Potterville at Fowler – – Boys Basketball – – The Bleacher Denizen – – February 17, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, Fowler opens the Fowler Athletic Center, its new gym at the High School. The Eagle boys and girls are both playing tonight. Here is a link to the girls game! https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2023/02/18/potterville-at-fowler-girls-basketball-the-bleacher-denizen-february-17-2023-by-chuck-krafft/

The Fowler Eagle Boys have a 6-4 record in the CMAC and are 9-6 overall. Jacob Halfmann is a sophomore in his second year as the starting point guard for the Eagles. He is tall enough to rebound and defend in the post as well as quick enough to guard anyone on the perimeter where his height makes extra challenges for Eagle opponents. On offense, he is a patient and confident ball handler who can either get to the basket to score inside or shoot accurately from the three point line.

Alex Halfmann is a sophomore in his second year of starting in the post. He is a fine rebounder and defender who gets a lot of putbacks. He is starting to become more assertive about scoring this year. Nolan Stump, a junior in his third year of varsity basketball is an excellent shooter from the three point line and can also get to the basket. Aaron Simon has great range on his three point shot.

Zach Halfmann is athletic and can defend opponents in the post or on the perimeter. He also has a solid three point shot. Asher Koenigsknecht is an extremely energetic sophomore who creates chaos as he defends. Unfortunately, tonight, I have learned that Asher Koenigsknecht has broken his ankle and will be unable to play for the rest of the season.

The Potterville Vikings have a 5-4 record in the CMAC and are 9-8 overall.

Chris Hicks is an extremely athletic guard who can defend anyone anywhere as he is over six feet tall and is as quick as anyone playing. His quickness and determination make him a defensive threat to any opposing player. He is a fine leaper who is really tough to stop when he drives to the basket. His brother, DaMarion Hicks is a taller version of his brother. He is also really quick and agile as well as being a great leaper. He is also able to defend anyone anywhere and to create many turnovers. He is also difficult to stop from getting layups and putbacks near the basket.

Bene Vasquez is a strong perimeter defender and a good shooter. Jonah Bovee mans the middle on defense and brings an excellent three point shot to the Vikings on offense. Diego Vasquez is an active perimeter defender. Jacob Bishop is a versatile player who can defend anyone on the perimeter or the post depending on what the Vikings need at the moment. He can also score in the lane or from the three point line. Kaleb Batterham is a transfer student who is now eligible to play. He brings toughness, passing skill, fine ball handling and good defense to the Viking point guard position.

Fowler’s pep band did a fine job performing between the games. As many of the readers are unable to hear the band, maybe we can listen to this Boogie Woogie tune from my You Tube Channel as we wait for the game to start!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MxOus8t44

It is now time to review the events of the first boys game ever to be played in the Fowler Athletic Center through the occasionally alert eyes of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league when he attempted to play basketball in ancient times. Your Bleacher Denizen was showing great promise as a dunker, but the basketball powers the be ruined everything when they raised the rim from five to ten feet!!

Fowler wins the opening tap. The Eagles drive the baseline, but miss a layup. Potterville misfires on a triple try from the wing. Chris Hicks hits a putback to give the Vikings the first two points of the game. Fowler misses a three point shot near the top of the key. Alex Halfmann is fouled on a putback and hits one of his two free throws to shave the Potterville lead to 2-1 with 6:49 remaining in the first quarter.

Potterville misses a three point shot from the corner. Alex Halfmann backs into the lane, does a post move and banks in a layup to give his Eagles a one point lead. Aaron Simon steals the ball for the Eagles. Zach Halfmann drives and dishes the ball to Alex Halfmann, who hits a layup for Fowler. The score is now Alex Halfmann 5 Potterville 2.

Bene Vasquez hits a three point shot from the corner for Potterville to tie the game. Zach Halfmann drives and dishes the ball to Nolan Stump, who fires in a threeball from the side for Fowler. Alex Halfmann steals the ball and hits a fast break layup to give Fowler a 10-5 lead.

Potterville misfires on a triple try from the corner. Jacob Halfmann passes to Alex Halfmann, who hits a fast break layup for the Eagles. Potterville travels on a post move. Jacob Halfmann tosses the ball to Aaron Simon, who hits a three point shot from the side to boost Fowler to a 15-5 lead.

Chris Hicks hits a jump shot off the dribble from the free throw line for the Vikings. The Halfmann connection comes throw as Jacob passes to Zach, who throws in a threeball near the top of the key for the Eagles. DaMarion Hicks drives the baseline and hits a layup for Potterville to trim the Eagle lead to 18-9.

