Pewamo-Westphalia at Laingsburg – – CMAC Boys Game of the Week – – The Bleacher Denizen – – February 15, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, it’s a big night for the CMAC Basketball season. Pewamo-Westphalia’s boys are visiting Laingsburg in a game that will probably decide the CMAC Boys Basketball Title. The undefeated Wolfpack from Laingsburg enters this game with a 9-0 record in the CMAC and they are undefeated overall at 16-0 as well.

The Pirates from Pewamo-Westphalia are just behind the Wolfpack with an 8-1 record in the CMAC. Their overall record is 12-3. As all the other teams in the conference already have at least four losses, it is almost certain that either P-W (shortened to save the Bleacher Denizen’s aging knuckles before they go arthritic) or Laingsburg will win the CMAC Boys Basketball Championship!!

While we wait for the game to start, I hope you’ll enjoy this Ragtime tune with an unexpected comedic twist in the middle and at the end from my You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUieaBvS38w

The Pewamo-Westphalia Pirates are generally led in scoring by the two Eklund brothers. Senior Jamison Eklund just scored his 1000th career point in a game I covered last Friday (home against Dansville.) https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2023/02/11/dansville-at-pewamo-westphalia-cmac-boys-game-of-the-week-the-bleacher-denizen-february-10-2023-by-chuck-krafft/

Jamison Eklund is one of the most complete basketball players in the area this year. He is 6’6″ and can do all the defensive and rebounding work one expects from a post player. He reminds me of those tall guys who used to send many of the Bleacher Denizen’s layups to the Great Airball in the Sky. However, he is almost nearly as agile as any guard and defends the perimeter well, too. On offense, he has a fine three point shot, handles the ball like a guard, passes well and can drive to the basket or score in the post on putbacks.

Grady Eklund is a 6’2″ freshman who runs the point for the Pirates. He is a fine ball handler and scorer who can hit from the three point line or drive the lane to either score or pass to a teammate for an easy basket. Luke Smith and Kash Pohl are both active perimeter defenders with a fine three point shot. Ben Smith and Trevor Spitzley are fine interior defenders who screen well and keep the ball moving on offense.

Laingsburg also features a couple brothers who are team leaders. Zander Woodruff is an excellent scorer and aggressive perimeter defender for the Wolfpack. He handles the ball very well and is excellent at getting to the basket off the dribble to score or pass to a teammate for an easy shot. He is a fine three point and midrange shooter as well.

Eli Woodruff is a fine all around player who defends well in the post or on the perimeter. He is able to score inside and can hit the occasional midrange or three point jumper as well. Luke Snyder is tough in the post. He defends and rebounds well. On offense, his excellent footwork frees him up so he can score inside. Ty Randall is a tough and fearless player who defends aggressively anywhere on the floor and has a knack for drawing charging fouls from the opposition.

Brayden Thomas runs the point for the Wolfpack. He leads the team like a classic floor general. He defends really aggressively on the perimeter and is a huge part of the Wolfpack press. He handles the ball well, passes accurately and generally controls the action. You can’t play him just to pass because he can get to the basket and has an accurate three point shot as well.

Jacob Essenberg also can play the point for the Wolfpack. He sees a lot of minutes at the shooting guard spot as well. He is an aggressive defender and accurate three point shooter. It is not at all uncommon to see him score in double figures. Cam Ballard handles the ball well and has a fine basketball IQ.

I made it to the gym in time to see the JV game. P-W got off to a 10-4 lead after one quarter and led 20-12 at halftime. Laingsburg outscored P-W by two points in the third quarter to shave the Pirate lead to 26-20.

It’s cool to see that Brian Calloway from the Lansing State Journal and a couple TV cameras are here to help publicize the game. (Although, this puts more pressure on your aging Bleacher Denizen to be as accurate as possible!!)

Laingsburg scored the first six points in the fourth quarter on three layups by Dominic Garcia to tie the game at 26-26. Laingsburg took the lead at 28-26 on a layup by Mitchell George. P-W responded with a three point basket to go back on top by one point. Laingsburg tied the game on a free throw by Mitchell George. The score was 29-29 with 3:45 left on the clock.

