Abby boys suffer three road losses
The Abbotsford Falcons saw its losing streak extend to nine games, dating back to Jan. 3, after falling in road contests with Prentice, Marathon and Rib Lake. Abby’s season record dips to 3-15, and 1-13 in the Marawood Conference.
68-50
Any road game, no matter the record of the opponent, is always a challenge. But when your team is struck by illness, any upset is a tall order.
The Abbotsford Falcons boys basketball team discovered this on Tuesday, Feb. 4, when they travelled to Prentice to take on the Buccaneers (7-10; 5-7 MNC) in a match that featured two of the most prolific scorers in the conference.
The Falcons’ Cade Faber and the Buccaneers Peyton Enders put on a show for those in attendance, with both players turning in double digit performances.
The Bucs defeated the Falcons in their first meeting in Abbotsford, back on Dec. 17, drubbing Abby 69-44. The Falcons have come a long way since then, but a flu bug hit the Falcons, with Blake Draper and Mason Carpenter both affected.
Each suited up and gave everything they had, but the Falcons could not stop Enders, a Marawood - North Second Team All-Conference selection last year. Enders dropped 29 points on the Falcons, two shy of his career high.
Enders had 21 of those points in the first period. Abby responded with buckets from Faber, who scored 12 in the first half, and treys from Hunter Soyk, Draper and Carpenter.
Even with the threes falling for Abby, the Bucs held a 43-28 lead at the break. The Falcons made adjustments on defense in the final stanza, holding Enders to eight points in the second half.
Faber continued to slash and drive to the rim, finishing with another six points to lead Abby with 18. But the story of the second half was Soyk, who caught fire, drilling a pair of triples as he lit up the scoreboard with 10 points.
Baskets by Draper and Carpenter followed, and Abby scored 22 points in the second half. However, the Bucs added 25, and this, coupled with their first half advantage, gave Prentice a 68-50 victory.
Faber also had team highs of nine rebounds and eight assists. Soyk finished with 15 points, and dished out three assists. Carpenter added eight points, Draper scored six and senior center Reiley Schreiber collected three points, dished out four assists and had four boards.
84-39
The Falcons found themselves in Marathon City on Friday, squaring off against the Red Raiders in a bout between North and South Marawood squads.
The Red Raiders came into the game having recently downed the Columbus Catholic Dons the night before, and their heady play persisted as Marathon stormed out to an early 46-24 advantage after one half of play.
A dozen Red Raiders scored, but it was Jaden Koeller, Matt Vande Boom and Mike Hahn that led the charge, with the trio scoring 18, 13 and 10 points.
The second half saw more of the same as the Falcons struggled against the Red Raiders depth and speed. Marathon wasn’t the only opponent that Abby faced that night as Blake Draper continued to battle flu-like symptoms.
As a result, the Falcons turned to Cade Faber to spark the offense. Faber, who averages 16 points a game, had a quiet night, and was held to 10 points. No other Falcon would finish in double digits.
The Red Raiders had no such problems, and Marathon continued to pile up points, adding 38 to their first half total, while holding Abby to 15 in the final half.
ABBY BB Draper added nine and Hunter Soyk and Reiley Schreiber scored five apiece. Brandon Diedrich scored three and Dalton Feddick had two.
Rib Lake, 70-44
The Falcons dropped a third straight road conference game, and ninth overall, on Monday as they lost to the Rib Lake Redmen - this year’s presumptive Marawood - North champions - for the second time this season.
Rib Lake has enjoyed a sterling season, romping to a 16-2 record, and an 11-2 mark in the Marawood. Their victory over Abby on Monday gives them a three game lead in the race for the Marawood North, and all but assures them the title.
The Redmen attack is led by their senior class, with Levi Ewan, Nick Gerstberger and Steven Petkau doing the heavy lifting on offense this year.
It was Ewan who set fire to Abby’s upset hopes. The prolific Ewan put on a clinic of shooting, scoring 24 of the Redmen’s 38 first half points.
Ewan finished with a game high 30 points. Nick Gerstberger and Steven Petkau weren’t far behind scoring 18 and 10.
Lost in the shuffle of Rib Lake’s threeheaded offensive monster was a dazzling performance from junior Cade Faber.
Faber battled through contact and double teams to finish with 25 points and 17 rebounds, with Faber firing three triples in the first half.
That first half featured Faber and Ewan dueling against one another. Faber’s second trey was a banked in, making it 12-12. Ewan answered with a three of his own, and then Ewan started a run where he scored 19 of Rib Lake’s final 21 points of the half as the home team went up 38-26.
In the second half the Falcons shut Ewan down, holding him to just six points. Abby’s Blake Draper began to find his shooting stroke, with the senior scoring eight points.
Faber continued to go off on Rib Lake, dropping another eight points on the team, but only three other Falcons scored, with Reiley Schreiber scoring five points and Hunter Soyk and Brandon Diedrich each contributing two.
In the end, Rib Lake’s first half firepower proved too much to overcome, and their defense held the Falcons to 18 second half points, with the Redmen dropping in another 32.
The Falcons have just three regular season games remaining, but all three will be played in Abbotsford.
Abby will take several days off, and then attempt to snap their skid on Friday, when they host the Assumption Royals. Tip-off is at 7:15 p.m.
