Colfax boys bruise Beavers to end 2023 with a bang
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Marlys Kruger
Sports Corespondent
COLFAX — The Viking boy’s basketball team won three of their final four games of the year, ending 2023 with an 85 -56 win at home over the Augusta Beavers, December 22. Colfax began 2024 with a 4-6 overall record (1-2 in Dunn-St. Croix Conference play) as they hosted Turtle Lake January 2 in another non-conference game, they then go on to host Elk Mound this Friday, January 5.
Augusta and Colfax are both Division 4 teams with an enrollment difference of just two students. Augusta started the contest with a 1-6 overall record and were 1-3 in the Large Dairyland Conference.
The Vikings went up 6-2 to start the game on a shot by Eli Ralph and two from Orion Nichols. The Beavers knocked down a couple of triples but Aiden Fischer dropped in two free throws and Blake Johnson and Mason Yarrington drained back to back three point shots for a 14-10 Viking advantage.
After Fischer hit two more free tosses to make it 16-14, Colfax strung together their largest run of the season. Starting with Yarrington’s second trey, Fischer drove through the lane for a bucket, Nichols scored from the paint as did Logan Swartz. Nichols was unstoppable from close range as he connected on two more shots, Fischer drained a triple, Ralph dropped in a free toss, Fischer hit from long range again and Ralph scored from underneath and it was a 20 point streak, resulting in a 22 point Viking lead at 38-16.
After a Fischer layup and a three ball from Theo Hovde, the Vikings controlled the paint the rest of the half as Fischer scored three consecutive Viking baskets in the lane. Nichols, Johnson and Nichols again scored from close range and the Vikings went into the locker room up 55-27.
“Our kids started the game with great energy and they did a great job of moving the ball and making the extra pass,” Colfax coach Mark Noll said. “Our first half defense was outstanding,” he added.
The Colfax offense wasn’t quite as potent when they started the second half. After a couple of turnovers and several shots from behind the arc were off the mark, Fischer finally scored from close range. Yarrington added a bucket to go with another by Fischer, and Nichols and Fischer both hit again from the paint. Freshman Trey Larson drained a triple for his first varsity points, Hovde drove end to end for a layup then assisted Swartz for another two points to make it 72-44.
Ralph fouled out of the game with 7:18 left which happened to be the 10th Viking foul. Augusta went to the charity stripe several times after that and knocked down 7-of-14 free throws. It didn’t matter at this point when Johnson canned a three pointer from the top of the circle, Swartz, Nichols and Swartz again followed up by scoring from close range. Colfax played a lot of their reserves the final few minutes and Charlie Charbonneau ended the game with a three point shot and a final free throw for his first varsity points.
Fischer, Nichols and Swartz all scored career highs with Fischer finishing with 28 points which included a pair of triples and 4-of-5 free throws. Nichols added 18 points on nine shots from the paint and Swartz dropped in eight points on four buckets.Johnson added eight points, Yarrington six on two triples, and Hovde and Ralph both finished the game with five points. The Vikings connected on seven shots from behind the arc and were 5-for-7 at the foul line. Noah Schroeder led the Beavers with 16 points and his team made three triples and were 13-for-22 at the charity stripe.