(December 18th, 2014) – EDON: Stryker’s Parker Ruffer scored exactly 20 points in the Panthers’ road win against the Bombers of Edon on Thursday.
That put him at precisely 1,000 points in his varsity career.
The Panther senior was humble after his team’s 65-21 victory against the hosting Edon team, preferring to reference the game itself rather than boast on his own accomplishments. And there were a lot of good things his team did in the contest.
Stryker hit on 26 of their field goals against the Edon defense. Of those shots, 6 of them came from behind the arc. While that is a good number, that leaves 20 field goals made from within the arc. The Panthers were able to exploit their size to score points closer to the basket. Ruffer, at 6’5” tall, made 5 of his own field goals from two-point range, though he nailed 2 threes in the game as well.
Two other Stryker boys had double digit scoring nights. Austin Grisier offered 11 points to the Panther cause, with all of his points, save a free throw, coming from close range as well. Tanner Clingaman was a bit more balanced with his 10 points, making 2 three-pointers and 2 shots from the inside of the line.
Edon was led in scoring by Jim Peckham. The Bomber junior managed 8 points off of 2 makes from long range and a shot from the interior. Fellow juniot Landon Bloir served as Edon’s post presence, contributing 6 points to the Bomber cause. Senior leader Alex Kirkingburg had a rough evening, putting up just 4 points.
This scoring differential helps to explain how Stryker was able to put up four consecutive double digit quarters as a team, while Edon failed to do so even once. Combining for 17 points in the first quarter, the Panther boys followed up with 11 more in the second. Coming out of the half, they scored 21 points, as many as the Bombers put up all game. In the final period of play, Styrker added another 16 points to their total.
The win is Stryker’s first of the season. It’s also the initial victory of the Kevin Beck era. So, between that and Ruffer earning his 1,000 point, this contest was a fairly historic one for the Panther program.
Edon is still searching for their first win on the year. Coach Arkwright’s squad is young, mostly inexperienced, and lacks both size and depth. The challenges are numerous for the Bombers, but they keep playing hard regardless. Such an admirable trait is sure to pay off at some point this season.