Hatchets battle in loss to Patriots

Jan. 6—January always provides some tough tests, but 3A No. 4 Heritage Hills is one of the toughest. However it may be the Patriots, who will know they were tested as well in the Hatchet House.

On Saturday night, DI recruit Trent Sisley's 29 points proved to be just enough to hold off Washington (4-7), 57-52, as WHS gave them everything they could ask for during the tight 32 minutes.

Colton Stowers led WHS with 17, but Olsen Kroeger also had a solid game with 16 points and Brant Neidigh had 11 to help spur the Hatchet offense all night.

"They are a very good team and Sisley is an excellent player. He really turned it on in the second half.

"We learned a lot from the weekend and I think we really competed on both ends of the court. I was really pleased with the fact we only had seven turnovers tonight," said WHS coach Gene Miiller.

Stowers helped keep it close at 11-8, scoring six of the first eight WHS points. Brant Neidigh and Ole Kroeger also scored, but Heritage Hills still led 13-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Cordell Turner picked up the Hatchets' first three points of the second to keep WHS within a basket. Kroeger got the Hatchets I thin one with a hard-fought bucket and took the lead on on a Stowers' basket off the glass. Caleb Waller and Kroeger hooked up to make it 22-20 with 1:59 left in the half. HH wrestled the lead back, but after a Neidigh bucket, and a free throw, WHS had cut the lead to 27-25 at the half.77

The game was knotted at 27-all early in the third, and Stowers and Chris Meredith tied it at 31 and 34 as well. Sisley pushed the margin to four at 40-36, but Stowers and Kroeger found the next four points to keep it tight. Kroeger finished out the quarter with basket at the buzzer and a 42-42 tie going into the final eight minutes.

Sisley added his 20th point halfway through the quarter, but the Patriot were still only able to build the lead to 46-44. Kroeger continued to be a factor and tied it at 46-all with a pair of free throws. The Pats were able to stretch it to five with under 2:00 to go. Although Meredith added a basket, Sisley pushed it back to five from the free throw line. A basket from Neidigh with :14 left made it 55-52 but HH would hold on for the 57-52 win.

Also scoring for WHS was Meredith with five and Turner with three, who had early foul trouble. Sisley had 29 for HH, while Colten Hopf had nine for the Pats.

The Hatchets lost the JV contest, 59-54. The Hatchets were led by Brody Isza and Jon Roy with 16 each, while Jacob3-55 Garland had 15. Also scoring was Aiden Boyd, Trey James and Levi Burkemper.

WHS hosts Boonville and travels to Jasper next week.