P-W scored the next six points before Mitchell George hit a layup for Laingsburg to trim the P-W lead to 35-31. Laingsburg scored the next two points and had an opportunity to tie the game or go ahead when P-W missed a layup with ten seconds to go. However, the Wolfpack missed a rushed three point shot at the buzzer and Pewamo-Westphalia’s JVs won the game 35-33.

Dominic Garcia led the Laingsburg JVs with 7 points. Leandro Dolega-Caceres and Colin Hart each added 6 points. Mitchell George scored 5 points. Logan Holm had 3 points. Dylan Witgen, Max Powers and Jake Rivet each tallied 2 points.

Isaac Thelen led the victorious Pewamo-Westphalia JVs with 11 points. Dominic Weber contributed 7 points. Brady Heckman and Ty Thelen each put in 6 points. Trevor Smith had 4 points and Brayton Heckman scored 1 point.

It is now time to recount the events of this important game through the hopefully clear lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league when he attempted to hoop in the ancient times when he was considered to be “young.” While many people criticized the Bleacher Denizen’s lateral mobility, I’d like to point out that most people struggled to move side to side quickly in the Roman sandals that were part of our basketball uniforms in ancient times!!

P-W wins the opening tap. Brayden Thomas steals the ball for Laingsburg. The Wolfpack misfires on a threeball from the side. P-W reciprocates and misfires on a threeball from the side. Jacob Essenberg drives and hits a layup to give the Wolfpack the first two points of the game. P-W misses a three point shot from the wing. Jacob Essenberg drives and hits a layup for the Wolfpack and the score is now Jacob Essenberg 4 Pewamo-Westphalia 0.

P-W misses an eight foot shot from the side of the lane. Ben Smith knocks the ball away from the Wolfpack and Luke Smith picks it up for the Pirates. Jamison Eklund throws in a threeball from the side for P-W. Eli Woodruff responds by hitting a three point shot from the side to give the Wolfpack a 7-3 lead.

P-W misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and Laingsburg takes possession. Jamison Eklund steals the ball for the Pirates and is fouled on a fast break layup. He hits two free throws to trim the Laingsburg lead to 7-5 with 4:42 remaining in the first quarter.

Jamison Eklund ties up the ball for the Pirates. The Possession Arrow is on the beach sipping a cold drink and misses the play on its cell phone. It quickly awards to ball to Laingsburg so it can shift its focus back to the beach. Laingsburg misses a threeball from the top of the key. P-W misses a layup. Luke Smith pulls down the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Zander Woodruff steals the ball and passes to Ty Randall, who hits a three pointer from the wing to give the Wolfpack a 10-5 lead.

Grady Eklund is fouled on a layup and hits one of his two free throws for P-W. Laingsburg misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. Luke Smith passes to Jamison Eklund, who spins to the hoop and is fouled on a six foot shot from the side. He hits one of his two free throws to trim the Wolfpack lead to 10-7 with 2:48 to play in the first quarter.

Laingsburg misses a three point shot from the wing. Jacob Essenberg gets the offensive rebound for the Wolfpack. Laingsburg misses a ten foot shot in the lane. P-W misses a threeball from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and Laingsburg takes possession. Jacob Essenberg passes to Zander Woodruff, who hits a three point shot from the top of the key for Laingsburg. Lane Trierweiler hits a layup for P-W; he is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 1:42 left in the quarter, Laingsburg has a 13-9 lead.

Jamison Eklund hits a putback for P-W. Laingsburg misses a three point shot from the corner. Connor Hulliberger gets the offensive rebound for the Wolfpack. Zander Woodruff drives and hits a layup for Laingsburg. Connor Hulliberger steals the ball for the Wolfpack. Jamison Eklund sends a Laingsburg fast break layup to the Great Airball in the Sky. Jamison Eklund passes to Kash Pohl, who hits a three point shot from he corner to trim the Laingsburg lead to 15-14.

Laingsburg misses a driving layup. P-W misses a three point shot from the wing at the buzzer.

After one quarter, Laingsburg holds a 15-14 lead.

P-W inbounds the ball to begin the second quarter. The Pirates miss a driving layup and foul on the rebound. Laingsburg mislaunches a three point shot from the corner. Jacob Essenberg steals the ball for the Wolfpack. Cam Ballard drives and hits an eight foot scooping shot in the lane for the Wolfpack. P-W misses a ten foot shot off the dribble from the baseline. Cam Ballard is fouled on a driving layup. He hits two free throws to give Laingsburg a 19-14 lead with 6:17 to play in the first half.

