By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
When Danny Bunch made his halftime talk to his Calhoun basketball team he didn't give them the "Old Knute Rockne" about winning the game. He knew those chances were long since gone.
Instead he asked his team to not even look at the scoreboard (Braxton was ahead 44-11) and not give up and just go out and win a quarter.
It didn't do that but it got close.
Braxton won the third quarter by a 13-11 score but it took a three-point goal by long range bomber Zach Nibert to allow the Eagles to do that.
But the third quarter was the only bright spot in a very lopsided 78-25 Braxton victory over the homestanding Red Devils.
Actually Braxton's 27 first quarter points was enough to win the game. Unfortunately they were allowed to play three more and were able to tack on 68 more before the evening was over.
Braxton beat the Red Devils mainly by shooting the lights out on offense and either stealing the ball or forcing a Calhoun turnover on defense.
Offensively Braxton hit 32 of 54 shots (59 per cent) from the field which was even more impressive when you count the three-point goals where the Eagles hit on 10 of 14 (71 per cent).
Defensively Braxton had 16 steals while forcing 24 Calhoun turnovers.
Nibert led a balanced Braxton attack with 16 points while Jordan Coen added 11 and Jordan Lacy 10. But the 2-2 Eagles also got eight from Easton Hutton, seven from Joe Wilfong, six each from Ryan Hart and Danny Westfall, four from Cody Hilton, three from Yannick Yewawa and Austin Rhodes and two each from Derek Barnette and Ronnie Carroll as ever Braxton player scored.
Calhoun, 0-5, was led by Ricky Hall with 10 points. He was the only Red Devil to hit double figures.
Mason Sheldon and Ryan Slider had five each while Caleb Schoolcraft had three and Ray Davis two. Tyler Gerwig, Lucas Wilson, Trent Phillips, Tyler Tanner, Derek, Dawson, Sam Brady and William Baker all played but did not score.
Calhoun was short handed as Luke Moore, Zach Thomas and Isaac Coon all missed the game for one reason or another.
Braxton also won the junior varsity game although the score was much closer as the Eagles took a hard fought 41-26 victory.
Calhoun led early and stayed close with the Eagles throughout most of the game before finally letting the game slip away in the fourth quarter.
For Braxton, 4-0, Thomas Pritt led the way with 13 points. He was backed by McKinley Moore with seven and Dakota Riffle with six.
Tanner led Calhoun with eight points and a game high 14 rebounds. He was backed by Dawson with six points while Kameron Carder and Wilson added four each and Sam Brady two, to go along with his eight rebounds. Tyler Gerwig had two while William Baker and Nick Watkins both played but did not score.
Calhoun will try to get its first win of the season Wednesday night when it travels to Parkersburg Catholic while Braxton is on the road Wednesday at South Harrison. | 
