Aydan Blackford Scores 18 as Mustang JH Boys Overcome Slow Start

North Nodaway overcame a slow start to beat Nodaway-Holt 44-28 Thursday in junior high boys action behind the shooting of Aydan Blackford and 11 steals from Ethan Fry. The girls picked up a forfeit win as Nodaway-Holt did not have enough players available for the game; that was their first win of the year. The boys have won their third straight after dropping their first two.

The Mustangs looked on paper like they would get an easy win, as Northeast Nodaway had previously beaten the Trojans handily. But it was the Trojans who came out of the gate fast behind the duo of Preston Jenkins and Gage Johnson, who fueled an opening 7-2 run for the red shirts as North Nodaway was ice cold in the first quarter. It was Nodaway-Holt who was beating North Nodaway up and down the floor in that period. Although he only had two points for the Mustangs, Owen Martin served as a sparkplug for the blue shirts in both the NEN and Nodaway-Holt games; his absence was missed when he sat out much of the first with two fouls.

But then Aydan Blackford shot the Mustangs back into the game in the second, hitting a 3-pointers and two free throws after Preston Hansen had knocked down a shot from the high post to put the Mustangs back in front 10-7. Dalton Maupin countered with a transition look to make it 10-9, but Blackford hit a free throw and a transition look and Hansen connected again on a putback to make it 15-9.

Nodaway-Holt burned a timeout to try to stop the run, but Blackford hit from the right side and Ethan Fry, who had missed a ton of good looks in the first half, suddenly got untracked in the last minute, scoring off a drive and then a steal to put North Nodaway up 21-9 at the break.

North Nodaway went on to make it a run of 22 unanswered points in the third quarter. Blackford had a layup off a steal and a 3-pointer, Brice Trimble got on the board with a putback, and Fry scored off a Trimble steal and a drive in transition fueled by one of Preston Hansen’s four blocks and Trimble pushing it down the floor.

The JV finished out the third quarter, but Nodaway-Holt finished with an 8-0 run to make it 32-17, so North Nodaway put their starters back in for the fourth. Trimble scored off a steal, Fry went coast to coast in transition and added a 3-pointer, Owen Martin scored from inside, and Fry added a 3-pointer to make it 41-18 before the subs finished up the game.

Aydan Blackford had 18 points for the Mustangs. Ethan Fry had 16 points, Brice Trimble and Preston Hansen had 4, and Owen Martin had 2.

Preston Hansen had four blocks and altered many more as Jenkins would drive right past Fry, only for Hansen to be there to help. Mason Casner and Aydan Blackford had 1 each.

Aydan Blackford had 8 boards. Brice Trimble had 7, Ethan Fry 5, Preston Hansen 3, and Mason Casner, Kody Bird, and Owen Martin had 1.

Owen Martin, Brice Trimble, and Aydan Blackford had 2 assists. Ethan Fry and Kody Bird had 1 each.

Owen Martin and Ethan Fry had 6 tips. Brice Trimble had 4, Aydan Blackford 3, and Caleb Stevens and Mason Casner had 1.

Ethan Fry had 11 steals, showing that his performance against NEN two nights before was no accident; he had 16 points to get a double double. Aydan Blackford had 6, Brice Trimble 4, and Owen Martin 2.