MONTABELLA Montabella defeated Coleman 54-40 in Mid-State Activities boys basketball on Wednesday.

The Mustangs got out to an 8-2 lead after the first quarter and extended their lead to 18-9 at the break before outscoring the Comets 36-31 in the second half.

Logan Schocknesse led Coleman with eight points, while Josh Hilliard had seven points, and Blake Verrett had six rebounds.

David Gormley led the Mustangs with 18 points.

Comets coach Steve Fox said he was happy with his teams effort, especially considering the illness which many of his players have been dealing with.

We got off to a slow start, pretty sluggish at first, Fox said. We came out and played better in the second half. We tried to push the ball a little bit more, (and) we ran the offense a little bit better. The key of the game was that we couldnt really get the turnovers we wanted off our press, and they hit some key shots when we needed to get defensive shots.

The Comets (1-14 overall, 1-10 MSAC) host Ashley on Friday.

Coleman won the junior varsity game 66-46, as Kam DeVrieze led the Comets with 22 points.

Bay City John Glenn 52, Gladwin 25

BAY CITY Bay City John Glenn defeated Gladwin 52-25 in nonconference boys basketball on Wednesday.

The Bobcats had a 7-3 advantage after a close first quarter and extended their lead to 19-11 at the break. John Glenn then pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Flying Gs 33-14 after halftime.Devin Boylen led Gladwin with seven points, while Max Wentworth and Mason Fitzpatrick both contributed seven rebounds.

Brendon Schlink led the Bobcats with 10 points.

The Flying Gs (4-12) host Whittemore-Prescott on Wednesday.

John Glenn also won the junior varsity game, 72-39.

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Comets, G's lose in boys' hoops - Midland Daily News

A comet appears to be cracking up over our heads at this moment. Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann was seen breaking apart via Slooh telescopes in Chile on Sunday and captured in GIF-tastic glory here:

Slooh Observatory

The slow destruction of this primordial space rock has been ongoing for quite a while. The earliest evidence of its disintegration was first observed on its 1995 visit. During its trip around the sun in 2006,observations by Hubbleand other telescopes revealed Comet 73P was flying by with an entourage of over 40 discernible fragments that had broken off the main structure.

It certainly feels like its only a matter of time before comet 73P is destroyed, disintegrating into a trail of cosmic dust, Slooh astronomer Paul Cox said in a statement.

This is just kind of the way it goes for comets, which are made up of ice, dust and rock. Gravity, solar radiation and solar wind are constantly threatening to pull comets apart on each swing through the inner solar system, a trip Comet 73P makes every 5.4 years.

This means each pass by us could be the comets last. In fact, we might be witnessing its final days right now. It will reach perihelion its closest approach to the sun before whipping around our star to head back out toward Jupiter on March 16. Cox says Comet 73P may be hard-pressed to survive that moment.

This puts the comets nucleus under tremendous stress from the Suns gravitational forces and it appears that this may have been responsible for carving up the nucleus in two, he said.

The sun is known for snuffing out other notable comets in this way, as it likely did to theanticipated Comet ISONa few years ago.

And just for the record, we dont know yet where fragments from the comet might end up. Back in 2006, the internet went wild with rumors that parts of the comet would impact Earth and cause a huge tsunami, although NASA made it clear none of the fragments would pass closer than 20 times the distance between us and the moon.

Fortunately, astronomers are certain to keep a close eye on this crumbling comet, and so will we. Keep looking up.

Solving for XX:The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about women in tech.

Crowd Control:A crowdsourced science fiction novel written by CNET readers.

This article was originally published on CNET.com.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

See the original post:

Comet spotted breaking apart as it swings by Earth - CBS News

ALEXANDRIA Easterns boys basketball team is the defending Sectional 39 champion. Alexandria looks like the favorite to take the hardware this year.

The Comets showed Tuesday they will be ready to battle for a sectional repeat when the tournament opens Feb. 28.

Alex outlasted Eastern 67-61 in two overtimes on the Tigers floor.

Eastern coach Mike Springer liked what he saw from his squad.

Like I told the kids, this is the team the fight, the energy, the determination that I really believe we have, Springer said. Going on the road, playing on [Alexs] senior night, it was a tough game, but our kids battled and they worked together. Im just super proud of each and every one of them.

Down 46-39 late in regulation, the Comets closed on a 9-2 run to force overtime. Sam Querry ignited the comeback with a 3-pointer at 2:21. After Alexs Miller Abernathy missed a pair of free throws at 1:24, Zach Robinson drilled a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game at 1:08.

Abernathy put the Tigers up three with a layup at :30, but the Tigers fouled Robinson on a 3-point attempt at :24. The Comet senior made all three free throws for a 48-all tie. The Tigers missed a shot in the lane in the closing seconds.

In the first overtime, Alex jumped to a 53-50 lead, but Eastern followed with seven straight points. Querry started the run with two free throws and then Robinson had a terrific stretch he took a steal, hit a 3-pointer and then drew a charge. Draeden Graber scored on a breakout for a 57-53 lead at 1:07.

The Comets (7-14) failed to hold the lead. Alexs Matthew Hensley hit two free throws at :58. After Eastern came up empty on a three-shot possession, Alexs Avery Paddock tied it with two free throws at :41. Following an Eastern turnover, Alex missed a shot in the closing seconds.

The Tigers (12-8) dominated the second overtime. Dane Hueston, a 6-foot-6 forward, drilled a pair of 3-pointers to make it 63-57. The Tigers followed with 3 of 4 free throws for a 66-57 lead at 1:21 and they went on for the six-point win.

Alexs nine-point lead in the second OT was the biggest lead by either team in the game.

The first half was tight. Eastern led 8-6 after the first quarter. Alexs Blake Morehead beat the halftime buzzer with a runner, giving the Tigers their first lead, 20-19.

Alex led 32-29 after the third quarter. Eastern committed 10 turnovers in the quarter but was able to stay within one possession.

Alex built a pair of seven-point leads in the fourth quarter, 44-37 at 3:42 and 46-39 at 2:52, before the Comets stormed back.

Robinson led Eastern with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Querry had 17 points and six rebounds. Graber had 16 points, four boards and three assists. The Comets had a 34-26 rebounding advantage.

We had really good effort, Springer said. Defensively, I felt we felt we did a really good job on the glass. We moved the ball well, got good shots on the offensive end.

It was a tough game. Im just proud of the way our kids battled. We were right there [Tuesday], we just came up short. Well go back [today] and see if we can get better.

Read more:

BOYS BB: Comets fall short in 2 OTs - Kokomo Tribune

Ben Birnell

The Utica Comets penalty kill has recently had a rough few days.

The month started with Utica allowing one power-play goal on four opportunities to Hartford on Feb. 3. Then, the Toronto Marlies went 6 of 7 in a home-and-home series last week before Springfield added one on three chances Saturday. After stopping three Syracuse power plays Sunday, Utica is 66.7 percent on the penalty kill in the last five games.

When February began, the Comets ranked 11th in the American Hockey League with an 83 percent success rate. Entering Tuesday, the Comets ranked 21st at 80.5 percent.

I think (penalty kill) is always a focus, defenseman Chad Billins said. We just have to learn from our mistakes.

Utica (19-21-6-1 overall) takes on Toronto (24-21-3-1) in a big North Division matchup at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Comets know they have to be better against the Marlies, who are among the AHLs top power-play teams.

I dont know if we take any different approach than any other game, said Billins, a member of the Comets penalty kill unit. Obviously, we know their power-play is pretty potent.

Toronto is 14-of-35 (40 percent) against Utica this season. The Comets tied a franchise record Friday, allowing four power-play goals.

Theyve got a good power play, Comets coach Travis Green said. Theyve obviously exposed us.

Green said the Comets will make adjustments, but wont reinvent the wheel. Utica also has upcoming contests against Lehigh Valley and Albany, which has power-play units in the top half of the AHL entering Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Billins, who is in his first season with the Comets, said the team will have to remain disciplined.