P-W misses a twelve foot shot from the side. Zander Woodruff passes to Ty Randall, who makes a tight spin, executes a post move and hits a layup for the Wolfpack. Ty Randall steals the P-W inbound pass. Cam Ballard passes to Luke Snyder, who makes a fine post move and hits a layup for the Wolfpack. Jamison Eklund passes to Trevor Spitzley, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of his two free throws to trim the Laingsburg lead to 23-15 with 4:44 remaining in the half.

Laingsburg misfires on a triple try from the side. Brayden Thomas gets his hand on the ball and a P-W driver loses it out of bounds. Laingsburg takes possession. The Wolfpack miss a three point shot from the side. Cam Ballard steals the ball for Laingsburg. The Wolfpack miss a layup. Jamison Eklund fires an outlet pass to Trevor Spitzley, who hits a fast break layup for the Pirates. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 3:33 to play in the first half, Laingsburg has a 23-17 lead.

Jacob Essenberg hits a runner in the lane for Laingsburg. Cam Ballard dives and nearly causes a Pirate turnover. The ball goes out of bounds and P-W gets another opportunity. P-W misses a three pointer from the side and fouls on the rebound. Laingsburg is assessed with a traveling violation. Jacob Essenberg stands tall and tough in the lane for Laingsburg; he forces a P-W traveling violation. (From my spot in the bleachers, I think the Pirate player is lucky he did not get a charging foul.)

Laingsburg misfires on a threeball near the top of the key. Jacob Essenberg gets the offensive rebound for the Wolfpack. Laingsburg misses a three pointer from the side. P-W misses a three point shot from the wing. There is a scrum for the rebound; the ball is knocked out of bounds and Laingsburg takes possession. The Wolfpack misses a three point shot from the side. Jacob Essenberg gets another offensive rebound for the Wolfpack. Cam Ballard hits an eight footer off the dribble from the baseline to boost the Wolfpack lead to 27-17.

Ty Randall steals the ball and is fouled hard. Because he was not shooting and because P-W still has not fouled seven times in this half, there are no free throws. Laingsburg is not able to get a shot off before the buzzer declares that the first half is over.

At halftime, Laingsburg has a 27-17 lead.

Jamison Eklund has 8 points at halftime to lead the P-W scoring.

Jacob Essenberg and Cam Ballard each have 6 points for Laingsburg. Ty Randall and Zander Woodruff each have 5 points.

The Laingsburg third grade boys play a spirited exhibition game during halftime. For those of us who can’t see these exuberant boys play, here is a Christian Standard from my You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOnetrJFi6o

Laingsburg inbounds the ball to get the third quarter underway. The Wolfpack misses a threeball from the wing. Eli Woodruff hits a putback for Laingsburg. Ty Randall knocks the ball away from P-W, but the Pirates are able to recover. The Pirates miss a threeball from the wing. Laingsburg reciprocates and misses a threeball from the wing. Kash Pohl drives the baseline and hits a layup for P-W to trim the Laingsburg lead to 29-19.

Eli Woodruff hits a three pointer off the dribble from the wing for Laingsburg. Jamison Eklund passes to a Pirate teammate who is fouled on a layup and misses two free throws. Zander Woodruff hits a jumper off the dribble from the free throw line for Laingsburg. Kash Pohl drives the baseline and hits a layup for P-W. Jacob Essenberg drives and dishes the ball to Zander Woodruff, who hits a three pointer from the side to boost the Laingsburg lead to 37-21.

Grady Eklund is fouled on a driving shot and hits one of his two free throws for P-W. Laingsburg misses a three pointer from the side. Luke Snyder hits a putback for the Wolfpack. Jamison Eklund ignores a Laingsburg flop attempt and spins into the lane. He is fouled on a layup and hits two free throws for the Pirates. With 3:41 to go in the quarter, Laingsburg has a 39-24 lead.

Grady Eklund steals the ball for the Pirates. Jamison Eklund hits a fast break layup for P-W. Laingsburg misses on a three point shot from the corner. Zander Woodruff blocks a Pirate layup. Brayden Thomas passes to Zander Woodruff, who hits a three point shot from the side for Laingsburg. Grady Eklund hits a layup to trim for the Pirates to trim the Wolfpack lead to 42-28.

