SOMERSET — Alumnus Wade Fyock notched his first win as Somerset men’s basketball coach as the Pines BBQ Roundball Classic hosts defeated defending champion Turkeyfoot Valley 67-59 in the Game 14 nightcap on Friday, Dec. 5.
“I’m happy for the players,” veteran Feyok said. “The student section is excited for them. They’re into the game. It’s good to see them supported. They’re working hard. We did enough good things to get the win and I’m happy with our effort. It’s good to get a win to start the season.”
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Junior Chris Thompson scored a team-high 21 points for the Golden Eagles, including five 3-pointers. He made some key shots in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory with the game hanging in the balance.
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“Since June first when we started summer workouts, I would say Chris has been our most improved player,” Feyock said. “They’re all working hard – but to Chris’s credit – he was able to take it tonight and show them what he can do.”
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Somerset’s junior Aiden Roby scored 15 points and sophomore Kellen Hagans added 12 points.
The Gobblers only led three times in the game, all in the first half. Senior Lance Jones scored a game-high 22 points but was limited to seven points in the second half. Bronson Perez scored 11 points and Ely Walker scored 10 points.
Somerset led 36-29 at halftime, but an 11-0 run in the third quarter gave the Golden Eagles a commanding 49-31 advantage. After scoring the first four points of the quarter, the Rams didn’t score again until 2:40 left.
The Gobblers got within six points in the fourth quarter but were unable to overcome the deficit. The Rams’ plethora of missed layups and 23 turnovers were the difference in this game.
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Somerset is eyeing its first Pine Grill title since 2022 and meets Shanksville-Shade, which defeated North Star 54-49 in the championship game, at 7:30 p.m.
Senior Braxton Newman scored a game-high 17 points, while the Vikings’ Mike Kipp also scored 12 points. It was the second win of the season for first-year Shanksville coach Benjamin Buettner.
Shanksville-Shedd’s Braxton Newman watches the floor as he pushes the ball up the court during the first game of the Pines BBQ Roundball Classic against the North Stars on Friday, Dec. 5 in Somerset.
“Luckily, we have a great group of seniors,” Buettner said. “They’ve been playing together for four years. They know each other well and know what each player is good at. Mike Kipp is a great leader. We rely on him a lot.”
Cashville-Shedd led 21-17 at halftime and extended the advantage to 39-30 after three points. The North Stars tied the score to four points in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings went on a 7-0 spurt, thwarting the Cougars’ comeback plan.
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Bryce Frombach led the Cougars with 14 points, while Bryson Durst added 13 points.
Buettner is excited for the championship game.
“There’s nothing better than competition,” he said. “We’re here to win and we’re going to fight hard.”
Adam Ripple is the sports editor of The Daily American. You can contact him at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily America Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared in the American Journal: Somerset, Shanksville-Shedd win 14th Annual Pine Grill Classic