Knepp scores 26, but 'Devils beat 'Dogs, 45-44
Another memorable, for-the-history-books Devil-Dogs match in the long, multi-sport rivalry of Danville vs. East Knox high schools took place Feb. 10 at “The Pound” in Howard.
In this varsity basketball game EK’s Shane Knepp put on a scoring clinic with 26 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory, as the Blue Devils beat the Bulldogs in a squeaker, 45-44.
East Knox started out in a controlled fashion and took a 10-9 first-quarter led. Knepp was held off the board, but four other Bulldogs scored, with Ethan Rine netting four points. Levi Lyons got the Blue Devils started and kept them close with five points in the first.
The Knepp show took over in the second, as he threw in all of EK’s 10 points in the second quarter. However, Danville answered and then some with 16 points to take a 25-20 lead at the half. Walker Weckesser led the Danville attack in the second with seven points, and Spencer Payne contributed five.
After the break, both teams were sluggish, and East Knox cut the lead to two at 31-29 after three quarters on a 9-6 run. Knepp was good for four, and Sam Whitney drained a long three for East Knox. Lyons scored four of the six ‘Devils points in the third.
Knepp put on a display for the rivalry in the fourth, putting up 12 of EK’s 15 points. The teams battled back and forth in the fourth, and while EK won the quarter, 15-14, Danville won the game, 45-44. With five Danville players putting up points in the fourth, Lyons connected for five.
Among five Danville scorers, Lyons led the Blue Devils with 16 points, and Weckesser scored 12. Six Bulldogs put numbers on the board during the game, but no one scored more than five except Knepp, who poured in 26.
Danville is currently at 10-12 for the season and 4-8 in KMAC, and East Knox is 16-6 overall and 8-4 in KMAC.
Bulldogs rebound from loss to top Rockets, 44-34
Home was friendly to the East Knox Bulldogs, Saturday, still smarting from their loss to Danville two days earlier, and they held the struggling visiting Ridgedale to 34 points and gave the Howard crowd a 44-34 victory. The Rockets are off to a 2-17 season, compared to the Bulldogs’ 16-6 mark and 8-4 in KMAC) and East Knox played to form.
In the first quarter, EK took a 15-8 lead. Dillon Moreland hit a three and five points for the ‘Dogs and Luke Strine nailed a three for the Rockets. In the second, Strine hit two more treys for Ridgedale as they closed the gap to 22-18 at halftime. Knepp scored seven in the EK second. After the break, East Knox increased the lead to eight at 35-27. Strine, who finished with 18 points, scored all nine of the Rockets’ points. Four players scored for the Bulldogs. East Knox played it tight in the fourth to win the game by 10. Knepp led all scorers with 19, and Ethan Rine pitched in with 12 for East Knox.
Centerburg scoring machine takes over in 73-50 win over Mr. Gilead
Centerburg lived up to its unblemished KMAC record by putting points on the board by the handfuls in the final three quarters to take down the Mount Gilead Indians, 73-50.
The Trojans took a 14-12 lead in the first on seven points by Alex Johnson and six by Colton Martin. Mount Gilead got all of its scoring from three-point land with makes by Paul Butterman, Matthew Bland and two from Elijah Chafin.
Then Centerburg took over with quarters of 20, 20 and 19. Six Trojans scored in the second and five in the third. The fourth was the Mckinnon Mead at-the-line show. He hit three field goals and was 7-for-9 at the foul stripe for 13 points.
The Trojans took a 34-25 lead at the half, and Bland hit two more threes and eight points in the second. The Trojan advantage was 54-37 entering the fourth, and Bland, who hit six from downtown during the game, nailed two more in the third. The Indians fell father back in the fourth and lost by 23.
Mead finished 9-of-13 at the line to lead all scorers with 22 points. Colton Martin added 13 for Centerburg, Johnson hit 13 and Landon Griffith 10. Bland finished with 19 for the Indians and Chafin had 13.
The Trojans are 16-1, 10-0, and the Indians sit at 8-12, 5-6.
Vikings' big second and third rout Scots, 81-60
Highland traveled to River Valley on Feb. 11 and was dealt a 21-point loss. The Fighting Scots, 8-11 and 5-5 in Mid-Ohio, were no match for the Vikings, 13-6, 11-2 Mid-Ohio. The Scots rode Rider Minnick’s nine points in the first quarter to take a 19-15 lead after one. But the Vikings scored at will in the second with 32 points to 11 for Highland to take a 47-30 halftime lead.
The Vikes put on another show in the third with a 21-13 quarter to lead 68-43 going into the fourth. RV played everyone in uniform in the fourth and won by 21. Jordan Bellamy hit 5-of-6 at the line among his seven points in the fourth for Highland. Minnick finished with 13 and Dane Nauman 10, to lead Highland.
