Friday, Feb. 11, 2022
ALTOONA-MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
BUFFALO – It was Senior Night for Altoona-Midway High School, and Jets senior Jackson Ashmore had quite the night.
Ashmore poured in 30 points as Altoona-Midway pulled away in the fourth quarter to register a convincing 57-40 decision over the Marmaton Valley Wildcats before the home fans at Milo Peterson Gymnasium.
Unfortunately, things did not go as well for the Lady Jets, as they fell 47-19 in the opening varsity tilt.
The AMHS boys (5-12 overall, 3-5 in the Three Rivers League) have two games upcoming this week, as they host Yates Center on Tuesday (Feb. 15), then go on Mound City on Friday (Feb. 18) to face Jayhawk-Linn.
The Lady Jets (2-14, 1-6) also play both of those dates this week, plus have a make-up road game with Chetopa thrown in on Thursday (Feb. 17) as well.
AMHS Boys
Not only did Ashmore have a 30-point performance to lead the Jets to victory on Senior Night, but he saved his best for last, scorching the nets for 13 points in the final quarter when AMHS outscored Marmaton Valley 21-9 to turn a 36-31 lead into the final 57-40 margin.
“Jackson had a great night, especially in terms of making the right decision,” said AMHS head coach Lane Huffman. “He's struggled at times trying to do too much this season, but tonight he did a great job. However, I’m sure he would be the first to credit his teammates as well.
“Andy Tiger and William Stackhouse set solid screens all night that opened up driving lanes, while Jacob Meigs and Dalton Smith spaced the floor well as respected three-point shooters.”
Stackhouse also reached double digits for Altoona-Midway, finishing with 10 points. Not only that, he was all over the court with his hustle and defense.
“William put out an immense effort. After entering the game in the first quarter, he never left the floor,” Huffman noted. “His hustle on the defensive end and rebounding were a huge reason we got the win. He's a freshman going up against seniors tonight, and he showed he's up for the challenge.”
MVHS led 14-13 at the quarter, but a three by Stackhouse midway in the second period put the Jets up 20-18 and they never relinquished the lead. Still, the Wildcats trailed by only five entering the final quarter.
Ashmore took over at that point, scoring successive three-point plays via a trey and an old fashioned “and one.” Two free throws by Ashmore gave him the first eight points of the stanza made it 44-31 and pretty much clinched the win for the Jets.
Smith, Tiger and Meigs rounded out the scoring for AMHS with seven, six, and four points respectively.
“Jacob and Harley Lopeman found themselves in foul trouble which kept them out of an offensive rhythm tonight, but both of them came up with huge fourth quarter steals that stretched the lead,” Huffman continued.
“This was a total team win. Blaine Collins, Chase Nalley, and Kieran Foster are the first guys to let somebody know when they're doing good, as well as holding everyone accountable.”
The Jets junior varsity team also got a 17-15 win in a two-quarter contest. Stackhouse had eight, Foster had five, and Nalley scored four points. Collins anchored the defense, with his hustle and effort forcing a lot of turnovers.
AMHS Girls
Playing their second quality opponent in as many nights, the Lady Jets couldn’t get anything going offensively and fell to Marmaton Valley 47-19.
The Lady Wildcats led just 6-3 at the end of the first period, but opened up that lead to 20-6 at halftime. MVHS went up 35-14 entering the final period and coasted to the 47-19 win.
“Our intensity level was low for the second night in a row,” said AMHS head coach Randy Almond. “We were plagued by turnovers and mental mistakes, many of which led to turnovers.
“I know it was Senior Night, and maybe that led to some of the distractions, but bottom line is we just weren’t focused. Maybe we were tired – we played back-to-back night and three times this week – but the girls better rest up over the weekend because they have another full week (3 more games) coming up.”
Summer Raymond had a good night on defense and also led the Lady Jets in scoring with 11 points, including 3-for-8 from behind the arc. Mariah Stackhouse finished with six points and Emmalynn Pupanek chipped in two.
“We only shot 22 percent from the field and 25 percent from the line,” Almond noted. “We’re definitely struggling on offense right now.
“To sum things up, we have to re-focus and come out and play with a higher level of energy next week.” Marmaton Valley was led by Janae Granere, who finished the n