Youth basketball gets underway
By Sam Waller
The Albany youth basketball teams tipped off their season Saturday, Jan. 7, winning five of eight games.
The boys teams played at Jim Ned with the girls at Hawley. The sixth grade boys won both their games, while the other teams each split their two outings.
The youth teams return to action Saturday with the girls playing at Jim Ned and the boys at Merkel. The sixth grade girls start the action at 9:00 a.m. against Hawley Maroon and then play Jim Ned Blue at noon. The fifth grade girls play Merkel Purple at noon and Merkel White at 1:00 p.m.
Both boys teams play opponents from Eula at 10:00 a.m. The sixth graders play Jim Ned Blue, and the fifth graders play Merkel White, both at noon.
BOYS
Sixth Grade
Albany defeated Merkel 44-7 in its first game and closed the day with a 57-12 win over Hawley.
Against Merkel, Lyle Wheeler scored 18 points, and Blake Britting scored 11. Ace Townson added six points with Levi Murphy chipping in five. Sam Tidwell and Jamie Barrera scored two points apiece.
Against Hawley, Wheeler led the scoring with 20 points, and Britting added 15. Murphy finished with seven points, followed by Townson with five and Tidwell and Jathan Perez with four each. Ben Russell scored two points.
Fifth Grade
Albany lost 18-16 to Merkel Purple in its opener, but bounced back to defeat Hawley 29-9.
Against Merkel, Tusiane Togia and McCoy Vaughn each scored six points to lead Albany. Luke Smith added four.
Nine players scored against Hawley, led by Togia and Luke Smith with six apiece. Cooper Roysdon and Patton Smith each had four points. Vaughn. Matthew Key, Tank Johnson, and Paxton Slaughter scored two points apiece, while Kayden Smith added one.
GIRLS
Sixth Grade
Albany edged Hawley 18-16 in its first game before falling to Jim Ned 40-6.
Against Hawley, Keeley Britting and Hailey Gleitz each scored six points. Avery Gleitz scored four points, and Haiden Niell had two.
“The girls played really well, and we’re excited to get out there and play together,” coach Susan Britting said.
Against Jim Ned. Hailey Gleitz scored four points, and Tinley Hefner had two.
“From what we saw in this game, we will continue to work on how to handle a full-court pressure defense,” Britting said. “Our major goal is to teach these girls some fundamentals and learn how to compete. I think they will get better with each game.”
Fifth Grade
Albany opened with a 10-6 win over Eula White before losing 18-10 to Jim Ned Red in its second game.
Individual scoring totals were not available.
