ALTOONA-MIDWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023
By CRAIG NULL, USD 387 ACTIVITIES WRITER
BUFFALO – The Altoona-Midway Middle School boys’ basketball team opened its 2023-24 season here Tuesday afternoon, hosting the Yates Center Wildcats.
Yates Center won the game 49-15.
There was no girls’ game, as Altoona-Midway did not have enough participants to field a team this year. Three AMMS girls will be playing with Thayer Middle School this season through a cooperative agreement between the two schools.
“We knew going into this game it was going to be an uphill battle,” said AMMS head coach David Batzer. “It was game one for us, while Yates Center had half a season under their belts. They had three times as many players and a lot of size that we just couldn’t overcome. We won’t focus on the scoreboard for this game, but rather on the good things the boys were doing against a superior opponent.”
Yates Center, which enjoys a deep, talented roster, used two big runs to open each half. The Wildcats raced to a 14-0 lead to open the contest before Altoona-Midway’s Broghan Douglas swished a field goal from the circle to get the Jets on the board. Yates Center also poured in the first 23 points after intermission to force a running clock in the final period.
But despite the final score, Altoona-Midway was not without some bright moments during the contest. After Yates Center jumped to the 14-0 lead, the Jets actually outscored the Wildcats for the remainder of the first half.
AMMS enjoyed a 13-12 advantage during that span to make it 26-13 at halftime. Yates Center’s second-half surge was halted only by a pair of fourth-quarter free throws by Chance Mustain, making the final score 49-15.
“I was really proud of the boys. They really competed well, especially in the first half,” Batzer noted. “I think every one of the boys took a shot, and four of the seven scored, which is a major improvement over last season. We also had four assists on five baskets which means they were looking for the open man.”
Mustain was the leading scorer for the Jets, netting a total of six points. Douglas finished with four points, Chance Carter tallied three, and Caden Sicka added two.
“(Mustain) played with good aggressiveness, which showed with three trips to the free throw line,” Batzer said.
Carter led the Jets in rebounds (3), steals (2) and blocks (2).
Ben Cook and Gavin Busteed provided a gigantic one-two scoring punch for Yates Center. Cook poured in 28 points, including a massive 20-point first half barrage. Busteed also reached double digits for the ‘Cats, netting 13 points. Jake Howard chipped in six points for the winners.
The Jets were scheduled to host Chetopa on Thursday, but that game has been postponed due to a lack of players for the visitors. Altoona-Midway will return to the hardwoods on Monday, Dec. 4, when the Jets travel to Altamont.
“Now we move on to league play,” Batzer commented. “I expect us to be much more competitive in the Mineral Belt this year. We started the year ahead of where we ended last year, which is a step in the right direction for a successful season.”