By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Calhoun's winning streak was short-lived.
Monday night the Red Devils played Hannan, a shorter but quicker team. The Red Devils pounded the ball inside and had five players score in double figures in a win over the Wildcats.
But Tuesday night was a different story.
Parkersburg Catholic too is shorter and quicker than the Red Devils. And, like Hannan, the Crusaders played a pressure pressing defense against the Red Devils in an attempt to keep Calhoun from getting the ball inside.
Unlike Hannan the Crusaders' strategy worked.
Calhoun committed 29 turnovers and PCHS had 16 steals en route to an easy 63-29 victory over the Red Devils in which nobody in Red and White scored in double figures.
The Crusaders had only two players hit double figures but one of the - Belpre, Ohio, transfer Jake Ullman - nearly outscored the Red Devils by himself as he ended up with 26. Joe Padded added 11 for PCHS, 3-1.
Trent Phillips, who led Calhoun with seven, scored early in the game giving Calhoun a 2-0 lead.
It was all downhill after that.
Parkersburg Catholic scored 10 straight and led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Calhoun, 1-5, found some offense in the second quarter with 14 points but it was not enough to match PCHS' 18 and the lead was 15 - 32-17 - at intermission.
The third quarter was when things totally fell apart for Calhoun as PCHS had five three-point goals including three by Ullman to take a 53-24 lead.
After that the reserves basically battled it out the rest of the way.
Phillips was backed in the scoring column by Ryan Slider and Tyler Gerwig with five each. Lucas Wilson added four, Luke Moore and Ricky Hall three and Mason Sheldon and Tyler Tanner one each.
Ethyn Miller, Derek Dawson and Sam Brady all played but did not score.
The Crusaders also won the reserve game by a 51-27 margin.
The game was close early on and PCHS didn't really gain the upper hand before a spurt in the second quarter broke a 6-6 tie (the score after one) and gave it a 26-15 lead. A 19-5 advantage in the third pretty much sealed things.
Nick Roedershimer and Wes Mendoza led PCHS, 2-2, with 10 each.
For Calhoun, 1-5, Luke Sheldon led the way with seven. He was backed by Brady with six, Tanner and Miller with five each and David Workman and Austin Gribble with two each.
William Baker, Dakota Jarvis, Riley Cain, MyKia Holbert and Nick Watkins all played but did not score.
Calhoun will try to get back on the winning side of the ledger when it plays host to Ritchie County for a doubleheader Thursday night. | 
