By CHARLIE HUST
The WCHS Trojans reached the 20-win plateau last week thumping Evansville Day School in Evansville on Tuesday.
But the Webster was steam-rolled by the state’s second-ranked team, Henderson County, Friday night before one of the largest crowds in school history at Trojan gym.
With just six games remaining in regular season, Webster will tangle with Union County this Friday night and then travel to Lyon County next Monday.
Webster County 59
Day School 40
The Trojans traveled across the Ohio River and took care of business in a big way against Evansville Day School last Tuesday night in Evansville. Webster raced out to an 8-1 lead and never trailed in the game.
Webster’s high-scoring senior guard duo of Mason Roland and Zac Shoulders combined for 41 points in the victory. Roland led the way with 23 points, including 4-of-6 from behind the 3-pointer arc. Shoulders was equally as impressive, finishing with 18 points, nailing 4-of-7 three-point attempts.
WCHS also received strong inside play from 6-foot-7 junior Cayden Edmonson who finished with seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Fellow junior Jon Stubblefield added seven points and 10 boards. Tyler Smith came off the bench to add two points while Shawn House finished with two points and seven rebounds.
Webster County 44
Henderson County 67
by JERRY PAPINEAU
J-E Sports Reporter
WCHS Trojan gym saw its highest sports attendance in decades Friday night, as fans from Webster, Henderson, and surrounding counties poured inside to watch the Trojans battle the Henderson County Colonels in a Sixth District showdown.
The standing-room-only crowd set an intense stage for the teams’ matchup, featuring the top two records in the Second Region.
The 19-3 Colonels came out strong, early in the first quarter, taking a 24-10 lead over the Trojans. Described as a “snowball” by Coach Jon Newton, the first eight minutes set the tone for the rest of the game.
The Henderson Colonels, ranked number 2 in the state by the Associated Press, continued to play steady, relaxed, and skillful basketball into the half. By the 16-minute mark, the Colonels had increased their lead to 22 points (40-18), holding Webster’s leading scorer Mason Roland to only eight points. He was definitely the focus of Henderson’s defense but he did manage 11 points, well below his 19 point average.
“You have to give Henderson a lot of credit”, said Coach Newton after the game, “They play all phases of the game well”.
After falling behind by as many as 25 points early in the third quarter, WCHS used a 7-0 run to cut the margin to 19 points. Despite their efforts, Webster’s Trojans were not able to overcome the deficit set in the first half. The high powered Colonels continued to keep the Trojans at bay throughout the second half, ending the game with a 23 point difference at 44-67, Henderson.
Despite the team loss, Coach Newton was impressed by the play by a member of his squad.
“One of our bright spots was the play of Cayden Edmonson, we felt like he competed on both ends of the floor”. Edmonson, a 6-foot-7 junior led WCHS with 15 points in his first-ever battle against Henderson County. On the other end of the court, Edmonson pulled down a total of 10 rebounds, and blocked two Henderson County shots.
Zac Shoulders finished with five points while Colten Durrance added four points and three points from Curtis Yates and Jon Stubblefield. Trevis Bell and Shawn House added two points each.
Henderson controlled the rebounding in the game with a 31-18 edge and the Colonels also nailed seven 3-pointers, four coming in the opening quarter. Webster had four 3-pointers, one each from Yates, Shoulders, Roland and Stubblefield.
Regardless of Friday night’s loss to their Henderson County rival, Webster County opens their last month of basketball this season with an impressive 20-3 record.
In the coming week, the Trojans will battle their other rival, Union County, at Trojan gym Friday night in the second game of a boy/girl doubleheader.
• Henderson County rallied in the final quarter to win the jayvee game 56-40. Chatman Ellis led the Trojans with 10 points while Tanner Pruitt added eight.