Worth County’s boys, who started off the season with so much promise, were mired off in a 3 game losing streak. They had lost Cade Allee (calf) and Isaac Alarcon (knee) in the Albany Tournament; then, they lost sparkplug Ryan McClellan for the St. Joseph Christian game (concussion). The result was a lifeless 40-24 loss to the Lions which effectively knocked them out of the GRC Title race. It looked like there would be no rest for the weary as they had to travel to face Mount Ayr Monday.
Mount Ayr hadn’t had a winning season since the 2012-2013 campaign, but came into the game averaging 65 points a game and a 5-2 record. But then Worth County got its first piece of good news in a while as Ryan McClellan was cleared to play on game day, bringing Worth County back to full strength. Then, Worth County put together what Coach Bryce Schafer said was their most complete game this year as they put away Mount Ayr 64-38, holding them to a season low in points and held them to just over half their average.
Worth County jumped out to a 6-0 lead early as Ryan McClellan scored off a drive and then hit Drake Kinsella twice inside. But then Mount Ayr’s potent offense started to kick in as Isaac Grose scored an off-balance shot in the high post and Dawson Frost scored off a drive and from downtown to make it 7-6. Payton Wheeler’s steal put Mount Ayr up 11-10 with 2:27 left in the first, but then all of a sudden, Worth County’s defense kicked in as the Tigers started making use of their size advantage.
Last year, Mason Hawk was a force for the Tigers against Mount Ayr, grabbing 22 boards, two shy of the school record, held by Michael Hann. This year, he was the same, nearly posting a triple double. He had 12 points, 13 boards, and 8 blocks as the Raiders could never get anything going inside. Mason the Hawk turned blocking shots into an art form Monday, blocking some from in front, some from the side, and some from behind.
Meanwhile, Caleb Parman picked up where he left off against Christian, knocking down a 3-pointer on his way to a career night with 18 points. Jacob New followed with a backdoor layup from Mason Hawk and a transition basket after Ryan McClellan got loose in transition. For all their sloppy play at times, throwing the ball away and giving up some offensive boards against a dangerous team, Worth County was up 17-11 after one.
Jacob New was well on his way to a career night with 15 points as Drake Kinsella hit him for a 3-pointer and then Mason Hawk got a diving steal in the paint. Somehow, he rolled it out to Ryan McClellan under fire as some red shirts were scrambling for the ball and he aired it out to New for a layup to make it 22-11, prompting a Mount Ayr timeout.
The Raiders tried to make a stand and Dawson Frost scored consecutive baskets to make it 22-15. They had a chance to get closer, but then Caleb Parman got a steal, went in for a layup, lost a shoe in the process, but still completed a 3-point play to make it 25-15 with 3:59 left in the second.
The Tigers led 29-15 and pulled away for good in the second half. They scored 24 in the third as they cleaned up their play. In the first half, they had 9 turnovers, but only had 4 in the second half; similarly, they gave up 8 offensive boards in the first half, but only 3 in the second half. Mount Ayr tried to follow North Andrew’s lead by roughing up Kinsella and Hawk in the paint and shoving them out of position every time they got the seal, but that simply opened up Worth County’s guards. Parman had 9 in the third, while Jacob New had 5.
Worth County withstood Mount Ayr’s efforts to turn the game into a track meet and got their big men going in the fourth as Mason Hawk had 6 and Drake Kinsella 4.
The Tigers had four players score in double figures. Caleb Parman had 18, Jacob New 15, and Drake Kinsella and Mason Hawk had 12 each. Rounding out the scoring were Ryan McClellan with 5 and Jaxon Anderson with 2.
Mason Hawk had all 8 blocks for the Tigers. He also led in rebounding with 13. Drake Kinsella had 8, Caleb Parman 6, Tevin Cameron 5, Jaxon Anderson 3, and Ryan McClellan and Brant McCord 1.
Ryan McClellan had 6 assists. Mason Hawk and Drake Kinsella had 5, Jacob New 3, and Caleb Parman 2.
Mason Hawk had 4 tips. Ryan McClellan and Tevin Cameron had 3 each, Drake Kinsella 2, and Jacob New and Caleb Parman 1 each.
Mason Hawk had 4 steals, including one in which he picked the red shirt’s wallet and aired it out to Jaxon Anderson for a layup, living his dream of being a point guard for a play. Ryan McClellan had 2, and Caleb Parman, Tevin Cameron, and Jacob New had 1.
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