Haxtun opens 2nd half of season going 1-1

Haxtun went 1-1 on the hardwood to kick off the 2023 portion of the basketball season. The Bulldogs took down Prairie at home Friday and fell to the Tigers the following night on the road in Wiggins. Last week's action puts Haxtun at 6-2 overall as league play ramps up this half of the season.

In opening action following the holiday break, the Bulldogs hosted Prairie for hoops action on Friday night. It is the second time the two teams met since the start of the season, the first came just several weeks ago in the Holiday Tournament hosted by Northeastern Junior College in December. Just like the first, Haxtun took a commanding 52-31 win over the Mustangs.

Two starters on the Bulldog team put double-digits on the scoreboard. Senior Michael Gerk scored 16 points in the outing followed by senior Maclin Tempel with 14. The Gerk-Tempel duo also led in rebounds; Gerk with nine and Tempel with 10. Keegan Colglazier added seven points and four rebounds, Ryland Wolff registered six points and two rebounds while Kyle Fryrear scored four points and pulled down two rebounds.

The following night, the Bulldogs hit the road to face off with their fellow 2A opponents in Wiggins. The Tigers handed Haxtun the team's second loss of the season with a score 60-41.

Gerk again led his team in points, this time with 14. He also pulled down 10 rebounds under the basket. Tempel registered 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Wolff added five points followed by Chase Goddard and Colglazier, each with three, and Fryrear with two.

"It feels like we have had a bit of a slow start coming back from break," said Head Coach Jayden Stieb. "We had a few mental mistakes that proved we were a little rusty. We need to get back to focusing on getting rebounds. Against both Prairie and Wiggins, we struggled to control the boards."

Haxtun hosts Yuma for Saturday afternoon match ups with the Indians in one solo game this weekend. The Yuma Indians are currently 3-2 overall. The following week, the Bulldogs will travel to take on Sedgwick County.

"In the coming weeks we need to work on the little things. Turn the ball over less, finish easy shots and play better defense," Stieb said.