FINISH AT THE HOOP … Wauseon’s Jack Alstaetter glides in for a deuce as part of his 22-point night to help the Indians surprise Evergreen, 68-43.
PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FINDING OPEN PLAYER … Chris Shrader fires the ball down the floor for the Vikings in their NWOAL game at Wauseon.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WAUSEON (January 16, 2026) – According to veteran Wauseon coach Chad Burt, his Indians played easily their best game of the season. On the other side, Evergreen played their worst, shooting a percentage that rivaled the below-freezing temperature outside.
Couple those two and throw in a 22-point night from the Indians’ Jack Alstaetter, it all added up to a surprising 68-43 Wauseon victory.
“No question this is the best we have played,” Burt expressed. “We’ve been solid defensively all year but haven’t been able to put the ball in the basket.”
“I think it started early tonight when you see the ball go in, it kind of gave everyone more confidence. It settled us in and we just fed off that.”
Xavier Molina and Alstaetter gave the Indians an early 4-0 lead while the Vikings were going 0-6 from the field, an omen that would haunt Evergreen the rest of the evening.
Evergreen didn’t score until the 4:30 mark when George Allendorf hit a transition triple and took the lead when Allendorf fed Quinn Eisel for a second chance layup 53 seconds later.
Alstaetter regained an Indian lead with 2:42 left, and Molina stuck the first of a trio of three-balls with 2:04 to go that helped push the Indians ahead 12-7 at the quarter.
Evergreen shot just 3-18 in the first quarter, and 1-11 from the three-point line. Eisel’s score off a turnover got Evergreen within 12-9, but Alstaetter’s shot from the middle of the key and a Molina triple boosted Wauseon ahead 17-10.
“Those shots were big,” Burt said of Molina’s series of triples. “The first one gave him some confidence and then it helped, again, get everyone settled in.”
The margin grew to as much as 27-16 on another Alstaetter bucket from in close with 45 seconds left in the half before the Indians carried a 29-19 advantage into the locker room.
Meanwhile the Vikings were mired in 7-34 from the floor and 2-18 from outside the arc in the first 16 minutes.
Bodie Vasvery’s three early baskets in the third, one each on feeds from Molina and Alstaetter, vaulted the Indians up 38-23.
Eisel scored 11 third quarter points, and Chris Shrader’s long triple got Evergreen back to 49-38 at the end of three but again the Vikings went frigid, going 2-18 in the fourth quarter, while Vasvery and Alstaetter worked the hi-lo game four different times for baskets as the Indians shot a sizzling 67 percent in the quarter to open up a big lead.
“He is one of the better defenders I’ve ever coached,” Burt said of Alstaetter. “He is so long and athletic. At the offensive end he finished and played very well around the rim and got a ton of confidence, and I think some of his defense fed his offense.”
For the game, Wauseon ((5-7, 2-0 NWOAL) was 24-44 from the field, including 15-23 in the second half while Evergreen (7-5, 1-1 NWOAL) was 17-65 from the floor, along with an uncharacteristic 3-26 from the arc.
“This was a tale of two teams,” Burt said. “They are a very, very good basketball team, they are well prepared and have really good offensive talent.
“It was just one of those nights for them, thankfully for us. I know they are going to win a lot of basketball games, but this was really a good win for us at home.”
Alstaetter’s knocked home 22, while Molina and Vasvery each had 11. Eisel scored 23 and had 10 rebounds for the Vikings, but Allendorf and Will Ruetz combined for just nine.
EVERGREEN (43) – Ruetz 2; Farley 2; Q. Eisel 23; Allendorf 7; B. Eisel 0; Bolger 2; Fisher 0; Harmon 0; Mossing 0; Rafferty 0; Shrader 7; Williams 0; Totals: 14-3-6 – 43
WAUSEON (68) – X. Molina 11; Mennetti 3; Alstaetter 22; Riegsecker 10; A. Molina 0; Heller 2; Inderrieden 2; Vasvery 11; Rodriguez 3; Totals: 20-5-13 – 68
EHS 7 12 19 5 – 43
WHS 12 17 20 19 – 68