Bluejay Boys Win Again as Chase Clabaugh Steps Up

Northeast Nodaway's boys got their second win as Drew Dack got his usual output with 25, Chase Clabaugh turned into a second scoring option, and the Bluejays outworked the much taller Mustangs to get the 44-19 win Tuesday, October 26th. 

The Bluejays had every reason to be worried going into that game. North Nodaway was 2-1, the Bluejays were shorthanded and down to five players, and they couldn't afford to get into foul trouble. But they pulled together as well as they had all year. Drew Dack continued his pattern of learning to trust his teammates, dishing the ball off to the tune of 6 assists. Nobody had more than two fouls for the game, and the Bluejays outrebounded North Nodaway 37-23 for the night. Chase Clabaugh suddenly started knocking down shots after Drew started getting him the ball, and he showed a newfound willingness to mix it up on the boards, getting 6 for the night. 

The game started off well for the Bluejays as Drew Dack scored off a drive, then set up Clabaugh for his first jumper. Reece Gray went coast to coast after getting a defensive board, and Lance Runde found Drew Dack inside to make it 8-0. Trevin Wyllie countered with a shot from the high post off a pass from Blaine Clements, but Drew Dack's putback made it 10-2.

Northeast had started off strong in their first two games only to let the other team back in, and sure enough, the Mustangs got going as Draedyn Degase knocked down a shot from the high post, the skyscraper Blaine Clements got a putback and got loose in transition, and Trevin Wyllie got behind the defense and hit a free throw as the Mustangs made it 10-9 at the nine second mark. But then Drew Dack drove and was fouled on a pullup try and knocked down both free throws to make it 12-9 after one.

Unlike the King City game, Northeast didn't let North Nodaway hang around; this time, they held them scoreless and pulled away in the second quarter. First, Drew Dack hit Chase Clabaugh on the left side. Dack followed with a three point play, then found Clabaugh again on the baseline to make it 19-9. North Nodaway switched to a zone, but Lance Runde drove down the right baseline for a score, Drew Dack drove and pulled up for a score, and Reece Gray got an offensive board with one second and made one out of two shots to make it 24-9 at halftime.

North Nodaway tried to establish their big guy, Blaine Clements, to start the second and he started off with a putback to open the scoring. Drew Dack scored off a couple of drives to make it 28-11, but then Draedyn Degase and Kaeden Nave knocked down shots from the high post to cut it to 28-15. But just as it looked like North Nodaway would make things interesting, Drew Dack took over the game, cutting inside and getting a pass from Lance Runde to start the run. He then went coast to coast to make it 32-15 again.

The Mustangs then tried doubling Drew Dack every time he brought the ball up the floor, but it didn't matter, as he posted up and scored inside and drove right through the double and hit a pullup to make it 36-15 after three.

At that point, everybody else chipped in for the Bluejays as Drew Dack his Lance Runde on the right side. Reece Gray got loose after Drew Dack pushed one ahead to him, Chase Clabaugh got a pass from Chase Allen for a score to put the Mustangs up 42-15. Blaine Clement countered with a putback and Draedyn Degase added another shot from the high post to make it 42-19, but Chase Allen got on the board for the Bluejays at the end.

For Northeast, Drew Dack had 25, Chase Clabaugh 8, Reece Gray 5, Lance Runde 4, and Chase Allen 2.

Drew Dack and Chase Allen each had 1 block.

Drew Dack, working against the much taller Clements, had 15 boards. Lance Runde had 7, Chase Clabaugh 6, Chase Allen 5, and Reece Gray 4.

Drew Dack had 6 assists. Lance Runde had 3, and Chase Clabaugh, Reece Gray, and Chase Allen had 1 each.

Drew Dack had 4 tips. Chase Allen had 3, Lance Runde 2, and Chase Clabaugh 1.

Drew Dack and Chase Allen had 2 steals each.

For North Nodaway, Blaine Clements had 8 points. Draedyn Degase had 6, Trevin Wyllie 3, and Kaeden Nave 2.

Blaine Clements had 3 rejections.

Blaine Clements had 14 boards. Draedyn Degase had 5, Ridge Clements 2, and Trevin Wyllie and Kaeden Nave 1 each.

Blaine Clements had 3 assists. Ridge Clements had 2, and Draedyn Degase and Kaeden Nave 1 each.

Blaine Clements, Trevin Wyllie, and Kaeden Nave had 1 tip each.

Blaine Clements had 2 steals. Draedyn Degase, Trevin Wyllie, Kaeden Nave, Ty Moyer, and Ridge Clements had 1 each.