Grady Eklund steals the ball for the Pirates. Jamison Eklund hits a layup for P-W. Laingsburg misses a three point shot from the side. Jamison Eklund drives and hits a layup for the Pirates. Laingsburg missed a three point shot from the side. P-W misses a layup and fouls on the rebound. Ben Smith draws a charging foul from the Wolfpack. P-W misses a driving layup. Ben Smith hits a putback for the Pirates. Laingsburg has no time to shoot before the third quarter buzzer sounds.

After three quarters, Laingsburg has a 42-34 lead.

P-W has the ball to open the quarter number four. The Pirates miss a five foot shot from the side of the lane. Eli Woodruff hits a jumper off the dribble from the free throw line for Laingsburg. Luke Smith drives and hits an left-handed reverse layup for P-W. Grady Eklund knocks the ball away from the Wolfpack, but Eli Woodruff recovers the ball for Laingsburg. Jacob Essenberg drives and hits a layup for Laingsburg. Grady Eklund is fouled and hits one of his two free throws for the Pirates to trim the Wolfpack lead to 46-37 with 6:17 remaining in the game.

Jamison Eklund hits a putback for the Pirates. Jacob Essenberg patiently waits for a P-W defender to run by him and drills a three point shot from the corner for Laingsburg. Kash Pohl responds with a threeball from the corner for P-W to cut the Laingsburg lead to 49-42.

Laingsburg is called for traveling on a post move. Jacob Essenberg’s determined defense draws an offensive foul from P-W. Laingsburg loses a pass out of bounds. P-W misses an eight foot shot from the side. Zander Woodruff hits a fast break layup for the Wolfpack is fouled and hits his free throw to boost Laingsburg to a 52-42 lead with 4:32 to play.

Ben Smith passes to Jamison Eklund, who hits a three point shot from the wing to cut the Wolfpack lead to seven points. Ty Randall drives and hits a layup for Laingsburg. Jacob Essenberg steals the ball for the Wolfpack. Ty Randall drives in and uses his strength to power in a Wolfpack layup. P-W misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Pirates get another opportunity.

Kash Pohl inbounds the ball from the side; Jamison Eklund makes a fine athletic play to catch the ball in the air and hit a layup all seemingly in the same motion. Luke Smith steals the ball for P-W. Brayden Thomas steals the ball for Laingsburg. The Wolfpack is fouled on a layup, but misses two free throws. Jamison Eklund gets into the lane and is fouled on a layup. He hits two free throws for the Pirates. Ty Randall is fouled and makes both ends of a one and one free throw opportunity to give Laingsburg a 58-49 lead with 1:09 left on the clock.

Jamison Eklund drives and hits a reverse layup for P-W. Zander Woodruff is fouled and hits both ends of a one and one situation for Laingsburg. Jamison Eklund drives and hits a layup for P-W. Brayden Thomas is fouled and hits one of his two free throws to give Laingsburg a 61-53 lead with 26.1 seconds to play.

P-W misses a three pointer from the wing. Jamison Eklund hits a layup and is fouled, but misses his free throw with 14.1 seconds to go. Eli Woodruff is fouled and makes two free throws for Laingsburg. P-W misses a layup. Eli Woodruff is fouled with 1.4 seconds left and hits two more free throws for the Wolfpack. P-W misses a heave.

Laingsburg wins this CMAC showdown by the score of 65-55 to remain undefeated and take a dominating lead in the conference standings.

Jamison Eklund had a great game and led Pewamo-Westphalia with 31 points. Kash Pohl joined his teammate in double figures with 10 points. Grady Eklund scored 5 points. Trevor Spitzley added 3 points. Luke Smith, Ben Smith and Lane Trierweiler each tallied 2 points.

Zander Woodruff had 18 points to lead a balanced attack for the Wolfpack. Eli Woodruff supported his brother with 14 points. Jacob Essenberg and Ty Randall each chipped in with 11 points. Cam Ballard contributed 6 points. Luke Snyder added 4 points and Brayden Thomas scored 1 point (but played fantastic defense and made a lot of great decisions on offense.)