Bluejay Boys Get Rare Blowout Win

Northeast Nodaway's boys got a rare blowout win, something that prompted some celebration by the players after the game. Last year, just about every game that they played was close, with the exception of the South Nodaway game. But this time, North Nodaway was no match for the Bluejays as they had no speed to match up with their guards or height to match up with Bryce Farnan. The result was a 58-19 blowout that advanced the Bluejays to the second round of the Northwest Missouri Tournament.

The two point loss on their home court to the sub .500 Mustangs last year must have left a bitter taste in their mouths because the Bluejays showed little resemblance to some of the sloppy earlier games of the year. Every other game that Northeast's boys lost last year was to a team that finished first or second in their districts. Against the Mustangs, they jumped out to a 19-0 lead and were never seriously threatened as the game went to the running clock in the fourth quarter.

Bryce Farnan opened the scoring with two free throws after grabbing an offensive board; the Bluejays would own the offensive glass behind Farnan (18 points) and Colby Wiederholt (23 points). Colby Wiederholt scored off a Kevin Stoll steal and then Colby Wiederholt got a steal off the press and fed Farnan. Farnan then connected from the left baseline after an inbounds from Colby to make it 8-0 just over two minutes into the game.

The avalanche continued as Northeast continued to work the glass at will. Colby Wiederholt and Bryce Farnan each got putbacks and then Clayton Judd scored off a steal and drive and then Colby Wiederholt hit Aaron Patton for a 3-pointer. Wiederholt then capped the run by scoring off a Bryce Farnan steal with 1:14 left. In a play that typified the kind of night North Nodaway was having, one of their players had the ball in backcourt with three seconds left in the first. Instead of holding the ball or throwing a desperation shot, he threw a lazy pass that Aaron Patton stole and put in the basket at the buzzer to make it 23-4.

Colby Wiederholt threw a long outlet to Aaron Patton for a layup to start the second quarter and then Aaron Patton got a steal and threw it to Colby for a layup as the press was working all night long. Bryce Farnan then added a putback. Dwight Titus hit a 3-pointer from the left wing and then Fred Rios scored from the left wing for a brief 5-0 run that made it 29-9, but then Colby Wiederholt scored off a drive to start another run. Bryce Farnan threw a perfect backdoor pass to Tyler Schmitz after the defense had collapsed on him in the paint, then Colby Wiederholt showed that he had added a new dimension to his game. Last year, his one move was his patented left-hander to the hole; this time, he began lighting it up from downtown as he scored two 3-pointers, got a putback, and added a free throw as he scored nine points in less than two minutes to make it 42-9.

Northeast kept pulling away late in the second and throughout the third quarter to trigger the running clock. Bryce Farnan scored from inside and then opened the scoring in the third with a shot from the left wing with a defender in his face. Colby Wiederholt and Farnan added putbacks to make it 50-12. Hopkins finally got some shots to fall as they pulled to within 50-18, but then Colby Wiederholt jumped a pass and went all the way for a layup and then Kevin Stoll scored from the high post to make it 54-18 after three.