Discipline is a big key in any game, but especially against (Toronto), Billins said. I think it is just important to avoid the easy calls. Taking undisciplined penalties, retaliations and stuff like that, thats when they hurt.

Gaunce back to NHL

Brendan Gaunces time with the Comets lasted four games.

The forward was officially recalled by the Vancovuer Canucks on Tuesday and joined the team in Pittsburgh in time for its game against the Penguins.

I felt I made the most of my games in Utica, Gaunce said in Pittsburgh. Im happy to be back here and looking forward (to playing with the Canucks).

The move happened because Bo Horvat is day-to-day after suffering a bone bruise after blocking a shot Sunday in Buffalo. The Canucks are also without Sven Baertschi, who recently suffered a concussion after a nasty hit from Nashvilles Cody McLeod. Entering Tuesday, Gaunce had five assists in 47 games with the Canucks this season.

Gaunce said last week he wanted to score a goal with the Comets. He did that Friday his first since April 16, 2016 while also adding an assist. He also scored in the Comets win Saturday. Gaunce, who also spent time on the team's power-play unit, played on a line with Carter Bancks and Wacey Hamilton.

In his return to the Comets, the 26-year-old seemed to play with confidence.

I thought (Gaunce) was good, Green said. He had a lot of pop in his game. It was probably good for him to get a lot of puck touches and score a goal. Well see what happens.

Making progress

The Comets are 1-5-1-1 in the last eight games. It is part of what has been an up-and-down season for Utica.

Six of those eight games were decided by a single goal. And Toronto added empty-netters, making two games closer than the scores might've appeared. Green has recently seemed pleased with the teams effort.

Im not happy that we havent won games. But, Im really happy with the way were playing, said Green, whose team is winless in its last five home games. Ive really loved our game since the All-Star break. But, in saying that we have to find a way to win.

With 28 regular-season games remaining, the Comets are six pointsbehind fourth-placeToronto in the division. The top four teams in the division make the playoffs. Including last weekends three-in-three, the Comets play 10 contests in 16 days.

I think the biggest key is just not to get too high or too low, get some points and stick to the process, Billins said.

Roll call

Pascal Pelletier, who didnt play in the third period Sunday, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Green said. The 33-year-old forward was injured near the end of the second period against the Syracuse Crunch. He did not practice Tuesday.

Joseph LaBate, who has missed the last 17 games with an upper-body injury, practiced Tuesday in a normal jersey. He could return to the lineup soon.

Hes close, Green said of LaBate, who is in his second full pro season.

Forward Derek Hulak (27 consecutive games) and defenseman John Negrin (15 consecutive games) remain week-to-week, according to Green.

New addition

Comets defenseman Colby Robak and his wife, Colleen, became new parents Tuesday.

The couple named their son Cayson Arthur Robak. Everyone appears to be doing well.

The 26-year-old Robak, who wasnt at practice Tuesday, told the O-D that Colleen found the name Cayson while perusing the social media website Pinterest.

Asked if he had given Robak any parenting advice, Green smiled and laughed.

Not yet, said Green, who has three kids.

Follow @OD_Birnell on Twitter or call him at 315-792-5032.

Excerpt from:

Comets' penalty kill aims to be better - Utica Observer Dispatch

Win and advance.

That was the focus of the Halifax County High School varsity girls basketball team in Monday night's 5A North Region Conference 16 Tournament quarterfinal game against Patrick Henry High School-Ashland at Halifax Count High School.

The Comets got off to a good start and got the job done with a 39-28 win over the Patriots, with the win propelling the third-seeded Comets into Wednesday's semi-final round where they will face second seed Albemarle High School in Charlottesville.

A win on Wednesday will send the Comets into the tournament championship game on Friday and guarantee them no worse than a second seed for the 5A North Region Tournament. If the Comets lose Wednesday, they will host a third-place game at Halifax County High School Friday night with the conference's third seed for the region tournament at stake.

Senior guard Malasia Boyd said the win was a big one for the team.

"We feel good about this," Boyd remarked.

"We were here in the same place last year and at the rate we're going, we're looking good. We're progressing each and every day. Learning from this game will help us in the next game."

This marked the second straight year the Comets girls have advanced out of the first round with a win on their home floor.

"Playing on our home court makes a big difference for us," noted Comets Head Coach David Graham after his team's victory.

"Home-court advantage means everything to these girls. The girls played really hard at the end of the regular season and we got the third seed, which was better than what we thought we would get. Hopefully we can go on from here."

The Comets were led in scoring by Tamiara Logan who finished the game with 11 points that included a trio of three-point baskets that came in the first half. Shadajah Davis followed with 10 points, Dee Dee Jeffress chipped in seven points and Brittany Clark tossed in six points among the team's top scorers.

Logan also led the Comets in rebounds with seven and had two steals and two assists. Clark had four rebounds and three steals and Davis pulled in four rebounds.

Halifax County High School got each of the four quarters off to a good start by scoring on the first two possessions of each quarter. On the defensive side, the Comets held the Patriots to seven points or less in three of the four quarters.

"We needed to get 10 or more points per quarter," Graham pointed out.

"We shot the ball well tonight and played extremely good defense."

If there was a downside to the Comets' effort it was turnovers. The Comets had 21 turnovers in the game including nine in the fourth quarter.

"We turned the ball over when they (PH-Ashland) pressed us," Graham pointed out.

"That is the only negative I can say about the game."

The Comets hit six of 15 shots from beyond the three-point arc, with Logan getting half of them.

"I was just feeling it," Logan said.

"I knew I had to put some arch on the ball. That was pretty much it. I also got good passes from my teammates."

The Comets took the lead on their first possession of the game with Logan hitting the first of her trio of 3-point shots to give her team a 3-2 lead. Davis hit a shot from inside the paint on the team's second possession and later knocked down a three-pointer to put the Comets up 8-2 with 5:35 left in the first quarter.

Halifax County High School led 11-5 at the end of the first quarter and got a 3-point basket from Boyd and a layup from Jeffress to grab a 16-5 lead with 5:39 left in the first half. The Patriots closed to within seven points late in the second quarter but a three-pointer from Logan with 32.7 seconds left in the half put the Comets up 22-12 at halftime.

Halifax County High School led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, which ended with the Comets leading 29-16.

Baskets by Davis and Clark to open the fourth quarter gave the Comets a 33-16 lead with six minutes left in the game. The Comets were never threatened after that.

Now, the Comets head to Charlottesville for Wednesday's semi-final round game against Albemarle High School.

"We've got to go up there and play on their home court," Graham said, "but we're playing pretty well. We're scoring points. If our offense can keep clicking we will be okay."

See more here:

Comets girls advance with 39-28 win over PH-Ashland | Prep Sports ... - YourGV.com

CHAMPAIGN The Oakwood Lady Comets once again got out to a slow start in postseason play, but this time, couldnt recover, as they saw their season come to an end at the hands of the Monticello Sages 50-41 on Tuesday evening in opening round action of the Class 2A Sectional at The High School of St. Thomas More in Champaign.

Oakwood, who could just muster two points in the opening eight minutes of action, fell behind 11-2 at the end of the first quarter, and was forced to try and play catch-up for the remainder of the game.

I think that the beginning of the game dictated things for the most part, because we had trouble getting into any kind of offensive rhythm as a result, Oakwood head coach Jeff Ford said following the game on his teams slow start.

The Lady Comets recovered some in the second quarter, as they began to see a few shots drop through the hoop, and trailed the Sages 17-10 after one half of play.

But it was the defensive pressure of Monticello that wore thin on the Lady Comets, something that Ford attributed to his teams trouble getting the ball up the court.

I dont know if we have faced that kind of length at any time this season, and I have to give them (Monticello) credit, because that made it extremely tough for us to get any kind of offense going tonight, Ford added regarding Monticellos tough defensive effort.

Katelyn Young scored 12 points to lead Oakwood, while Shaelyn Turner and Rylee Dowers each added 10 points for the Lady Comets, who see their season come to an end at 26-5 overall.

