Saranac at Portland St. Patrick – – CMAC Boys Game of the Week – – The Bleacher Denizen – – December 13, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen’s travels take him to Portland Junior High, where the Shamrocks from Portland St. Patrick will host the Red Hawks from Saranac. Your Bleacher Denizen usually struggles when he looks for the Junior High School, which is a few blocks off a main street, but this year, he was able to find it without experiencing being “Lost in Portland.” (Could we maybe write a sequel to “Lost In Space” based on Portland? HMMMMM)

However, your Bleacher Denizen got here and it’s time to watch the first “CMAC Boys Game of the Week of the 2022-23 season!

While we wait for the game to start, we can listen to this original, but cynical Christmas Parody of a cynical Christmas Parody from my You Tube Channel. Now, as Paul Harvey used to say, we know “the rest of the story” in regard to Grandma and her fatal encounter with a herd of homicidal reindeer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp3FW5dhL3E

I got to the gym in time to watch the entire JV game. The Red Hawk and the Shamrock JVs put on quite an offensive show. The game was close all the way.

St. Patrick took a 20-14 lead in the first quarter. Saranac outscored St. Patrick 13-4 in the second quarter to take a 27-24 halftime lead. St. Patrick narrowed the margin in the third quarter and took a one point lead at the end of the quarter at 41-40 on a buzzer beater by Jerryd Scheurer.

St. Patrick used an early three pointer in the fourth quarter by Charlie Thelen to open up a four point lead. With 3:15 left in the quarter, Saranac drew even at 48-48 on a free throw by Jordan Dodge and took a 50-48 lead on a fast break banked shot by Cody Whipple. After Portland drew within one point on a free throw from Nathan Fears, Mason Simon passed to Charlie Thelen, who poured in a threeball from the corner to give the Shamrocks a 52-50 lead.

Kyle Jackson hit a free throw for the Red Hawks and Aiden Mosser hit one for the Shamrocks. Jordan Dodge hit a layup for Saranac to tie the game at 53-53 with 1.9 seconds and the contest went into overtime.

Silas Mulnix opened the overtime scoring with a six foot runner off the dribble for Saranac. The Red Hawks took a five point lead on a threeball from the corner by Cody Whipple. St. Patrick came back and took a 63-62 lead with about two minutes left in overtime.

A few seconds later, Brady Leonard passed to Charlie Thelen, who hit a layup to put St. Patrick up by three. Brody Stanton was fouled an hit a free throw for Saranac with 43.2 seconds left to pull them within two. After Brady Leonard hit a free throw for St. Patrick, Cody Whipple hit a layup to pull Saranac to within one point at 66-65.

Brady Leonard was fouled and hit two free throws to give the Shamrocks some breathing room. After Saranac missed a shot, Charlie Thelen was fouled and hit two more free throws with 9.5 seconds left to give the Shamrocks a 70-65 lead. That was the final scoring in the game as the Shamrock JVs took a 70-65 win. (I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that much scoring in a JV game.

Jordan Dodge led the Red Hawk scoring with 23 points. Cody Whipple supported him with 18 points. Brody Stanton tossed in 9 points. Silas Mulnix and Elijah Lauer each scored 4 points. Brayden Griffin added 3 points. Gabriel Thomas had 2 points. Kyle Jackson and John Sterzick each tallied 1 point.

Charlie Thelen led the victorious Shamrock JVs with 21 points. Brady Leonard added 18 points. Jerryd Scheurer joined his teammates in double figures with 15 points. (He only played about half the game because he also plays a lot of minutes for the varsity.) Mason Simon added 7 points. Sean Fedewa and T.J. Chamberlain each contributed 3 points. Aiden Mosser had 2 points and Nathan Fears tallied 1 point.

Coach Dean Gage from Saranac provided me with the following information about his Red Hawk players. Sam Sterzick is a scoring guard who can get to the basket or hit the three point shot. Evan Johnson is a fine defensive guard, but unfortunately, he is sick and will miss tonight’s game. Cam Cook can hit the three point shot and helps bring the ball up the floor. Max Olsen is a fine defensive guard who runs the point well.

Jadeyn Trahan is a good defensive forward who rebounds well. Levi Speice is a forward who defends well and is an effective slasher to the basket. Hunter Helminski is a fine defensive guard. Lucas Hetherington is a 6’6″ center who provides size in the post. Isaiah Morgan shoots well and can also drive to the basket.

I just saw St. Patrick’s boys last week and got the following information from Coach Curtis Meyers.

