Montezuma had to battle injuries and illnesses, not to mention a good Pella Christian team, and the result was a close, 32-29 defeat in junior high B-boys basketball on Thursday, Feb. 3.
“This was a larger school that understands how to play basketball,” Montezuma Coach Dennis Phelps said. Still, “this was a very competitive game, with no team ever taking a lead larger than 4 points.”
Dane Strong led Braves scoring with 12 points, “by aggressively attackng the basket and getting to the foul line,” Phelps said.
Rhett Pargeon scored 11 and was the floor leader, a role inherited because of the illnesses and injuries. “I was so proud of his ability to lead the team, along with the others in battling to keep the score close enough to give us opportunities at the end on shots that just fell short.”
Cade Stone scored 4 points and Peyton Tindle had 2 for the Braves.
“We finished the season with a 7-5 record,” Phelps said. “I am very proud of each player’s effort with so many different lineups because of the illnesses and injuries.”
“I believe the players felt they improved throughout the season,” said the coach, who plans to provide a more complete review in the near future.