Oakwood was just 9-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, and excluding that first quarter, they didnt do a bad job from the field on the night. Oakwood struggled from the free throw line, making just 8 of their 18 attempts at the line.

Monticello (22-4) was led in scoring by Zanna Myers, who ended up with 12 points. Emma Reeder and Rachel Lockmiller each added nine points apiece for the Sages, who made 15-39 from the field for the contest, but only attempted four long range shots, making two of those.

Monticello was efficient from the free throw line, making 14-of-18 from the stripe on the night, including several late in the game to seal the victory.

Oakwood committed 23 turnovers, something that Ford attributes to inexperience for his young team.

I think our girls maybe tried to do too much tonight, and with their youth and inexperience, that certainly could have been a factor for the amount of turnovers as well, Ford remarked about his team and their lack of ability to take good care of the ball.

With everyone returning next season for Ford and the Lady Comets, they have the potential to get back in this position once again, and possibly improve with another year of experience.

Monticello will face Bloomington Central Catholic, who defeated Clifton Central 56-52 in a tight affair in the first game of the evening, in the sectional title game on Thursday evening. The winner of that game will advance on to the super-sectional at Champaigns Parkland College next Monday night with the opportunity to advance to the state tournament.

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Comets buried by slow start | Local Sports | commercial-news.com - Danville Commercial News

The Amber-Pocasset Panthers got off to a blistering start against the Hinton Comets on Monday. The Panthers opened the game on 10-0 run and never looked back en route to a dominating 67-35 victory over the Comets.

Amber-Pocasset got major scoring contributions from several players, led by Nathan Ratcliff and Hayden Savage. Ratcliff led all scorers with 20 points. Savage finished with 18 points. Travis Clift joined the duo in double figures with 12 points. The three combined for six 3-pointers as well.

Amber-Pocasset's defense was also a major factor in their success. The Comets made just three field goals in the entire first half and reached the 20-turnover mark as well. The Panthers extended that early 10-point lead to a 30-8 advantage at halftime.

After a Savage basket early in the second half, Hinton's Cache Garrett went on a solo 8-0 run to match Hinton's first-half point total and bring the Comets to within 16.

That run was then ended as the Panthers took a 22-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Panthers started the final eight minutes with the first of four 3-point baskets in the quarter. That came from Savage. A Ratcliff 3-point basket gave Amber-Pocasset a 29-point advantage. Clift would hit the other two for the Panthers.

The playoffs begin on Saturday for the Panthers. They will either host Boone-Apache or Navajo in the district title game.

Originally posted here:

Panthers pounce early against Comets | Sports | chickashanews.com - Chickasha Express Star

Matthew Lounsberry mlounsberry@hillsdale.net mlounsberryHDN

READING Jonesville employed a more aggressive defense in the second half of Tuesdays game at Reading, which lifted the Comets to a 57-39 win over the Rangers.

At halftime, I told the guys lets get up a little more and make it tougher, said Jonesville coach Kirk Wright. That created a lot more turnovers in the second half. It really changed the game with more pressure in the second half.

The game sat tied at 23 as both teams exited the locker rooms for the third quarter, and the Comets full court pressure helped them open the frame on a 11-2 run.

It was a pretty physical game, and we kind of got wore out up front, said Reading coach Brett Kerspilo. We made some mental mistakes, and they played really aggressive defense.

We werent able to over come those mistakes. You start missing baskets and it kind of snowballs from there.

The teams went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the third quarter, as Jonesville took a 46-35 lead into the final frame.

The Comets defensive was suffocating in the fourth quarter, as Jonesville outscored the Rangers 11-4 to end the game.

For Reading, Thursday night was another frustrating example of a strong first half followed up by a disappointing second, a trend that has become a theme for their season.

Weve been working on it. What weve struggled with is weve had a quarter where we cant score, Kerspilo said. When we dont score, we lose our energy offensively.

Reading struggled to score early in the game as well, with Jonesville jumping to a 10-2 lead in the opening five minutes of the contest.

The Rangers rebounded to cut their deficit to 12-8 by the end of the first quarter, then took an 18-17 lead with 2:21 remaining in the half.

I always want to have a little more pressure on defense. It seems like we always start a little slow, Wright said.

Both teams ended the second quarter with three-point baskets, making it 23-23 before the Comets second half adjustments led them to victory.

Weve had moments all year where weve been good on defense. Now we need to carry it through a whole game, Wright said.

We can play with anybody if we play right. We have good enough players here. We just need to make sure we finish a game, play four quarters of defense.

Jonesville was led by senior point guard Jake Wilson with 21 points, five steals and four assists. Joel Benn pitched in a strong performance with 14 points, five steals, five rebounds and three assists.

Will Taylor had nine points and two steals, and Seth Young added eight points. Mitchell Beatty contributed three assists and three steals, while Seth Spahr added five rebounds.

Wright was pleased with his teams offensive balance.

Its how weve been playing lately. Our last game, Jake didnt lead us. Jake really is a pass-first guy, and we have other guys who will step up, he said.

If we get three or four guys every game to step up, we have a chance to finish out the season real strong going into districts.

The Comets return home for three straight games, as they look to enter the postseason on a hot streak.

We just have to keep playing every game. Were going home for our next three games in a row, which is huge, Wright said. We have to come out and try to win every game we can and go into districts with momentum.

Reading was led by freshman Nick Affholter with 12 points and seven rebounds. Cole Boyd scored 10 points.

Also for the Rangers, Corbin Hoover scored seven points, Alex Price scored six and Ben Affholter added four points and 11 rebounds.

Kerspilo remains confident in his young squad, and hopes the lessons learned from throughout the season lead to a mature, dangerous team come district play.

Were hungry. Weve just have to put together four quarters. A lot of it is gaining confidence. We just got to have a night where we figure it out, get over that hump, he said.

I think well get it. Im still excited about district. The guys are still into it.

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Second half 'D' lifts Comets over Rangers - The Hillsdale Daily News

Slooh Observatory

A comet appears to be cracking up over our heads at this moment. Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann was seen breaking apart via Slooh telescopes in Chile on Sunday and captured in GIF-tastic glory above.

The slow destruction of this primordial space rock has been ongoing for quite a while. The earliest evidence of its disintegration was first observed on its 1995 visit. During its trip around the sun in 2006, observations by Hubble and other telescopes revealed Comet 73P was flying by with an entourage of over 40 discernible fragments that had broken off the main structure.

"It certainly feels like it's only a matter of time before comet 73P is destroyed, disintegrating into a trail of cosmic dust," Slooh astronomer Paul Cox said in a statement.

14

Rosetta's long journey from here to a comet (pictures)

This is just kind of the way it goes for comets, which are made up of ice, dust and rock. Gravity, solar radiation and solar wind are constantly threatening to pull comets apart on each swing through the inner solar system, a trip Comet 73P makes every 5.4 years.

This means each pass by us could be the comet's last. In fact, we might be witnessing its final days right now. It will reach perihelion -- its closest approach to the sun before whipping around our star to head back out toward Jupiter -- on March 16. Cox says Comet 73P may be hard-pressed to survive that moment.

"This puts the comet's nucleus under tremendous stress from the Sun's gravitational forces -- and it appears that this may have been responsible for carving up the nucleus in two," he said.

The sun is known for snuffing out other notable comets in this way, as it likely did to the anticipated Comet ISON a few years ago.

And just for the record, we don't know yet where fragments from the comet might end up. Back in 2006, the internet went wild with rumors that parts of the comet would impact Earth and cause a huge tsunami, although NASA made it clear none of the fragments would pass closer than 20 times the distance between us and the moon.

Fortunately, astronomers are certain to keep a close eye on this crumbling comet, and so will we. Keep looking up.

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."

Crowd Control: A crowdsourced science fiction novel written by CNET readers.

See original here:

Comet spotted breaking apart as it swings by Earth - CNET - CNET

After having concluded a tough last stretch of the regular season in which it played three games a week over the last three weeks, the Halifax County High School varsity boys basketball team faces a new challenge Monday night.