Braden Simon is an excellent athlete who rebounds and defends well. On offense, he is a fine three point shooter who has a lot of toughness and determination which allows him to score in the post as well. Landon Simpson handles the ball well, defends well on the perimeter and is a threat from the three point line. Alex Fedewa is a fine three point shooter who is a versatile defender; you may see him working on either the perimeter or in the post. Devin Cook defends well in the post and is a solid rebounder.

Brady Leonard and Jerryd Scheurer are fine on-ball defenders who handle the ball well and are threats from the three point line. (Jerryd Scheurer is only in eighth grade and shows amazing poise and competitiveness when he is out there!) Charlie Thelen has a good basketball IQ and defends well in the post. He also brings an accurate three point shot to his team. Nathan Fears is a fine on-ball defender. Mason Simon is a tough perimeter defender who is a threat from the three point line. Davide Cannilla is an exchange student who is a respected teammate and a hard worker.

It is now time to review the events of this game through the somewhat cracked prism of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league when he attempted to play basketball in the days of yore. Many of the peach baskets we used to shoot at were destroyed by bricks heaved by the Bleacher Denizen. Alas, he did not learn you were supposed to shoot basketballs at the basket instead of bricks until it was way too late.

St. Patrick wins the opening tap. The Shamrocks miss a layup. Saranac is called for traveling. St. Patrick misses a three point from the side. Brayden Simon hits a putback to give St. Patrick the first points of the game. Levi Speice is fouled on a six foot shot from the baseline and hits one of his two free throws to trim the Shamrock lead to 2-1 with 6:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Sam Sterzick and Cam Cook put on a vicious double team in the Red Hawk press and St. Patrick has to call timeout to avoid a turnover. Isaiah Morgan steals the ball for Saranac. The Red Hawks miss a jumper from the free throw elbow. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Shamrocks take possession. Landon Simpson passes to Alex Fedewa, who hits a three pointer to give St. Patrick a 5-1 lead.

Isaiah Morgan drives and hits a layup for Saranac. St. Patrick misses a driving layup; Brayden Simon pulls down the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a layup. Saranac misses a three point shot from the side; the Red Hawks get the offensive rebound, but are called for an offensive foul. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Devin Cook gets the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a six footer from the baseline.

Saranac misses a runner. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the corner. Saranac misses a jump shot from the free throw elbow. St. Patrick misses a ten footer from the baseline. Sam Sterzick drives the lane and hits a layup; he is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 3:40 to play in the first quarter, the game is tied at 5-5.

St. Patrick misfires on a twelve footer from the side. Sam Sterzick passes to Levi Speice, who hits a ten foot shot in the lane to give the Red Hawks a two point lead. Landon Simpson drives and hits a layup for the Shamrocks to tie the game. Saranac misses a jumper; Max Olsen gets the offensive rebound for the Red Hawks. Sam Sterzick hits a three point shot from the wing to give Saranac a 10-7 lead.

The Shamrocks commit an offensive foul. Isaiah Morgan gets into the lane and hits a ten foot jumper to give Saranac a five point lead. St. Patrick is fouled on a shot, but misses two free throws. With 2:08 remaining in the first quarter, Saranac has a 12-7 lead.

The Red Hawks throw a pass too long and out of bounds. Landon Simpson hits a jump shot from the free throw line for the Shamrocks. Devin Cook knocks the ball away from Saranac, but the Red Hawks recover. Saranac misses an eight footer off the dribble in the lane. Payton Russman drives and is fouled on a layup. He hits two free throws to close the Saranac lead to 12-11 with 1:08 to play in the first quarter.

Saranac misses a six foot shot in the lane and fouls on the rebound. Landon Simpson passes to Alex Fedewa, who hits a three point shot from the wing to give St. Patrick a 14-12 lead.

Payton Russman steals a Red Hawk cross court pass. St. Patrick misses a layup. Saranac misses a seventeen foot shot from the wing. Hunter Helminski steals the ball from the Shamrocks and draws a foul. Payton Russman blocks a Saranac three pointer at the buzzer.

After one quarter, St. Patrick holds a 14-12 lead.

Saranac inbounds the ball to open the second quarter. Alex Thelen knocks the ball away from Saranac and Jerryd Scheurer picks it up for St. Patrick. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the wing. Payton Russman snags the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks and passes to Jerryd Scheurer, who hits a ten foot shot from the side. Saranac misses a three point shot from the wing. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brayden Simon, who hits a three point shot from the side to give the Shamrocks a 19-12 lead.

