Vikings face great competition

It was an exciting week for both the fans and the team, as the Ventura boys basketball team competed with some of the state’s best teams. The Vikings went 1-1.

SCMT 62, Ventura 46
Don’t let the score deceive you, the Vikings were in this contest right to the end. Ventura knew this would be a tough contest and they came ready to play Class 1A’s number three ranked team.
The Spartans jumped to a slight 12-9 lead after the first quarter. A tight defensive battle occurred in the second quarter with both teams collecting 12 points for a 24-21 halftime score. The third quarter was again a battle with Ventura falling behind, but catching back up. The score at the end of the third period was 39-33 in favor of SCMT. The Spartans connected on some three point shots and the Vikings had to resort to fouling to get back into the game, resulting in Ventura falling too far behind to capture the victory.
“This loss hurt, but it also gives us some confidence because everyone on our team knows that we can play with them,” said Coach Nick Schauf. “If we hit a few more of our shots we are right there.”
The Vikings only shot 29 percent from the field and 11 percent from the three point line. Coach Schauf said this was the worst his team has shot from the arc all season.
The coach praised the play of Cody Kadolph and Tyler Betz for finding the holes and finishing strong. Betz and Kadolph led the team with 19 and 17 points respectively. The duo also led the team in rebounds with Kadolph grabbing 11 and Betz picking up 10. Betz also had five blocked shots, two steals and two assists, while Kadolph had two steals and five assists.
Rounding out the scoring was Aaron Christians with four and Josh Henely and Tyler Peterson with three points apiece.

Ventura 55, N-K 54
It was a night to remember on Saturday, Jan. 5, when Ventura traveled to Northwood to take on last year’s State champions, Northwood-Kensett.
“This was a hard fought battle and the kids fought through a bunch of adversity to capture this win,” said Coach Nick Schauf.
The teams were matched very closely. Following the first quarter the score was tied, 12-12. N-K took a slight three point lead into halftime. Both teams came back ready to play and again tied with a 13-13 third quarter.
But it was the fourth quarter that was one for the record books. Trailing by 10 points, Ventura worked hard to get back into the game. The team got in the passing lanes and forced some turnovers, which they turned into points. With :30 seconds left, Tyler Betz intercepted an inbound play and put it up for two to tie the game. N-K called a timeout and set up a play, but Ventura’s defense stopped them with :04 seconds left. It was the Viking’s turn to call a timeout.
“Coach Eastvold suggested a sideline play that he used to run in high school, so we tried it,” said Coach Schauf.
Cody Kadolph caught the inbounds and attacked the basket, getting fouled while shooting with no time left on the clock. He sunk the first shot and sealed the 55-54 victory.
“The whole team played very well and our bench players came in and provided some much needed depth, allowing us to push the ball,” said Schauf. “We made an adjustment in the second half to run and gun after we got a rebound and that seemed to work.”
Kadolph led the team in points with 17, followed closely by Betz with 16 and Josh Henely with 12. Tyler Peterson contributed six points, Aaron Christians had three and Jeremiah Hagen had one point. Kadolph was setting the three-point line on fire, connecting on five shots. Peterson and Christians had one three-point shot apiece.
Leading the team under the boards was Betz with seven rebounds. Kadolph and Henely each grabbed six boards. Peterson led the team in steals with three. Kadolph was the assist leader with four, while Peterson and Brian Mostrom each had three assists.
“I am very proud of the way the kids handled this game and showed true character, which is what the coaching staff is trying to instill in them. All the time and effort they put into the program helped them win this game,” said Schauf.
Ventura travels to Graettinger on Friday, Jan. 11, to play Graettinger-Terrill. The Viking’s record stands at 9-2.