The third-seeded Comets (14-7 overall) will face sixth-seeded Patrick Henry High School-Ashland Monday night at 7 p.m. at Halifax County High School in a first-round game of the 5A North Region Conference 16 Tournament.

Monday nights bottom line is simple win or go home.

Its a brand new season, remarked Comets Head Coach Sterling Williams.

Everybody is 0-0. It doesnt matter what you did in the games before. You can have played your worst game, and hopefully we did.

Hopefully, Williams continued, we will start playing our best games and start playing some good basketball, moving the ball around, sharing the ball and picking our intensity back up on the defensive end and enjoying playing the game we had been playing earlier in the season.

The Comets, who have won the 5A North Region Conference 16 Tournament two of the last three years, earning conference titles in 2014 and 2015 and finishing as the runner-up last season, know that while Patrick Henry-Ashlands record is not as good as theirs ,it doesnt mean that PH is a bad team.

They (Patrick Henry-Ashland) dont have a record that looks the best, but theyre playing in a tough district with teams like Varina and Henrico, and they played them pretty close, Williams noted.

It doesnt matter who you play. We cant worry about what PH does. Weve got to worry about taking care of the things we need to take care of. Weve got to take care of the Comets.

Weve got to take care of the basketball, play our type of game, play our type of defense, get in the gaps on the help side, just take care of the things we know we can take care of.

The Comets enter the tournament having lost two of their last three games including Thursday nights regular-season finale against Martinsville High School. Williams says despite that his team will be ready to play Monday night.

I dont think it will be hard to get the guys up for Monday, he remarked.

We look for challenges. I think the guys will be ready to play.

The Comets had a tough stretch of games to end the season, playing three games a week over the last three weeks.

Its been kind of rocky right here at the end playing three games a week for three weeks straight, Williams said following Thursday nights loss to Martinsville High School.

Thats not what were used to. I think our conditioning has been a little bit of a factor because we have been playing so many games and guys have been logging a lot of minutes.

But, we cant worry about that now, he added.

We werent the only team that faced that. Everybody had to play because of snow days. Were not going to make any excuses.

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Comets boys start with clean slate | Prep Sports | yourgv.com - YourGV.com

Three Halifax County High School wrestlers, Patrick Simmons, Tyler Mabe and Cameron Blunt, each collected wins in the 5A North Region Wrestling Tournament held Friday and Saturday at Orange County High School.

The Comets qualified five wrestlers to compete in the regional tournament but fell short of qualifying any wrestlers for the upcoming Group 5A state tournament.

Every season our goal is states, said Comets Head Coach David Riddle.

We talk about it on Day One, and we fell short there, but there were some positives. We had three out of five wrestlers advance to the second day of the tournament.

We always hate to see a season come to an end, Riddle added, but Coach (Jay) Cole and myself were extremely pleased with the progress we saw this year.

We had double the wins as a team, a solid majority of the team finished the year with winning records individually, and we are looking at returning almost everyone next year.

Simmons, wrestling in the 220-pound weight class, won his first-round match, but lost matches in the quarterfinal and consolation rounds.

Mabe, wrestling in the 145-pound weight class, lost his first round match, won a match in the first round of the consolation round, but lost his match in the second round of consolations.

Blunt lost his opening-round match, won his first-round match in the consolation bracket, and lost his match in the second round of the consolation bracket.

Tyler Hudson in the 138-pound weight class, and Matthew Jones in the 182-pound weight class each went 0-2 at the regional tournament.

Hudson and Jones lost out the first day, but both had strong matches in the second round of consolations, and they will both be able to use this experience for next season, Riddle pointed out.

Riddle noted Simmons had perhaps the most impressive performance at the regional tournament.

One of the most impressive things we had happen on day one was the round one match for Pat Simmons, Riddle explained.

He was wrestling as a three seed and beat the two seed from Marshall.

Pat was new to the sport this year, so that was huge for him. He had two solid matches after that against tough opponents to lose out, but that first win was big for us as a team. I think it woke the entire group up.

Mabe and Blunt lost their first matches, Riddle continued, then had impressive wins in consolation round one, added Riddle.

Unfortunately, they both lost the next day in their first matches but both fought very tough opponents from Patrick-Henry Roanoke.

For Blunt, a senior, the regional tournament was his last competition for the Comets wrestling team.

We hate to lose Blunt and the experience that he brought with him, Riddle said, but the future for Comet wrestling looks like it is going to continue to be bright.

VHSL Region 5A North

Results for Halifax

138 - Tyler Hudson (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Payton O`Selmo (Potomac Senior) 3-2 won by fall over Tyler Hudson (Halifax) 0-2 (Fall 0:00)

Cons. Round 1 - Brandon Battista (Stone Bridge) 1-2 won by decision over Tyler Hudson (Halifax) 0-2 (Dec 8-6)

145 - Tyler Mabe (1-2) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Matt Mitchler (Mountain View) 46-4 won by fall over Tyler Mabe (Halifax) 1-2 (Fall 0:00)

Cons. Round 1 - Tyler Mabe (Halifax) 1-2 won by fall over Gaurav Baireddy (Stone Bridge) 0-2 (Fall 3:43)

Cons. Round 2 - Nick Debonte (Patrick Henry-Roanoke) 2-3 won by fall over Tyler Mabe (Halifax) 1-2 (Fall 3:18)

182 - Matthew Jones (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Andrew Mason (Wakefield) 11-3 won by fall over Matthew Jones (Halifax) 0-2 (Fall 1:24)

Cons. Round 1 - Ulises Cruz (Potomac Falls) 1-2 won by fall over Matthew Jones (Halifax) 0-2 (Fall 0:59)

220 - Patrick Simmons (1-2) place is unknown and scored 2.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Patrick Simmons (Halifax) 1-2 won by decision over Robert McCaleb (Marshall) 11-10 (Dec 8-4)

Quarterfinal - Carlos Herring (North Stafford) 2-1 won by fall over Patrick Simmons (Halifax) 1-2 (Fall 1:25)

Cons. Round 2 - Bobby Caldwell (Tuscarora) 3-1 won by fall over Patrick Simmons (Halifax) 1-2 (Fall 2:18)

285 - Cameron Blunt (1-2) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Glogowski (Wakefield) 9-6 won by decision over Cameron Blunt (Halifax) 1-2 (Dec 3-2)

Cons. Round 1 - Cameron Blunt (Halifax) 1-2 won by fall over James Foster (Stone Bridge) 0-2 (Fall 3:21)

Cons. Round 2 - Omega Webb (Patrick Henry-Roanoke) 3-2 won by fall over Cameron Blunt (Halifax) 1-2 (Fall 4:03)

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Three Comets wrestlers collect wins at regionals - YourGV.com

February 13, 2017 by Elizabeth Zubritsky Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov is captured using a telescope on December 22 from Farm Tivoli in Namibia, Africa. Credit: Gerald Rhemann

Comet hunters still have a chance to see comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov in the next few days using binoculars or a telescope. It's the first of a trio of comets that willbetween now and the end of 2018pass close enough to Earth for backyard observers to try to spot and for scientists to study using ground-based instruments.

Comet 45P will come closest to Earth on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 11, when it passes by at a distance of about 7.7 million miles (12.4 million kilometers), or more than roughly 30 times the distance between Earth and the moon. It is currently in the early morning eastern sky, though the full moon may make the comet more difficult to spot. The recommendation for backyard astronomers is to use binoculars or a telescope to look for the comet several times during the coming days.

Discovered in 1948, 45P is a short-period comet, with an orbit that takes it around the sun and out by Jupiter about every 5-1/4 years. This weekend's encounter will be the comet's closest with Earth through the end of this century. The comet will pass by our planet again in 2032 but will be much farther away at a distance of nearly 30 million miles (about 48 million kilometers).