Saranac is whistled for a traveling violation. Sam Sterzick steals the ball for the Red Hawks. Saranac misses a fast break layup. Hunter Helminski hits a putback for Saranac. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the wing. Alex Thelen gets his hand on a pass; the ball goes out of bounds and Saranac retains possession.

Saranac misses a threeball from the wing; the ball goes out of bounds and Saranac gets it back. Alex Thelen knocks the Red Hawk inbound pass out; Saranac retains possession. Saranac misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. Alex Fedewa passes to Charlie Thelen, (the leading JV scorer) who continues his hot shooting by hitting a three point shot to give St. Patrick a 22-14 lead.

Cam Cook drives and hits a six foot bank shot for Saranac. St. Patrick misses a three point attempt from the corner; the rebound goes out of bounds and the Shamrocks get another possession. Brayden Simon drives and hits a layup for St. Patrick. Saranac turns the ball over. Charlie Thelen is fouled on a driving layup and hits two free throws to give St. Patrick a 26-16 lead with 4:32 left in the first half.

Saranac misses a driving layup. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Landon Simpson, who quickly relays the ball to Charlie Thelen, who is open in the corner and hits a three point shot. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 3:39 to play in the first half, the St. Patrick lead is at 29-16.

Saranac misses a three pointer from the wing. Levi Speice gets the offensive rebound for the Red Hawks. Saranac misses a layup. St. Patrick misses a layup and a putback. Landon Simpson steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a fifteen footer from the side of the lane. Saranac loses a pass out of bounds. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Payton Russman, who throws in a threeball from the corner to give the Shamrocks a 32-16 lead.

Saranac misfires on a threeball from the side. Sam Sterzick gets the offensive rebound for the Red Hawks. Saranac misses a twenty-five footer past the top of the key. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the corner. The rebound goes out of bounds and Saranac takes possession. Jerryd Scheurer knocks the ball away from Saranac and Brayden Simon picks it up for the Shamrocks. Jerryd Scheurer hits a three point shot from the side to give St. Patrick a 35-16 lead.

Landon Simpson steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a fast break layup. Landon Simpson gets the offensive rebound for St. Patrick and hits an eight foot shot from the baseline. Saranac misses a layup. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Saranac misses a three pointer from the top of the key. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the wing, but Charlie Thelen is there to grab the offensive rebound and convert it into a Shamrock layup at the buzzer.

St. Patrick takes a 39-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. I’m going to be really quiet about this, but I do suspect that St. Patrick will continue to have a 39-16 lead when the third quarter begins.

Sam Sterzick leads the Saranac scoring with 5 points.

Charlie Thelen has 10 points at halftime to lead the Shamrock scoring (after leading the Shamrock scorers in the JV game with 21 points. Brayden Simon has 7 points; Landon Simpson and Alex Fedewa each have 6 points. Payton Russman and Jerryd Scheurer each have 5 points.

While we are waiting through halftime, why don’t we listen to this rendition of “O Holy Night” from my You Tube Channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-t_hOWhFfE

Your Bleacher Denizen furtively glances at the scoreboard and notes the St. Patrick DOES continue to hold a 39-16 lead as the third quarter is almost ready to start!!

St. Patrick has the ball to open the third quarter. Landon Simpson passes to Brayden Simon, who hits a three point shot from the side for the Shamrocks. Saranac loses the ball out of bounds. St. Patrick travels. Jadeyn Trahan is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of hits two free throws to trim the Shamrock lead to 42-17 with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Payton Russman drives the baseline and hits a layup for St. Patrick. Levi Speice is fouled on a driving six foot banked shot and hits one of his two free throws for Saranac. St. Patrick misses a three point attempt from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and St. Patrick gets the ball. Saranac misses a driving layup. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the side. Brayden Simon hits a putback to boost St. Patrick to a 46-18 lead.

Isaiah Morgan hits a six foot shot in the lane for Saranac. Levi Speice knocks the ball away from St. Patrick and Cam Cook picks it up for Saranac. Saranac misses a three pointer from the side. St. Patrick misses a three pointer from the corner. Landon Simpson steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a fast break layup. Brayden Simon hits a putback for St. Patrick. Saranac misses a driving layup. Brayden Simon hits a three point shot from the side to give St. Patrick a 51-20 lead.

Isaiah Morgan drives and hits a layup for Saranac. St. Patrick mislaunches a threeball from the wing. Saranac misses a driving layup. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the wing; the rebound goes out of bounds and Saranac takes possess. Cam Cook is fouled on a driving runner and hits one of his two free throws. With 2:41 left in the third quarter, the St. Patrick lead is at 51-23.

