Video highlights of the Thursday, January 9th, 4A boys basketball game, between #1 Cheyenne East at #3 Kelly Walsh.

Scroll down to see highlights.

The Trojans got off to a 13-0 start and never looked back, en route to giving the Thunderbirds their first loss of the season.

 

 

Nice to see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice back on the radio airwaves...welcome back Mr. Jack Nokes!

#1 Cheyenne East at #3 Kelly Walsh...first quarter...Kelly Walsh wearing the white...already up 2-nothing...big men usually don't shoot 3's...apparently someone did not tell that to Beecher Strube...the senior strikes to make this a 5-zip contest.

The Trojans have 9 players on their varsity roster that stand 6 feet or taller...so they had a height advantage and used it...Ethan Applegate is a 6-4 junior...he's just getting started...and the home team is now up 7-to-nothing.

Now for one of the smaller guys...Kirk Durtsche is coming in the back door along the baseline for a lay-in...and K-W meant business early on...leading 11-to-zip.

Another plus to having tall players...offensive rebounds...Applegate will demonstrate and the home team was cruising in the early goings...the scoreboard now reads 13-to-nothing.

I know some teams occasionally get out to a slow start...but almost 6 minutes is a bit too long...Tyler Lambert will get the hoop and the harm for the East...and they are finally on the board, down 13-to-3.

The Thunderbirds had a little work to do, if they wanted to remain undefeated...Elijah Oliver will do his part on this play with the turn-around J...and they were slowly getting back into this one...trailing 13-to-6.

The boys in black would stay after it...great pass from Oliver to Ryan Cook who will shoot ahead of the buzzer and he's got it...things were starting to click, despite being on the wrong end of a 13-to-8 score, after the first 8 minutes.

Second quarter...Kelly Walsh would get back to work...Applegate will fake one way and then go the other...he led all scorers with 16 points, and that bucket would increase the lead to 7...it's now 15-to-8.

East would try to hang around...Cook takes the inside lob and he's got something cooking...that would make the score 15-to-10, but unfortunately...that ended up being their only basket of the quarter...and things went downhill from this point onward.

Both teams have not played in 2 1/2 weeks coming into this game...but one was not playing like it...Durtsche practiced on his moves during the winter break...now he has his squad ahead 17-to-11.

The Trojans were mixing up their attack and it was paying off...Drew Petrie...bombs away and KABOOM! They were rolling with the score now doubled up at 22-to-11.

Now with all those tall players on the court...there was bound to be some defensive plays here and there...Quinton Pope just got swatted by Strube...the senior is 6-6 and apparently, this guy can jump as well.

That last highlight was a 3-point attempt...now how about one a little closer to the hoop? Get that out of here! The Thunderbirds recover, but could not connect on the 3...and they had shooting problems all game long.

K-W would show them how it's done...Petrie wears number 3 for a reason...and you just saw why...everything was going their way...as they would take a 25-to-11 score into the locker room.

3rd quarter...they kept right on going...Applegate again, up close and personal...you give him an opportunity and he will take it...the Trojans would go up 27-to-11.

How bad was it for the top-ranked visitors? Allow me to show you an example...I think that explains everything. Don't get me wrong...they are much better than last year...but this game was one to forget.

...and Kelly Walsh's defense caused some fits...here's an example...Strube with the turnover...he feeds Kooper Adams who will coast in for 2...you can tell he wanted to dunk...that would polish off a 14-zip run, to make it a 29-to-11 score.

The Thunderbirds were in bad need of some offense...Cook was feeling the heat inside, but he'll get the bucket, to break an 8 minute scoring drought...the senior had a double-digit game, but his team is down big...29-to-13.

I told you earlier that the home team had a lot of big players...here's another one...Talen Markovich with a great tip in...that's how you do it...now it's 31-to-13.

Actually...Markovich was taking charge for a little while...his team likes to move the lead role around...the senior strikes again on the drive...and the advantage is up to 20...the score is 33-to-13.

The rout was on, and there was no sign that the Trojans were about to let up just yet...Adams is in the corner causing his own brand of trouble...just about everything was going right for K-W...the scoreboard read, 36-to-13.

At this point...the boys in black were ready to try just about anything that would work...Pope from N-B-A range...and...well...that worked...it's a start...his team trails 38-to-16.

That last shot worked so well...let's try it again...Pope from wayyyy downtown, and he nails it again...now we just have to find him...there he is...give him his love...East is still down 40-to-19.

The offense was coming together to an extent, but it was wayyy too late to affect the final outcome of this game...T.J. Olsen gets behind the defense and scores a reverse lay-in...but the Thunderbirds were still down a lot...40-to-21, going into the final 8 minutes.

4th quarter...we'll give the boys in black a little more love...Oliver will get a few friendly bounces and the drop to add 2 more points to the cause...visitors trail 40-to-23 at this point.

Their defense would make a play as well and it payed off...Andrew Florita will knock the ball loose and he'll quickly get it to Tyler Lambert who will lay in 2 of his 10 points...they were trying to make the score a little more respectable...down 43-to-27.

...but in the end...the Trojans' height was too much to overcome...we'll give Applegate the final highlight...as Kelly Walsh would put the rest of the state on notice...winning 51-to-34.

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