Scientists have taken advantage of 45P's approach, making observations using powerful ground-based telescopes such as NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility to investigate the gases, dust and ice particles that are released from the comet nucleus and show up in the coma and tail. By looking for water, methane and other important compounds, astronomers get clues about how the comet is put together and where it originated in the cloud of material that surrounded the young sun as the solar system formed.

By observing the same comet more than once, astronomers can see how the object changes over time.

"Observing a comet multiple times over successive orbits is like taking snapshots at different stages of life," said Joseph Nuth, a senior scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "And some comets have harder lives than others, depending on how close they get to the sun. We can learn about these effects by comparing different comets with varying perihelion distances over time."

Ground-based observations also are planned for comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, which will pass closest to Earth on April 1, 2017, and for comet 46P/Wirtanen, passing closest to Earth on Dec. 16, 2018. By studying this trio of comets, astronomers can learn more about the differences among comets information they use to fill in the comet family tree.

"Comet 46P in particular will remain within 10 million miles of Earth for several weeks, from December 4 through 28, 2018," said Goddard researcher Michael DiSanti. "This will permit detailed studies of its material, as successive regions of the comet's nucleus become exposed to sunlight."

Another reason to check out the skies tonight and early Saturday is the full moon with a penumbral eclipse. For more information, see nasa.tumblr.com/post/157061320334/subtle-lunar-eclipse

Explore further: Full moon, comet starring in night sky show this weekend

A full moon and comet share double billing in a special night sky show this weekend.

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured images of Comet 252P/LINEAR just after a close encounter with Earth on March 21. The close proximity to the comet offered scientists new insights on the body's nucleus.

Astronomers at the Planetary Science Institute made observations of Comet Pan-STARRS (P/2016 BA14) using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i that show that it reflects less than 3 percent of ...

ESA and NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, saw a bright comet plunge towardthe sun on Aug. 3-4, 2016, at nearly 1.3 million miles per hour. Comets are chunks of ice and dust that orbit the sun, usually ...

Looking for a good binocular comet? Well, if luck is on our side, we should be getting our first looks at periodic Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov as it tops +10th magnitude in dusk skies over the next few weeks.

Astronomers were watching when comet P/2016 BA14 flew past Earth on March 22. At the time of its closest approach, the comet was about 2.2 million miles (3.5 million kilometers) away, making it the third closest comet flyby ...

(Phys.org)An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new giant radio galaxy (GRG) associated with the galaxy triplet known as UGC 9555. The newly discovered galaxy turns out to be one of the largest ...

The search for planets beyond our solar system is about to gain some new recruits.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a supergiant red star ended its life in a spectacular explosion known as a supernova.

An international team of astronomers released the largest-ever compilation of exoplanet-detecting observations made using a technique called the radial velocity method. They demonstrated how these observations can be used ...

Radar images of asteroid 2017 BQ6 were obtained on Feb. 6 and 7 with NASA's 70-meter (230-foot) antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California. They reveal an irregular, angular-appearing asteroid ...

Comet hunters still have a chance to see comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov in the next few days using binoculars or a telescope. It's the first of a trio of comets that willbetween now and the end of 2018pass close ...

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Comet's trip past Earth offers first in a trio of opportunities - Phys.Org

KEOSAUQUA For the second straight postseason, conference rivals Cardinal and Van Buren tangled on a Saturday night in the opening game of Class 2A regional tournament play.

There was one big difference in this year's first round contest, and it's a pretty obvious difference to any one that has watched the 16-win Warriors this season.

Taryn Schuererman stood head and shoulders about everyone on the floor on Saturday as the 6-3 Van Buren freshman poured in 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and swatted away five Cardinal shots as the Warriors continued their impressive turnaround by returning to the regional quarterfinal round with a 53-27 victory over the Comets. The win is the third straight this season over a Cardinal team that beat the Warriors twice last year in the regular season.

"We had a lot of good looks and good passes. I think we played a pretty good game all around," Schuererman said about Saturday's postseason win. "I think it's been easier for me this season because I've been playing travel ball for the past few years. I've played up on the 15 and 16U levels. I think it has made me stronger as a player."

Schuererman's big night did not start off with a bang from the inside, however. The versatile prep newcomer drained a 3-pointer after winning the game's opening tip, showing a facet to her game that makes the Van Buren freshman even more of a headache for opposing coaches.

"When you've got a girl that big that can step back and shoot the three, it's a heck of a weapon to have," Van Buren head girls basketball coach Matt Zeitler said. "When she can go outside and hit shots, you can't just focus on forcing her away from the basket."

Scheuerman, however, would not score again from the final until the final minutes of the opening quarter. Cardinal answered the opening 3-pointer by the Warriors with a tying shot from Autumn Deshler, one of four Comet seniors who did not want Saturday to be their final night on the court in red and white.

"The girls worked really hard in practice and they didn't want to be anywhere else but on that court together," Cardinal head girls basketball coach Kayla Eakins said. "We forced (Scheuerman) into a few turnovers early on. I think that's because of how much pressure we were putting on her defensively."

Cardinal forced four lead changes in the first quarter with the Comets taking their last lead of the season on a pull-up jumper by another senior, Sarah Schmidt, with three minutes left in the period. The height all around of the Warriors proved to be too much for Cardinal to handle with Van Buren snaring 44 rebounds, including 18 on the offensive end, turning second chances into a six-point run to end the first quarter with a 12-7 lead.

Despite nearly matching Cardinal herself in total points, Scheuereman did not have her best shooting night going just 7-17 from the field and missing her last four attempts from 3-point territory. Eight of Scheuereman's 23 points came from the free throw line, where the post power is working to get more consistent with teams including Cardinal left with no alternative than to foul once the ball gets thrown down low to the Warrior freshman.

"I shoot free throws really well in practice. For some reason, during games, I don't seem to handle the pressure quite as well," Scheuereman said. "That's something I just have to keep working on."

Defensively, Scheuereman added five more blocks to one of the top totals in the state. The Van Buren freshman is one of just four players across Iowa this season with over 100 blocks and is currently third in that total with 128.

"It helps that we have so many girls that have played together for so long," Scheuermann said. "You can tell that each class is working together. Now, it's all starting to come together for us as a team."

Eakins will hope that the Cardinal girls basketball program can experience a turnaround of their own next season after wrapping up the 2016-17 campaign with a 1-21 record. Gone from the team will be Deshler, Schmidt, Cassidy Jameson and Kaylie Blunt who led Cardinal in her final girls basketball game with nine points on Saturday.

"We definitely improved as a team during the course of this season. We started the year averaging 30 turnovers a game. There were times we couldn't even get the ball up the floor," Eakins said. "We've improved handling the basketball and seeing the floor. We've got a lot of good, young players coming back. (Junior) Jamie White has a great shot. Freshmen like Madison Cloke and Lydia Moses could be special players.

"It's all about the work the girls want to put in to improve during the offseason. That, to me, is when next season truly begins."

Van Buren (16-6), meanwhile, will head to 16-4 Pekin on Tuesday night for what could be an instant classic in the Class 2A, Region 8 quarterfinals. Both teams played for divisional titles on the last night of SEISC conference play this season and have been somewhat surprising in their success this season with the Panthers replacing four senior starters while the Warriors start a pair of freshmen.

Tuesday's tilt will also be a fascinating clash of style. Scheuereman leads a powerful interior attack for the Warriors that will have to match up with the guard play of Pekin, led by junior scoring leader Maci Gambell's 20.4 points per game.

"I'm looking forward to the match-up," Scheuereman said of facing Gambell on Tuesday. "I'm ready to block her shot."

Scott Jackson can be reached at sjackson@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter at CourierScott.

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Warriors tower over Comets in 2A regional opener - Ottumwacourier

It was not easy and it was not always pretty but the Kansas City Comets came from behind to beat the Dallas Sidekicks 7-5 and earn their 100th regular season win for the franchise. Ramone Palmer led the Comets with two goals and Vahid Assadpour added a goal and two assists at crucial times.

