Eagles pull out win
With bragging rights on the line, the Battle of the Birds for the
seventh- graders was critical for the Snoqualmie Middle School Eagles.
The Eagles entered the game with a 7-3 record and a prior victory
over the Hawks of Chief Kanim in their back pocket. However, the
Chief Kanim squad came into the game fresh off of a big upset win over
powerhouse Pine Lake.
The first quarter showcased the defensive talents of guard
Adam Rothgeb as he applied a smothering brand of defense. Teaming with
the “Glove” Derek Donah, the two shutdown the Hawks in the opening
stanza as Chief Kanim was held to a single bucket by Eric Tierney. Strong
play under the boards by Andrew Pass and Chip Delurme was paramount in
holding the Hawks to single opportunities on the offensive end.
The Eagles came out in the second quarter with strong execution
in their half-court sets. Good ball rotation by the always-reliable
Kyle Dalman helped find open Eagle shooters like Jake Laskody who drained
a three ball from deep in the corner. Zach Bowen flashed the talent that
will take his game to the next level with several slashing moves to the rack
in route to his game-high 12 points. With Bowen’s drives and Aaron
Chadwell’s fierce offensive rebounding the Eagle’s surged into the lead.
The Hawks mounted a comeback in the third quarter to cut the lead to
6. The Eagles called upon defensive stoppers Alex Grazda and
Brandon Sales to slow the Hawks’ momentum. With Rob Jepson and Drew White
distributing the ball on the perimeter, the stage was set for a house call from
the “Doctor” Zach Elmore. Elmore’s silky smooth touch from the outside and
his quick penetration in the paint padded the Eagles’ lead and put the game
out of reach as the Eagles went on to win 29 to 22. They finished their
season with an 8-3 record.
Afterward, the Eagles announced their team awards as voted on by
the team members. The following awards were handed out: Mr. Offense
was given to Zach Elmore, Mr. Defense was earned by Adam Rothgeb,
Aaron Chadwell was named Most Inspirational and the Coaches Award
was given to Derek Donah.