A St. Patrick dribbler steps out of bounds. Nathan Fears steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick is called for a traveling violation. Sam Sterzick makes a slick, clever dribble move to free himself and hits a fifteen foot shot from the side for Saranac. Cam Cook steals the ball steals the ball for the Red Hawks and is fouled on a fast break layup; he hits both his free throws. With 1:43 to play in the third quarter, St. Patrick has a 51-27 lead.

St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Alex Thelen gets the offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Alex Thelen pulls down another offensive rebound for the Shamrocks. Hunter Helminski blocks a St. Patrick shot. Alex Thelen retrieves the loose ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick is fouled, but misses two free throws. With 1:15 left on the third quarter clock, the St. Patrick lead remains at 51-27.

Saranac misses a three point shot from the side and fouls on the rebound. Landon Simpson passes to Jerryd Scheurer, who hits a three point shot from the corner for St. Patrick. Alex Fedewa blocks a Red Hawk layup as the third quarter buzzer makes its presence known.

After three quarters, St. Patrick has a 54-27 lead.

Saranac has the ball to commence the fourth quarter. (Your Bleacher Denizen can be insecure and occasionally needs to insert high falutin’ words into his blog to feel like he belongs.)

Isaiah Morgan ignores the Bleacher Denizen’s insecurities and drives in for a Saranac layup. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. St. Patrick misses an eight foot shot in the lane. Cam Cook hits a layup for Saranac; he is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 7:21 remaining in the contest, St. Patrick holds a 54-31 lead.

The rebound from the missed free throw goes out of bounds and Saranac gets the ball back. Saranac misses a layup. Brayden Simon hits a ten footer off the dribble from the side of the lane for the Shamrocks. Sam Sterzick hits a jump shot off the dribble from the free throw line for the Red Hawks. Sam Sterzick steals the ball and hits a fast break layup to trim the Shamrock lead to 56-35.

Brayden Simon hits a fast break layup for St. Patrick. Saranac misses a six foot shot off the dribble in the lane. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the side. Saranac misses an eight foot shot in the lane. The Shamrocks miss a three point shot from the wing. Landon Simpson steals the ball and hits a fast break layup to stretch the Shamrock lead to 60-35.

Alex Fedewa knocks the ball away from Saranac and Landon Simpson picks it up for St. Patrick. Brayden Simon drives in and hits a layup for the Shamrocks. Levi Speice passes to Sam Sterzick, who throws in a six footer from the side of the lane for the Red Hawks. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brayden Simon, who throws in a threeball from the corner to push St. Patrick to a 65-37 lead.

St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Brayden Simon passes to Davide Cannilla, who hits a three point shot from the side for the Shamrocks. Saranac loses the ball out of bounds. Davide Cannilla passes to Brayden Simon, who spics and hits a five foot shot in the lane for the Shamrocks. Levi Speice is fouled and hits one of two free throws in a one and one opportunity for Saranac. With 2:32 left in the game, the Shamrock lead is at 70-38.

Levi Speice taps the loose rebound to a teammate. Saranac misses a three point shot from the wing. Levi Speice gets the offensive rebound for the Red Hawks. Sam Sterzick is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of his two free throws for Saranac. St. Patrick misses a layup. Sam Sterzick passes to Brady Thomas for a Red Hawk layup. Brady Thomas steals the ball for Saranac. Isaiah Morgan hits a layup. Davide Cannilla reacts quickly to save a Shamrock bad pass and prevent a turnover. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Devin Cook, who hits a layup to give St. Patrick a 72-43 lead.

Hunter Helminski is fouled on a layup and hits one of his two free throws for Saranac. Hunter Helminski knocks the ball out of bounds; St. Patrick retains possession. The Shamrocks dribble out the clock.

Sam Sterzick led the Red Hawk scoring with 14 points. Isaiah Morgan joined his teammate in double figures with 12 points. Cam Cook contributed 7 points. Levi Speice added 5 points. Hunter Helminski scored 3 points. Brady Thomas had 2 points and Jadeyn Trahan tallied 1 point.

Brayden Simon led the Shamrock scoring with 26 points. Charlie Thelen and Jerryd Scheurer added to very impressive JV performances with 10 points each. Landon Simpson tossed in 8 points and Payton Russman contributed 7 points. Alex Fedewa scored 6 points. Davide Cannilla had 3 points and Devin Cook tossed in 2 points.