Winter Sports Update: Week 4

Boys’ Basketball

The Lancer boys basketball team defeated Leavenworth High School 69-53 on Friday. The team started slowly, but towards the end of the first quarter they began to pick up the pace.

“We didn’t start great,” Coach Shawn Hair said. “Once the quarter got rolling, we were able to put up 19 points.”

Hair explained that starting quickly and using the teams height will be a key for this team the rest of the season.

“I think the biggest thing is coming out and being aggressive,” Hair said. “When our kids are aggressive, we’re really good. We’ve just got to have that mindset of attack and go inside. When we go inside, we’re a good team.

Sophomore Lucas Jones had the highlight of the night, with a tomahawk dunk in the first quarter. Jones had a solid game both on offense and defense, grabbing a game-best eight rebounds despite an ankle injury that has been bothering him since winter break. The ankle injury should not keep him out of the Lancers next game, at home against Olathe North on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

“[Olathe North] is a good team,” Hair said. “They have some good athletes, and have potential to be very, very good. It will be a very tough game for us.”

That game will be followed by a rivalry game away against Shawnee Mission West on Jan. 11.

Girls’ Basketball

Coach Stein’s goal before the game was to stop dribble penetration. That goal was not met after the Lancers struggled to keep the Pioneers out of the paint and fell 58-42. The loss brought girls’ team to a 2-5 record for the season.

Over winter break the team worked on preventing turnovers, but they were unable to do that on Friday. East had multiple turnovers that resulted in fast breaks for the Leavenworth Pioneers.

On the offensive end, the Lancers could not break the Leavenworth man to man defense. East was unable to make mid range shots, but were however, able to draw fouls inside. Each team went to the line several times and the majority of the East points were from free throws.

East did not have a deep bench which became a problem. The same seven players played during the game: Senior Grace Pickell, senior Rae Ehly, senior Sarah Spradling, junior Erin McGinley, senior Anna Sheridan, junior Emily Dodd and junior Molly Ross. McGinley was the leading scorer with 12, followed by Pickell with eight.

The team plays tonight at 5:30 against Olathe North.

Wrestling

The Lancer wrestling team has been practicing for their next meet, the Bobcat Classic on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Bashor Linwood.

On Jan. 1, the team held a triathlon practice for all Lancer team members.

“It’s like a real triathlon,” Junior Dominique Atkinsion said. “We swim, then run, then finish with plate pushes or a wrestling drill, it depends on what Coach Ufford wants”.

Jack Mitchell finished first in the triathlon practice, followed by Chipper Jorns in second and Marshal Greene in third.

Grant Hollingsworth was named to the Topeka Seaman all tournament team at the Johnson County Classic, their last meet before winter break.

Swimming

In their last meet before winter break, the SME Invitational, varsity earned first place with 460 points, sweeping the other schools.

Varsity swim is preparing for their next meet against SMS next Thursday, Jan. 10 at home. After only getting a few days off over winter break from their rigorous training, junior Jackson Granstaff has no worries about their upcoming meet.

“Our next meet against south will be extremely easy, but good because it will allow us to see how our times compare to before break,” Granstaff said