CENTERBURG – Now it’s official. The Centerburg boys basketball team can be called champions of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference for the second consecutive season.
After a 63-46 win over visiting Danville on Thursday, Feb. 18, the Trojans now only have to wait to see if they’ll be sharing that honor.
Alex Johnson led the Trojans with 14 points. He and his teammates didn’t let up against the Blue Devils, jumping out to a 32-11 lead at the break. They were very relieved to get this win.
“It feels great, man,” Johnson said with an exhale. “It’s the best feeling I’ve had. I just love these guys. I love the game, and I can’t wait to go into the tournament and see what we can do.”
The Trojans (15-3, 13-1) were unselfish with the ball, spreading the scoring throughout the team. Grayson Reynolds, Levi Houck and Landon Griffith all dropped in eight points as 10 players found the scoring column for Centerburg.
Danville (1-19, 0-12) was led by Darren Mickley with 15 points on five 3-pointers and Max Payne with 13 points. Those two combined for 18 of the Blue Devils’ 20 points in the final quarter.
Centerburg coach John Marhefka, who took over the reigns of the Trojans varsity only two weeks before the start of the season, tucked a piece of the championship net into his pocket. The uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the Trojans being quarantined and unable to practice during part of the preseason and much of January — seemed a dim memory.
“This is the first net I’ve ever cut down,” Marhefka said. “We won a conference when I coached in college as an assistant. As a head coach here, I’ll never forget this. I’ll keep my little souvenir piece of the net with me. It’s a testament to our boys and their talent and experience.”
Centerburg’s Carter Jones managed six points and a dozen rebounds, although he rested during much of the second and fourth quarters. After he and his teammates cut down the net in celebration, Jones was wearing it proudly around his neck.
“We knew what we had to do tonight,” he said. “We always come to play, but we know we’re going to have fun as well. We want to be able to look back and remember these times as good times.”
Fredericktown will have to go to Mount Gilead for one more KMAC matchup, scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. If the Freddies win, they will share the KMAC title with Centerburg. For now, however, the Trojans are savoring the moment.
“We knew what we had to do,” Johnson said. “We knew our goals, and we know what a great group of guys we have. We love the game and we love each other. We’re a family. We just had to go out there and get it done.”