The Comets and Sidekicks came into the match from opposite points of view but both needing the win. Kansas City leads the Central division and needed the win to stay in the playoff zone with a couple tough division rival matches to wrap up the season.

Dallas was in third in the Southwest and needed the win to stand a chance to make post season and the start of the game showed that desire by the Sidekicks.

The first quarter was almost all Dallas. After almost scoring less than a minute in (missed a wide open goal), the Sidekicks took the lead at 2:51 on a goal by Jamie Lovegrove. Scores by VcMor Eligwe and Cameron Brown at 5:09 and 10:26 had the first quarter in control for Dallas.

The Comets regrouped and started chipping away at the lead in the second quarter. After just one shot by the Comets in the first, they ramped up the attack on goal in the second with a total of ten shots. Finally Ramone Palmer redirected Assadpours pass into the far corner at the 9:17 mark.

The two teams went into the half with the score 3-1 in favor of Dallas but momentum had shifted to Kansas Citys favor.

Dallas tried to recreate the early success in the game in the third quarter and did add to their lead with another goal by Eligwe but the Comets took control and added four straight goals (Bryan Perez, Robert Palmer, Assadpour and Brian Harris) to take the lead 5-4 in the fourth quarter.

The Sidekicks were on a defensive footing most of that time but did not go quietly, Eligwe added his third midway through the fourth to even it back up but the Comets turned the pressure up again.

The Comets regained the lead when Ramone Palmer received a pass in the middle of the box from Harris and was able to turn on it before the defense could collapse on him for a power play goal.

Dallas went with the sixth attacker but a combined team pressure of Lucas Rodriguez, Robert Palmer and Stefan Stokic led to a late goal by Stokic to make the final score 7-5 for Kansas City.

For you guys its entertaining, for me its a heart attack, head coach Goran Karadzov told media after the match.

The Comets have had a number of very close games this season, one goal games and wins with last minute goals. That is not making Karadzov happy. This is not the first time, more like the fifth time we wait until the last minute or two to win the game, Karadzov observed. Its always good to get the win but we have to approach differently, this isnt going to work in the playoffs being down three or four goals. We wouldnt be able to recover. Chemistry it is good to build character for the team but I would greatly prefer we can win it in the first three quarters and the fourth quarter just to keep it.

Veteran defender Stefan Stokic felt the slow start resulted from a little overconfidence. I think we came in to the first half thinking it was going to be an easy game, Stokic explained. They got some easy goals and we had to step up and that is what we did in the second half.

Good teams find a way to win, Comets captain Vahid Assadpour stated. We didnt start out the way we wanted to and we were down 3-0 at one point but momentum is going our way. When you do the right things the ball will bounce your way.

Assadpour expressed his pride in being part of the Comets 100 wins. Its great. I spent four years in Detroit before I came here and this is my seventh year with the Comets. Its unbelievable and a big accomplishment. Its amazing for the organization and the few guys that have been here since day one.

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Comets earn 100th win in comeback victory - The Blue Testament

By: Amy Brubaker

Sports Writer

In the IHSA Class 2 A regional championship game, the #3 seeded Oakwood Lady Comets forced 22 turnovers, and easily dropped the #2 seeded Wateska Lady Warriors 55-39.

In high school girl's basketball, as with most other sports, the focus is usually lighting up the scoreboard. But you can be just as successful stressing defense. The Lady Comet's smothering defense propelled them to a regional title by making it hard for the Lady Warriors to put the ball in the basket in the second half.

Lady Comet's Head Coach Jeff Ford was very impressed with his team's second half performance. He stated, Early in the season, if we got down to a great team like Wateska, we probably would have lost the game. The girls have matured, and have been playing pretty solid in big game situations. We were only up four points at halftime, but in second half we hit our open shots, and forced turnovers, which helped win the game.

Kylie Neuman paced the Lady Comets with 16 points, while standout freshman, Katelyn Young pulled down 17 rebounds and scored13 points. Shaelyn Turner and Rylee Dowers each dropped in 12 points.

Earlier in the regional semifinals, the Oakwood Lady Comets squeaked by Bismarck-Henning 36-33. The Lady Comet's tenacious defense was the MVP of the regional tournament. The Comets forced 18 turnovers, and easily scored 16 points off these miscues. Young paced the Lady Comets with 13 points, Neuman added nine points. The Lady Comets improve to 26-5 overall, and will compete at the IHSA Class 2 A St. Thomas More sectionals this week.

Three Point Showdown Advancers were Young, and Salt Fork's Madison Kirby and Kayleigh Davis.

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Lady Comets win Regional Title 55-39 - The Independent News

EAGLE POINT Crater ran away with the Midwestern League Championship wrestling title, posting 5431/2 points and taking first place in 10 of the 14 weight classes.

Thurston finished second with 309 points, and Churchill (121), Springfield (100) and North Eugene (97) finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

Craters Javon Gill (285) pinned teammate Cameron Sweet in 1:39 to lock up the heavyweight title, while Nathan Santoni (138) took down Bryce Cwiklinski by majority decision, 16-6, for the Comets.

At 195 pounds, Thurstons Avery Jaramillo pinned James Pendleton of Crater in 1:38 for the victory, and the Colts Jackson Casteel pinned Craters Beau Crawford in 5:59 to win at 220.

Springfields Joseph Michelson won the 160 class with a pin of Craters Cameron Savage in 3:12 for the Millers only first-place finish of the day, and North Eugenes Alec Nolan finished first in the 126-pound class with an 8-6 victory over Craters Isaiah Griffith.

Also Saturday

Special District 2 Championships

Sweet Home earned four weight-class victories and took first place with 383 points. Jackson Royer pinned Cameron Truesdell of Junction City in 44 seconds at 106 pounds. The Huskies Kobe Olson defeated teammate Travis Thorpe 2-0 at 126, Jake Porter pinned Asa Alexander of Cascade in 13 seconds at 145 and Bryce Coulter defeated Matt Carrillo of North Marion 10-4 at 182. Junction City finished fourth with 1471/2 points and Elmira was fifth with 1271/2. The Falcons Dylan Porter defeated John Dover of Junction City 11-3 at 285 pounds. Sutherlin was sixth with 126 and Cottage Grove was 12th with 65.

Special District 3 Championships

Marshfield scored 367 points to outdistance Henley and win the district title at South Umpqua High School. The Hornets came in second with 2951/2 points. Siuslaw finished in seventh with 82 points, and North Bend finished 10th with 73 points. The Pirates finished 1-2 in the 106-pound class, with Kody Koumentis winning by major decision over Richard Rayburn, 8-0. Both AJ Lira at 132 and Garrett Lefebvre at 138 won their weight classes with pins, and William Jantzer (145), Cade Hite (160) and Travis Wittlake (170) all finished first in their weight divisions as well for Marshfield. Siuslaws Richard Huff defeated Frankie Harlow of Marshfield, 6-5, to win the 113-pound class, and Kainan Lane pinned Phoenixs Ishmael DeLaTorre in 3:20 to finish third in the 285-pound weight class. Coltyn Ringen finished second for North Bend at 126 pounds after losing to Cole Waldron of Douglas, and the Bulldogs Austin Miller came in third at 145 pounds.

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Comets streak away with MWL wrestling crown | Sports | Eugene ... - The Register-Guard

MAQUOKETA, Iowa Although he was a district champion after Saturday's Class 2A meet in Maquoketa, West Liberty's Bryce Esmoil was more proud of someone else.

"Will (Esmoil) was like a hammer today," Bryce Esmoil said. "Today wasn't really my day but overall it was pretty fun. (Will) and I challenge each other. I'm just really happy for him."

Bryce Esmoil, a junior, punched a ticket to his third straight state tournament by winning the 195-pound division. He will be joined by younger brother and Comets freshman Will Esmoil, who won the 106-pound title.

Will Esmoil won both his matches by fall, taking out Alaina Sunlin from Monticello in the semifinals and then beating Jack Streicher of Mount Vernon.

