James and Vienna take down New Bloomfield

By: Alin Hett

Maries County Advocate Sports Writer

With 15 seconds left on the clock and the Vienna Eagles clinging to a 54–52 lead, the noise inside New Bloomfield’s gym was deafening.

The Wildcats had one last chance to pull even, a three-point attempt launched with 10 seconds remaining, hanging in the air before clanking off the rim right to Junior guard Hunter Schwartze who secured the rebound and instantly fired an outlet pass down the floor to captain Teagan James, who caught the ball in stride. With time winding down, James rose up for a thunderous dunk that sent the Vienna fans into a frenzy and silenced the home crowd. With only three seconds left on the clock, the Eagles had sealed it 56-52, escaping with a dramatic road win and improving to 2–1 on the season.

For head coach Chandler Harker, the closing moments unfolded exactly the way he wanted them to.

“As crazy as it sounds, that’s definitely the position we want to be in,” Harker said. “Late in the game, we have our leadership and our experience that we bring, being able to close out ball games by not turning the ball over and just making free throws to seal the deal. The kids came out and they executed at a very tough place to play. It’s on the road, and they couldn’t have done any better the last couple minutes of that ball game.”

Unlike New Bloomfield, Vienna entered the fourth quarter with all three timeouts remaining and still had two left with under two minutes to go. Harker’s late-game composure stems from his belief in patience and control.

“Everybody talks about time management and controlling your tempo. I’m really big on saving mine and not using them early unless I absolutely have to,” Harker said. “The fourth quarter with three time outs is always something that I try to do, because, you know how it is late in games…you play out of control and you feel like if you have no more time out’s, you can’t bail your players out.”

The scene inside the gym only added to the pressure. The building was packed with Wildcat fans, including a student section dressed head to toe in hunting gear and holding signs that read “Hunt the Eagles.” New Bloomfield even rolled out its own halftime performance with dance team and cheer routines, turning the night into a full spectacle. The atmosphere was electric, but in the end, the hunters became the hunted.

James was impossible to contain. The Eagles’ captain poured in a season-high 28 points, knocking down four three-pointers, adding five points from the free-throw line and punctuating the night with the final dunk that quieted the crowd. Before the opening tip, his approach was simple.

“I’m just going out there playing, moving the ball and doing my thing,” James said. “My goal tonight is to get more of my teammates involved and make my shots. We haven’t been shooting the ball as much as we’d like.”

When the final buzzer sounded, the emotions inside the gym split in every direction. Some fans dropped to their knees. Others froze in disbelief. Vienna’s players leaped in celebration. But for James, it was a moment etched into memory.

“This is definitely a cool and unforgettable experience,” James said. “I just was thinking to myself, ‘keep your head on your shoulders,’ and make the right play.”

Schwartze continued to establish himself as a major scoring threat alongside James, finishing with 15 points that included a three-pointer and more than five driving layups. His speed with the ball kept defenders on their heels all night as he sliced through traffic and pushed the pace whenever possible.

Jayce Bertoni added eight points, five of them coming in the fourth quarter when Vienna needed a steady hand. Eli Crum contributed four points while controlling the glass with a strong rebounding performance. Dylan Long rounded out the scoring with one point from the free-throw line.

The Eagles victory did not come without challenges. Vienna faced adversity early when one of the team’s leaders and Senior Jude Stricklan went down in the first quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face. Teammates helped him off the floor and to the bench where he was evaluated by Vienna’s training staff. Stricklan was ruled out for the remainder of the game and will be monitored day to day, leaving his return questionable.

Vienna’s aggressive, fearless style once again showed up in the foul column. The Eagles were whistled for 18 total fouls, an improvement from the previous game where they eclipsed over 20. Still, they sent New Bloomfield to the bonus in each of the first three quarters, a trend that will be closely watched as the season continues.

Earlier in the evening, the JV Eagles set the tone with a convincing 62–41 victory. Talan Reeves led the way with a career night, dropping 22 points to pace the offense. Jaiden Hayes followed with 10 points, Wyatt Wulff added nine, Parker James scored seven, Cooper Kleffner chipped in three and Bryce Ewers finished with nine.

Reeves has now been the leading scorer for JV in each of the first three games and became the first Eagle this season to surpass the 20-point mark for the Junior Varsity team. JV Coach Tim Simmons credited the entire group for creating those opportunities.

“It’s a team concept that Talan had a good night,” Simmons said. “Understand he was out in front of the other guys in the fastbreak but that is because the other guys are playing well, we’re relentless. With that, Talan is doing a great job.”

For Vienna, the night in New Bloomfield was a test of execution, poise and confidence under pressure. In the final seconds, the Eagles proved exactly who they are and continued to show the rest of SMCC how hard it is to hunt down an Eagle.

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