Boys Hoops: Hillsdale Academy survives Concord battle with gritty 41-35 victory
HILLSDALE — We knew All-Area Dream Team returning senior Dominic Scharer would be a force for the Hillsdale Academy boys basketball team this winter. Scharer and his teammates took the court on Tuesday night to make their case for why they should be considered early season contenders to repeat as district and league champions in 2023.
Standing in their way was a formidable Concord squad eager to make an early statement. The Colts needed to complete to scoring runs in the middle of the third and in the fourth quarter to pull off the home victory over the Yellow Jackets.
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It wasn't a perfect final score - only 41-35 in favor of the Colts - but the win gives coach Miller and company that signature victory that they can hang their hats on as boys prep hoops action rolls into the month of December.
Concord entered 2023 only a year removed from a Big 8 championship and a 2022 season that saw them take second in their conference run. Coach Marcus Gill and the Yellow Jackets lost a four-overtime game to Hanover-Horton in the district round last season, and they entered their road matchup with Hillsdale this year looking to bounce back from a road loss to TCC contender Britton Deerfield.
Concord has the size and 3-point shooting ability to be that true early season test for a team like the Colts, and through three quarters it looked like they were going to pull off the road win.
Hillsdale Academy trailed 13-10 after one quarter as Yellow Jacket sophomore Darrell Dean sank two triples to put his team ahead. Dominic Scharer kept the Colts in the game to start the first quarter, earning six points. Scharer went to the line twice and nailed all three of his trips to the free throw line. Add on a triple from younger brother Dawson Scharer, and the Colts looked like the better team heading into halftime up 25-23. Dean led the Yellow Jackets in scoring through the first half.
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The Colts continued to look dominant to start the second half. Scharer would add another two-point layup to give the Colts a 27-23 lead. Junior Colt Andrew Spiegel would come in clutch in the middle of the third quarter, sinking a necessary three-pointer that gave Hillsdale their 30-23 lead before the Yellow Jackets came back alive.
The tide began to change again, this time against the Colts, as Yellow Jacket Jordan Medellin heated up from the arc with two triples in the third quarter. Both teams struggled to sink their shots, with Hillsdale Academy only connecting on two of their 16 shot attempts in the third quarter, both of them coming before the Yellow Jacket run.
Both defenses made points difficult to come by, and in a game like this, coaches call upon their playmakers to make plays when it looks like all lanes to the basket are closed off.
Spiegel would drain two from the line in the fourth quarter, and Scharer hit on three of his four free throws. Scharer would make the most of his fourth quarter opportunities, scoring on two hard earned buckets. The Colts defense would pin their ears back and allow just two shots go in for Concord as they Yellow Jackets began to run out of time.
Scharer finished the night with 23 points and six rebounds. Spiegel finished with seven points and three rebounds. Dawson Scharer finished with the triple and three rebounds. Benny Cote had four points. Connor Hill and Ridley Fast both had one basket.
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“It’s great to have competitive games like this early in the season," coach Miller said. "I’m proud of how our guys responded when we got down early and how they dug in at the end. This will help us down the stretch.”
After their performance on Tuesday night, it's hard to argue the 2-0 Colts will face a difficult challenge winning the rest of their games in the month of December, potentially heading into the Holiday tournament undefeated. Their biggest test will be a three-game road stint to close out their regular season games for the month, including a trip to rival Pittsford on Dec. 15.
Other Scores
Quincy 55, Camden-Frontier 7
Camden-Frontier falls to 0-3
Dylan Drake leads team scoring with 3 points
Springport 55, Hillsdale 51
Jace Lennox leads Hornets with 16 points, 6 steals
Jack Bowles earns 11 points
Brody Adams sinks 4 triples, total of 14 points
Hillsdale falls to 2-1
Michigan Center 51, Jonesville 43
Jonesville drops first-ever Cascades league game, 1-2 on the year
Warrick Elder leads Comets with 12 points
Gavin Van Kampen earns 11 points
Litchfield 65, Will Carleton Academy 41
Tyler Bills sinks 20 points for Litchfiled
Miguel Pedroza earns 14 points for Litchfield
Tyler Slade leads WCA with 17 points
Terriers improve to 3-0
Sand Creek 61, Pittsford 54 (OT)
Pittsford drops to 0-3
(Stats Unavailable)
Burr Oak 39, Waldron 38
Waldron drops to 1-2
(Stats Unavailable)
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Colts boys prep hoops earns gritty early season win over Concord 41-35
