LEAD SPORTS PHOTO: The Southern Boone YMCA host 425 wrestlers at their annual tournament on Sunday. Tournament organizers Trent Tracy and Kip Batye said wrestlers were mostly from Mid-Missouri, but also from the St. Louis area. The local YMCA wrestlers won a number of medals, see next week’s Journal for more on the tournament.

LEAD SPORTS STORY: Eagles pass test, stay unbeaten

It wasn’t a test between two talented teams, as the Eagles won easily, 73-51. Rather, it was a test to see if SoBoCo could be more than a one-dimensional team.

Fatima knew Southern Boone’s game, a drive first, fast break, layup-driven offense that scored off their press defense. The Comets enforced a defense that clustered in the middle of the half court set, giving shooters space at the three-point line for much of the game. That type of defense clogged up most of the driving lanes and forced the Eagles to be a perimeter shooting offense. And while head coach Andy Jahnsen trusts his shooters, they had yet to rely solely on the three-pointer.

The defense of Fatima kept the game close early, and after one quarter SoBoCo was up 16-10. Seniors Sam Stichnote and Brady Trammell were in foul trouble early, both ending the first quarter with two. The Comets were playing a little of the Eagles own game, and Southern Boone’s defense had a hard time stopping any dribble penetration.

With an idea of what Fatima was bringing, the Eagles handled the second half better and drew out their lead by a small margin. By halftime, they were up 31-22 and had the opportunity to make some more adjustments.

~ Get the rest of the story in today’s Journal ~

By Briley Eilers