Joe Kelly will join the Esmoil brothers at state as he claimed the championship at 152 pounds. Kelly won his 40th match of the season by pinning Beckman Catholic's Cody Feldman in 3 minutes, 47 seconds.

Bryce Esmoil said having his brother on the varsity team has helped both wrestlers reach their potential during the season.

"We really push each other," Bryce said. "Sometimes I do better at tournaments than him and then sometimes he does better than me, so it's great to be able to share those experiences."

Behind the three champions and third-place finishes from Talen Dengler (113), Coy Ruess (126), Noah Bierman (132) and Austin Beaver (145), the Comets were able to take second place in the team standings with 98 points.

Davenport Assumption won the meet with 117.5 points.

West Liberty coach Jeff Wiele said he was proud of the state qualifiers and how the rest of the team battled during the tournament.

"Our kids wrestled hard," Wiele said. "We were right there in many of the matches. All the matches were tough. I think Bryce and Will really help each other. They watch each other and try to help each other out. Those three (qualfiers) should make it a lot of fun in the next week."

COLUMBUS QUALIFIES TWO: Columbus Community senior Tucker Morrison won a 170-pound district title at Fairfield on Saturday, his third straight state tournament berth.

He'll be joined in Des Moines starting on Thursday by sophomore teammate Jarod Kadel, who lost a 10-0 major decision to top-ranked Grayson Kesterson of Williamsburg in the final to secure his first state berth.

Morrison, who improved to 45-2 on the season, won by pinfall in his semifinal before beating Solon's Mike Hoyle by major decision, 9-0, to clinch his return to Wells Fargo Arena.

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Prep wrestling roundup: Comets' Esmoil brothers, Kelly clinch state berths - Muscatine Journal

After a slow start, the Lady Comets cruised to a 51-31 win at Constantine to improve to 9-7 overall. They had many chances early to score, but couldnt capitalize and led after the first quarter 6-4.

Midway through the second quarter, the Comets went on a 7-0 run to grab the lead at 15-8; a lead they didnt give up the rest of the way. Both teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half with the Comets going into the locker room ahead 23-14.

The Falcons scored off some offensive rebounds in the third quarter and narrowed the lead to 4. The Comets ended the quarter on a 5-0 run with quick layups from Aliyah Lemmer and Carmen Katje and a free throw from Haley Balkema.

The Lady Comets stretched the lead to 16 with two quick baskets- one by Abigail Dykema off a beautiful pass from Jaxsen Meldrum and the second by Balkema. They continued to stretch the lead, eventually winning by 20.

The Lady Comets were led by Haley Balkema with 15 points and Carmen Katje with 14. Madelyn Batts added 4 and Abigail Dykema, Jaxsen Meldrum, and Sidney Duong each added 4 of their own. They return to action Tuesday night at home against Martin

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Kalamazoo Christian Lady Comets Cruise to win over Constantine - MLive.com

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MATT SEAMON/FOR THE STANDARD-SPEAKER Hazleton Areas Joey Grula (22) tries to get in front of Crestwoods Kyle Gegaris during their WVC Division I boys basketball showdown at Hazleton Area on Friday night. The Cougars pulled out a 43-41 to clinch a tie for the division championship.

MATT SEAMON/FOR THE STANDARD-SPEAKER Crestwoods Lance Blass (4) looks to pass as Hazleton Areas Joey Grula defends during their WVC Division I boys basketball game Friday at HAHS. The Cougars prevailed, 43-41.

Included in the Hazleton Area boys basketball programs previous 499 wins over the past 25 seasons were several thrillers over Crestwood.

No. 500 also came at the Comets expense in just the latest exciting chapter between the Wyoming Valley Conferences most intense rivals on Friday night at Hughie McGeehan Gymnasium.

Michael Cusatis put in the game-winning basket with 52 seconds left and the Hazleton Areas defense stepped up late to preserve the Cougars 43-41 come-from-behind win, giving them no worse than a tie for their second straight Division I championship.

We battled, but we stuck together, Cusatis said. As long as we keep our heads, we can get through a lot of stuff, even if things are looking bad for us.

Indeed, for huge stretches of their showdown, it looked like the Comets would avenge a 32-point home loss to Hazleton Area last month and the Cougars would have to keep scarlet their pre-ordered T-shirts emblazoned with the silver numbers 5-0-0 across their chests inside a box for another day.

Hats off to them, Hazleton Area head coach Mike Joseph said. They came in here really ready to play... We let them off the hook in the second quarter, but they hit some threes and battled back and had us chasing them around.

Trailing in the fourth quarter for just the fifth time in 19 games forced to go deep into their bench, the Cougars overcame a four-point deficit, tied the game on Jeff Planutis highlight reel-worthy dunk and went ahead to stay

on Cusatis floater in the lane with just under a minute left.

Crestwood then held the ball, playing for the tie or win at the buzzer. But Josh Samec blocked Noah Jacksons three-point attempt and the ball bounced into Cusatis hands, keeping the Cougars unbeaten in WVC play and extending their winning streak to 16 games overall.

You cant create an oil painting every game, said Joseph, paraphrasing a quote from Joe Maddon, the Chicago Cubs manager and Hazleton native. Sometimes you ugly.

Ugly in regard to Fridays game would be based on ones interpretation. Hazleton Area wanted to apply its pressure defense, force turnovers and score points in bunches like the Cougars did in their 62-30 victory over the Comets last month.

Crestwood, meanwhile, was content to run its motion offense until an open shot arose or a Comet player found a cutting teammate who had a layup or drew a foul. The ploy was meant to frustrate the Cougars, slow them down, get them off their game, maybe take some of their better players out of the game.

And it worked for the most as both Cusatis and Joey Grula finished the game with four fouls apiece and Planutis played with three.

Im proud of my guys, Crestwood head coach Mark Atherton said. I thought we did what we had to do to try to win the game. We had a chance at the end. It just came down to one possession.

The strategy helped the Comets (14-6, 11-3) overcome a 19-10 deficit in the second quarter, which the Cougars built largely on the shooting of Samec, Grula and Planutis. But Kyle Gegaris knocked down two triples from the top of the key and Kevin Klusewitz and Kyle Richards each buried their own threes to put Crestwood on top 23-22 with3:05 left before halftime.

Gegaris later added a jumper and a free throw to add to his teams lead, before Grulas two foul shots pulled the Cougars within 26-24 at halftime.

Senior Lance Blass almost single-handedly continued the Comets momentum in the third quarter as he muscled in a layup that he converted into a three-point play and later rattled in a triple from the corner to give the Comets their biggest lead of the night (32-26) at the 5:25 mark.

Hazleton Area picked itself off the deck with a 7-0 run that gave the Cougars back the lead and re-energized the crowd. Samec swished a step-back three, before Planutis scored in transition and then on a reverse layup on a feed from reserve Isaac Perez.

The Cougars maintained their 33-32 edge until Klusewitz beat the buzzer with a triple that had the Crestwood fans buzzing and Comets feeling confident.

We went out there and gave it every thing we got, Blass said. We got it right where we wanted it to be.

The Comets were feeling even better after Blass again worked the baseline for a deuce and Jackson cashed a Klusewitz feed into a deuce that made it 39-36 with six minutes showing on the scoreboard clock.

Planutis got one point back with a free throw, then probably made the play of the night, when he stole an inbound pass and put down one-handed jam that tied the game at 39 brought Hazleton Area fans to their feet with 5:20 left.

I just got the steal and I said, Im going up with it, Planutis said. Just hoping for the best.

Crestwood, however, kept its calm and stayed with its game plan until missing a shot. Samec was fouled on the other and dropped in two free throws to give the Cougars back the lead (41-39) as the clock ticked under four minutes.

In no hurry to rush things, the Comets took their time on their next possession until spotting Blass free. His spinning layup re-tied it at 41 with 1:19 left.

Then it was the Cougars turn to play offense. They got the ball to Cusatis, whose shot from in the lane was the eventual game-winner.

The Comets then spread the floor, hoping to force overtime or complete their upset.

