Peetz boys split with Gering, Caliche in home opener

The Peetz boys’ basketball team split the win-loss column over the weekend, falling in Friday’s opening round of the Carlile Classic tournament to Caliche, 60-43, though the squad rebounded for a win against the Gering JV team on Saturday, 75-54.

Caliche 60, Peetz 43

Despite the tough loss to Caliche – a team Peetz has a tough time getting the number of year-to-year – Bulldogs forward Cody Wilson put together an outstanding performance by shooting five-of-eight from the floor, adding a three-pointer and four free throws to lead with 15 points in the game.

Wilson, a junior, also logged four rebounds, five assists and four steals against the Buffaloes.

Peetz head coach Sean Fehringer said playing Caliche can be tough – especially when your team is giving them the ball on a regular basis.

“Turnovers were definitely the key to the game against Caliche,” Fehringer said. “After playing (Caliche) tough in the first half we struggled to handle the pressure they presented in the second half, turning the ball over on what seemed like every other possession. It’s difficult to score when you don’t give yourself an opportunity to get into your offense and get good looks.”

Other scorers for Peetz were: Jake Curlee (9), Garrin Cox (6), Logan Sircy (6), Patrick Naegele (5) and Jordan Nelson (2).

Under the basket, Sircy led the team in rebounds with six and also added three deflections.

Peetz 75, Gering JV 54

The next day, Peetz took advantage of an opportunity to beat Gering’s JV team.

For the Peetz Bulldogs, Saturday’s jaunt against Gering’s Bulldogs was a case of Naegele amassing a 15-point high scoring performance off seven buckets and a free-throw.

From three-point land, junior Tyler Gentry dropped a trio as part of his 13-point run, while Jake Curlee and Bryson Long were also in double digits with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

“The second night we faced a tough Gering JV team,” Fehringer added. “This time we handled the pressure and were able to get open looks. Overall I was pleased with our defense and rebounding efforts. It was good to finally get on the court for our first games. We have a good idea of what we need to work on and we look forward to improving every day.”

Other scorers for Peetz were: Nelson (9), Wilson (8), Sircy (3), Alex Curlee (3) and Cox (2).

The Peetz boys will face Leyton tomorrow night at home. Tip-off for the varsity-only game is set for 6:30 p.m.