Fowler misses a threeball from the corner. Alex Halfmann pulls down the offensive rebound for the Vikings. Fowler misses a layup. Isaiah Woloszyn is fouled on a layup and hits two free throws to Potterville to shave the Fowler lead to 18-11 with 1:42 to go in the quarter.

Jacob Halfmann passes to a teammate who is fouled on a layup, but misses both his free throws. Chris Hicks gets in the lane and uses a post move to score a layup for Potterville. Nate Spicer passes to Nolan Stump, who hits a layup for Fowler. Potterville misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Kaleb Batterham grabs the offensive rebound for the Vikings. Potterville misses an eight foot shot in the lane at the buzzer.

After one quarter, Fowler has a 20-13 lead.

Potterville inbounds the ball to open quarter number two. Chris Hicks passes to Jonah Bovee, who hits a three point shot from the corner for the Vikings. Fowler passes the ball out of bounds. Nolan Stump steals a Potterville pass into the lane. Chris Hicks returns the favor and steals the ball from Fowler. He passes to his brother, DaMarion Hicks, who hits a layup to chop the Eagle lead to 20-18.

Fowler misses a three point shot from the wing. Alex Halfmann is fouled on a putback and hits one of his two free throws for the Eagles. Potterville misses a three point shot from the corner. Zach Halfmann passes to Jacob Halfmann, who hits a jumper from the free throw line to give Fowler a 23-18 lead.

Potterville misses a layup. Braden Mireles knocks the ball away from Fowler and Chris Hicks grabs the ball for Potterville. Bene Vasquez hits a layup for Potterville. Aaron Simon passes to Jacob Halfmann, who slings in a threeball from the wing for Fowler. Potterville misses a layup. Fowler fouls on the rebound. Potterville throws a pass out of bounds. Chris Hicks knocks the ball away from Fowler and DaMarion Hicks picks it up for Potterville. Chris Hicks drives and dishes the ball to Diego Vasquez, who hits a layup to cut the Fowler lead to 26-22.

Jacob Halfmann drives and dishes the ball to Aaron Simon, who hits a twelve foot shot off the dribble from the wing for Fowler. Potterville loses a pass out of bounds. Jacob Halfmann passes to Aaron Simon, who hits a three point shot from the wing to give Fowler a 31-22 lead.

Zach Halfmann knocks a Potterville pass out of bounds; the Vikings retain possession. Potterville misses a layup. Jacob Halfmann tosses the ball to Nathan Hamilton, who hits a three point shot from the wing for Fowler. Alex Halfmann steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misfires on a threeball from the corner. Kaleb Batterham is fouled on a driving layup for Potterville and hits two free throws to shave the Eagle lad to34-24 with 23.4 seconds left on the first half clock.

Jacob Bishop blocks a Fowler layup. Potterville misses a fast break layup with 1.1 seconds left. The ball goes out of bounds and the Vikings get another opportunity. Potterville misses a three point shot from the side at the buzzer.

At halftime, Fowler holds a 34-24 lead.

Chris Hicks has 6 points to lead the Potterville scoring and Bene Vasquez has 5 points.

Alex Halfmann has 10 points to lead the Fowler scoring at halftime. Aaron Simon has 8 points. Jacob Halfmann and Nolan Stump each have 5 points.

The Fowler Pep Band does a fine job entertaining during halftime. For those of us who cannot hear the band’s fine performance, here is a classic Western tune from my You Tube Channel. Since we are covering the first boys game in the Fowler Athletic Center, somehow it seems appropriate to put the Bleacher Denizen’s first yodeling in a song on You Tube into the article! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlPaiHsbOnA

Fowler inbounds the ball to get quarter number three underway. Aaron Simon passes to Nolan Stump, who hits a three point shot from the wing for Fowler. Potterville misses a threeball from the top of the key. Bene Vasquez gets the offensive rebound for the Vikings. Potterville misses a six footer from the baseline. Nolan Stump fires in a threeball from the wing for the Eagles. Bene Vasquez passes to Jonah Bovee, who reciprocates and first in a threeball from the wing for the Vikings to trim the Eagle lead to 40-27.

Fowler misses a threeball from the side. Potterville drives the baseline, but misses a layup. Jacob Halfmann gets into the lane, fakes and is fouled on an eight footer. He hits one of two free throws and is awarded another chance on the missed one because of a Potterville lane violation. He hits the replacement free throw to give Fowler a 42-27 lead with 6:13 to play in quarter number three.

