CENTERBURG – Centerburg boys basketball assistant coach Ed Lambert offered pizza for any player who collected eight rebounds on Wednesday.
Party at Mick Mead’s house.
Mead collected nine rebounds in the second half alone to go along with his game-high 14 points in the Trojans’ 63-53 season-opening win over Mount Vernon.
Wednesday’s game was the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two Knox County schools. It was also played before a full house for the first time since the pandemic began. The game was one that Mead – and the rest of the Centerburg seniors – won’t soon forget.
“They (the seniors) have been not just my teammates, but my best friends, for my whole life,” Mead said. “When we get the ball moving, it’s pretty basketball.”
Mead’s super half began with barely a minute gone by. The senior blocked a shot, took the ball to the other end and completed a three-point play that gave Centerburg a one-point lead. He continued the half by making two more buckets and going 4 for 5 from the free-throw line.
The Trojans built a seven-point lead, 45-38, after three quarters and never allowed the Yellow Jackets to recover.
Levi Houck and Colton Martin kept momentum on the Trojans’ side by controlling the area under both baskets. The pair combined for 21 points and nine rebounds, most of which came in the second half.
“We have guys who share the basketball,” Centerburg coach John Marhefka said. “Mick is always working on his leadership. He’s done a great job in recent months. We have to bring some guys out and change their roles, and Mick has been great in helping with that.”
Mount Vernon (0-1) led for most of the first half but was outscored 14-5 in the third quarter. The Jackets held the lead by going 6 of 9 from three-point range in the first half. They hit just 4 of 12 in the second half. Beau Bridges led the way with 11 points for the Jackets. Caden Rowland scored 10 points. Nolan Belcher scored eight, Owynn Gleason had seven and Ben Bridges hit a pair of 3-pointers.
Mount Vernon had just three turnovers in the first half as the team built a 33-31 lead. But the game was won – and lost – under the basket, where Centerburg outrebounded Mount Vernon, 33-18.
“Sometimes you put yourself out there in the arena and you fail,” Mount Vernon coach Nick Coon said. “It’s all about how you handle yourself. It’s how we grow. We’ll grow a lot from this.
“But give all credit to Centerburg. They wanted to prove themselves … and it looked like they had a chip on their shoulder.”
“We really wanted to win this,” Mead said. “The first battle for Knox County.”
