Loyal basketball boys fall to Columbus before holiday break

By Valorie Brecht The Loyal boys basketball team couldn’t keep up in their recent game versus Columbus Catholic and took a loss. The Dec. 21 Marshfield game started with Loyal largely keeping pace with the Dons, however. The Greyhounds got layups from Isaac Jakobi and Cain Toufar, plus a 3-pointer from Jacob Schill over the first five minutes to score 7 points. At 13:27 remaining, the score was 9-7, Columbus just barely ahead.

However, the Dons soon found their rhythm and began to pull away, scoring 18 unanswered points over the next seven minutes.

“The biggest challenge (when) facing Columbus is containing and challenging all of the shooters they have,” wrote Loyal coach Brandon DeSmet in an email. “Playing a team like Columbus with their fast-paced offense and defense can make it difficult on you, especially when you have not faced that type of tempo all year.”

However, he said, “our offense has been getting better every game we play, and I think tonight we found some really good shots.”

Loyal’s Reed Stieglitz broke through with a 3 at 6:46 remaining to put Loyal in double digits, but it was slow going after that. Other contributors for Loyal over the rest of the half included Bryce Deegan, Jakobi and Schill. Jakobi grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in for a basket. Stieglitz also made two free throws in a row. Loyal didn’t end up at the line very often, however. On the other hand, the Dons made it to the line more often than the Greyhounds would have liked.

“We got into some foul trouble early that forced us into some tougher matchups, but in the second half I think we did a much better job of this,” said DeSmet.

By halftime, the Greyhounds were trailing 46-21. Although Columbus slowed down somewhat in the second half, the Dons still put up 35 points. Loyal stayed consistent, putting up 21 points in the back half of the game. Those points led to the 81-42 win for Columbus.

For Loyal, Schill was the leading scorer, sinking multiple 3s as well as a basket just shy of 3 points. He had 15 points in all. Stieglitz was behind him, with 10 points. The rest of the Greyhounds’ varsity roster filled in with the following point totals: Jakobi 5, Toufar 4, Deegan 4, Joseph Treffinger 3 and Hudson Hanson 1.

Some of Loyal’s successes also went beyond the scorebook, said DeSmet.

“I think there are a ton of bright spots in the game. Jacob shot the ball well from the outside, we rebounded really well on the offensive and defensive end, and we had to have two sophomore guards handle the press all night (Reed Stieglitz and Bryce Deegan). I think they did a great job being composed and poised all night. It was a great growing game for them,” wrote DeSmet. “Even though it may not show, Bryce Deegan and Reed Stieglitz did a great job on defense against two guys that average almost 20 points a game, and they also did a nice job and offense getting us some really great looks.”

He also acknowledged the strong Columbus program that made for such a tough competitor.

“(I) give Columbus a ton of credit; they are the numbertwo team in the state for a reason. I loved how hard our guys played, and look forward to seeing how much they keep growing after Christmas break,” wrote DeSmet.

After the Columbus game, Loyal had a weeklong break and is scheduled to play Rosholt this Thursday, Dec. 28, at home at 2:30 p.m.

Above, Cain Toufar succeeds in making a shot during the team’s game against Columbus on Dec. 21 at Marshfield. At right, Isaac Jakobi goes up for a basket, while below, Reed Stieglitz looks for options from his teammates. Stieglitz was the team’s second-highest scorer in the game, scoring 10 points. Jacob Schill was the top scorer for the Greyhounds with 15 points.

VALORIE BRECHT/STAFF PHOTOS