dunbar 10; Roesti 0; Totals: 22-2-6 – 56
PETTISVILLE 17 5 12 6 – 40
EVERGREEN 10 22 10 14 – 56
GAME STATISTICS
PETTISVILLE: FG – 15/36 (42%); FT – 8/12 (67%); Rebounds – 24; Turnovers – 16; EVERGREEN: FG – 24/40 (60%); FT – 6/12 (50%); Rebounds – 15; Turnovers – 6
JUNIOR VARSITY: Evergreen 37, Pettisville 14
