The Waldron Jr Bulldogs haven’t faced very many teams that can go toe to toe with them. Going into their game against the Hackett Hornets on Thursday, January 14th, the Bulldogs knew they would have their hands full with an equally skilled Hornets team. In fact, the only thing unequal about the game was the final score of 31-26 in Waldron’s favor.
Waldron jumped on the Hornets early and often. The Bulldogs found gaps in the Hornet’s defenses but found out quickly that the Hornets wouldn’t go down without a fight. That is precisely what Waldron loves too. A gritty tough opponent. The Bulldogs leash was led by Chris Lopez who dumped 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 deflections, 4 assists, and 3 steals on the Hornets in a stellar performance. Lopez wasn’t alone though as seven teammates hooked up for their share as well.
Scout Young, Cole Bailey, and Noah Patrick scored 3 points each and combined for 4 defensive rebounds. Kaden Rogers rolled up 5 points in the game while Kason Davis had 4 points on the night. And Logan Young rounded out the scoring with 2 points. “I am really proud of the way my guys played against Hackett,” expressed Coach Josh Atchley. “It might even be our most complete game of the season so far. This group hasn’t reached their potential yet so I’m excited for the rest of conference play.”
With a solid lineup on Hackett’s side of the court, the Hornets battled back and forth with Hackett. With every Bulldogs score, Hackett would quickly learn their mistake and correct it. For every lesson the Hornets adjusted, Waldron would find the Hornets weakness again. One thorn in the Bulldogs paw that just got deeper was a game of catch. To be specific, they couldn’t catch Cole Ketchum. Hacketts Ketchum was able to power through the Bulldogs for 14 points in the game. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Waldon found a way to catch up.
Hackett Coach Kent Elmore said, “We had every opportunity to win the game and put them away. We executed our sets well but the shots just never fell in. I’m proud of our boys for giving it their all. Nights like these happen and you just have to bounce back and get back to it in the next one. Waldron is a well-coached team and it’s always tough for anyone to beat them at their place.”
Photos courtesy of Mandy Foster