Potterville misses a fourteen footer off the dribble in the lane. Fowler is assessed with a traveling violation. Potterville misses a layup. DaMarion Hicks is fouled on a putback and hits one of his two free throws to shave the Eagle lead to 42-28 with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter.

DaMarion Hicks knocks the ball out of bounds; Fowler retains possesssion. Kaleb Batterham knocks the ball away from Fowler and Chris Hicks picks it up for Potterville. The Vikings throw a pass out of bounds. Diego Vasquez steals the ball for the Vikings. Aaron Simon quickly steals it back for the Eagles. Jacob Halfmann passes to Aaron Simon, who connects on a threeball from the wing to give his Eagles a 45-28 lead.

Aaron Simon knocks the ball away from the Vikings and Jacob Halfmann grabs it for the Eagles. Fowler misses a threeball from the top of the key; Potterville fouls on the rebound. Fowler misses a ten footer from the baseline. Aaron Simon is fouled on a putback and hits two free throws to boost the Fowler lead to 47-28 with 2:31 to play in the quarter.

Potterville misses a layup. DaMarion Hicks pulls down the offensive rebound for the Vikings. Potterville misses a layup. Fowler misses a driving layup. Nolan Stump steals a Potterville pass and hits a fast break layup for Fowler. Zach Halfmann steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Alex Halfmann grabs the offensive rebound for the Eagles, but Fowler cannot shoot before the third quarter buzzer sounds.

After three quarters, Fowler has a 49-28 lead.

Potterville has the ball to open the fourth quarter. Jordon Caudill drives and dishes the ball to DaMarion Hicks, who hits a layup for the Vikings. Aaron Simon passes to Jacob Halfmann, who hits a three point shot from the side for Fowler. Potterville throws a pass out of bounds. Fowler misses a layup. Nolan Stump steals a Viking pass. DaMarion Hicks steals an Eagle pass. Potterville misses a fast break layup; the rebound goes out of bounds and the Vikings get another opportunity.

Potterville misses a layup and fouls on the rebound. Bene Vasquez knocks the ball out of bounds; Potterville gets the ball. The Vikings miss a six foot hook shot in the lane. Chris Hicks knocks the ball out of bounds; the Eagles retain possession. Chris Hicks steals the ball and passes to Kaleb Batterham, who hits a fast break layup to trim the Eagle lead to 52-32.

Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. Nate Spicer steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a fast break layup. Alex Halfmann hits a putback for the Eagles. Chris Hicks leans back to hit a layup for the Vikings. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 4:43 left on the clock, Fowler has a 54-34 lead.

Kaleb Batterham steals the ball for the Vikings. Potterville misses a fast break layup and fouls on the rebound. Chris Hicks steals the ball for the Vikings. He is hammered on a fast break layup and unable to shoot his free throws. Kaleb Batterham steps in and hits one of the two free throws to trim the Eagle lead to 54-35 with 3:41 remaining in the contest.

The foul on Fowler was ruled to be intentional, so Potterville gets to inbound the ball. The Vikings miss a threeball from the wing. Jacob Halfmann passes to Alex Halfmann, who hits a layup for the Eagles. Potterville misses a layup. Fowler misfires on a triple try from the corner. Nolan Stump draws an offensive foul from the Vikings to negate a Potterville layup.

Chris Hicks and Kaleb Batterham double team Fowler’s ball handler. They steal the ball and Chris Hicks hits a fast break layup for the Vikings. Alex Halfmann is fouled and hits one of two free throws in a one and one opportunity to give Fowler a 57-37 lead with 1:51 to go.

Potterville is fouled, but misses the first shot of a one and one opportunity. Chris Hicks blocks a Fowler layup. Chris Hicks drives and hits a layup for Potterville. Fowler misses a three point shot from the wing. The rebound goes out of bounds and Potterville takes possession. Jonathan Ruiz steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler runs out the clock.

Fowler wins the first boys’ game at the Fowler Athletic Center by the score of 57-39.

Chris Hicks had 12 points to lead Potterville’s scoring. DaMarion Hicks put in 7 points. Jonah Bovee scored 6 points. Kaleb Batterham and Bene Vasquez each added 5 points. Diego Vasquez and Isaiah Woloszyn each tallied 2 points.

Alex Halfmann had 15 points to lead Fowler’s scoring. Nolan Stump and Aaron Simon each pitched in with 13 points. Jacob Halfmann joined his teammates in double figures with 10 points. Zach Halfmann and Nathan Hamilton each added 3 points.