Samec and the Cougars had other idea in what they call their monster defense, an extended 1-3-1 zone.

We didnt want them to shoot the three, Samec said. We packed it in and denied their whole right side. They ended up getting the ball to the person we wanted to have shoot it... and I just happened to be there.

This just shows that we have resilience, he added. It should help us in the long run.

The Comets should benefiit too come District 2 playoff time.

I thought our kids kept their composure throughout the game, Atherton said. We fought back and fought back... We were a couple plays away from winning this game... But by the same token, our kids upset they came close to beating a very good team.

Game Summary

CRESTWOOD (41) K. Gegaris 4 1-2 11, Blass 5 1-2 12, Klusewitz 2 1-2 7, Richards 3 0-1 7, Boris 0 0-0 0, Jackson 2 0-0 4, Knapp 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 3-7 41.

HAZLETON AREA (43) Samec 3 2-2 10, Cusatis 4 0-0 8, Kellmer 0 0-0 0, Grula 2 2-2 7, Genasevich 0 0-0 0, Shamany 0 0-0 0, Perez 0 0-0 0, Planutis 5 5-9 16, Faison 1 0-2 2. Totals 15 9-15 43.

Cre (14-6, 11-3) 10 16 9 6 41 HA (17-2, 13-0) 14 10 9 10 43

3-point FGs: Gegaris 2, Blass, Klusewitz 2, Richards, Samec 2, Grula, Planutis

JV score: Crestwood 51-46

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WVC BASKETBALL: Cougars edge Comets in thriller - Sports ... - Standard Speaker

EAGLE POINT Crater built a commanding lead at the Midwestern League district championships after advancing 22 wrestlers into todays semifinals with an impressive first-day showing at Eagle Point High on Friday.

The Comets amassed 225.5 points to take a sizable lead into todays final rounds over second-place Thurston (157). Eagle Point stands third with 84 points with Ashland fourth at 74.

Action resumes with semifinals at 10 a.m. this morning. The championship finals are projected to begin at 2 p.m. in Eagle Point.

Overall it was a smooth first day and what was predicted, said Eagle Point head coach Kacey McNulty. There werent any big upsets that I saw. If youre a Crater fan then things are rolling along pretty good with them already over 200 points after Day 1 with a full lineup.

The Eagles advanced eight wrestlers into todays semifinals, while Ashland has four within one victory of the championship finals.

The top four finishers advance to the Class 5A state tournament set Feb. 24-25 at Portlands Memorial Coliseum.

MWL District Championships

TEAM SCORES: Crater 225.5, Thurston 157, Eagle Point 84, Ashland 74, Churchill 67, North Eugene 62, Springfield 55.

CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS

106 Zeth Brower, Cra, pinned Dylan Averill, Thu, 1:42; Trigger Weyers, EP, pinned Juan Ramirez, Spr, 1:01; Gavin Sherrill, Thu, bye; Angel Diaz, Cra, pinned Freddy Barajas, EP, 5:22.

113 Hunter Grant, Cra, pinned Ainsley Afelin, Chu, :21; Jeremy Smith, Spr, dec. Ishmael Blas, NE, 9-2; Thomas Zomerdyk, EP, dec. Zane Stewart, Thu, 10-4; Tanner Ulrey, Cra, pinned Alexus Misick-Besio, Chu, 4:32.

120 Hunter Hiatt, Cra, pinned Danny Patterson, EP, :22; Joshua Sitowski, Chu, pinned Niccolo Cellini, Ash, 3:10; Bruce Cwiklinski, Cra, pinned Joseph Wolf, Chu, :28; Chance McMullen, EP, bye.

126 Scotty Morgan, Thu, pinned Isaac McCallister, Spr, 3:30; Alec Nolan, NE, pinned Mason Johnson, Chu, 5:39; Jerrod Reichert, Ash, won by forfeit; Isaiah Griffith, Cra, pinned Calvin Royce, Thu, 2:58.

132 Dallas Howard, Cra, pinned Rosemary Weston, Ash, 1:00; Shane Teigen, Thu, pinned Kolby Bearden, NE, 3:30; Josh Sitzer, EP, pinned Brooks Jake, Chu, 1:00; Seth Morales, Thu, pinned Jeremiah Berry, Cra, 1:16.

138 Bryce Cwiklinski, Cra, pinned Cody Schultz, Ash, :44; Evan Powell, Chu, pinned Breckon Lott, Thu, 1:08; Nathan Santoni, Cra, pinned Ben King, Spr, 1:41; Brian De La Cruz, EP, pinned Ron Brown, Chu, 2:10.

145 Logan Meek, Cra, pinned Desmond Duane, Spr, 1:07; Anthony Tena, Chu, dec. Noah Sitzer, EP, 8-4; Kevin Poston, NE, major dec. Ayden Beck, Cra, 16-7; Austin Watson, Thu, pinned Tyler Larson, Ash, 1:56.

152 Jace Godley, Cra, pinned Cameron Shaw, Thu, :14; Alan Leon, Chu, major dec. Nicholas Karr, Spr, 17-8; Brady Bigbee, Thu, pinned Nick Wells, Chu, 1:45; Jeremiah Sherrynewby, Ash, pinned Trever Davis, Cra, 3:23.

160 Kaleb Roach, Thu, dec. Kyle Hendrix, NE, 6-2; Cameron Savage, Cra, pinned Akaynen Dalton, Spr, 1:33; Tanner Lee, Cra, won by forfeit; Joseph Michelson, Spr, pinned Coby Wedmore, Thu, 3:36.

170 Cedar Barnes, Ash, pinned Jacob Richardson, Spr, 1:30; Logan Lowder, Cra, pinned Jack Johnson, Thu, 1:07; Lane Lambert, EP, pinned Isaac Barrager, Spr, :38; Markus Bennett, Cra, bye.

182 Zach Adler, Ash, injury default over Logan Dempsey, Thu; Leonardo Gutierrez, Cra, pinned Alexander Birkby, Spr, 3:25; Jett Vandersommer, Thu, pinned Caleb Ostmo, Ash, 1:58; Tony Flores, Cra, pinned Dyllan Kirsch, Spr, :44.

195 Avery Jaramillo, Thu, pinned Jade Boucher, Ash, :54; Jacob Hukill, EP, dec. Caleb Lawrence, Cra, 6-2; Brayden Rogers, Spr, pinned Isaiah Sefo, NE, 4:28; Wally Pendleton, Cra, tech. fall Jacob Mason, Thu, 19-2 (4:00).

220 Beau Crawford, Cra, pinned Hayden Fausett, Chu, 1:23; Logan Gambill, NE, bye; Jackson Casteel, Thu, pinned Daniel Flores, Cra, 1:37; Taylor Lawler, EP, bye.

285 Javon Gill, Cra, pinned Trevor Culp, Thu, :43; Tyler Kinney, NE, pinned Cole Woodke, Chu, 5:28; Cameron Sweet, Cra, pinned Logan Marks, Thu, :57; Cade Wolford, Spr, pinned Raymond Wood, Chu, 1:04.

2A/1A SPECIAL DISTRICT 3 PRE-DISTRICT: At Culver, Billie Tucker placed first at 285 pounds to lead the charge for Butte Falls/Prospect, which finished sixth overall at the 10-school event at Culver High.

Tucker received byes into the championship finals before scoring a pin on Central Linns Justin Malone at 2 minutes, 18 seconds.

Ryan Cicero placed fourth at 152 after suffering pins in the semifinals and third-place finals, while Jonathan Gagnon (145) won his fifth-place final with a pin in 1:52 over Keith Swan of North Lake and Tyler Haskell advanced to the semifinals at 170 but suffered two falls before having to forfeit the fifth-place final to place sixth.

TEAM SCORES: Culver 337.5, Central Linn 114, Oakridge 80, Santiam 77, Glendale 54, Butte Falls/Prospect 43, Bonanza 40, Gilchrist 38.5, North Lake 33, Chiloquin 9.

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Comets take command at MWL district - Mail Tribune - Mail Tribune