Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great Friday night for Eagles fans…depending on which Eagles fan you are.
West Hancock Eagles travelled to Eagle Grove on Friday night, ready to smash another victory after a stomping triumph over Lake Mills. Scoring 79 points and only allowing 13, West Hancock entered the Eagles’ gym with another victory at hand. Eagle Grove, after losing two straight games against CGD Cowgirls and Forest City Indians, were hoping not to fall three games behind, however they were outmatched by the West Hancock Eagles.
“Smarter passes!” yelled the Eagle Grove fans as West Hancock pressed and pressed, forcing Eagle Grove to lob the ball forward, desperately hoping for someone to catch it. Many of the times, it was the wrong Eagle who captured the ball. Eagle Grove struggled to make it by their own half of the court, as West Hancock girls pressed the girls, marking nearly every player. The nerves got to the Eagle Grove Eagles as minor mistakes were made, such as losing the ball, dropping the ball, and inaccurate passes, which devolved into major losses as West Hancock’s lead continued to increase. By the end of the first quarter, West Hancock held a 20 point lead as the quarter ended 22-2. When the second quarter arrived, many timeouts were called as Eagle Grove, again, struggled to survive in their own half of the court. The girls managed to put up five more points while West Hancock doubled their lead, and ended the first half in a whopping score of 47-7. During the second half, Eagle Grove managed to dodge through West Hancock’s side of the court, though only 8 points were made during the totality of the second half. The game ended 69-15 with a second win for West Hancock, and a third defeat for Eagle Grove.
Accepting the match would end in a loss for Eagle Grove, the girls persisted and continued their efforts to score with tremendous support from their teammates and the fans. Facing a much more experienced team, consisting of only three sophomores, with the rest all being juniors and seniors, the Eagle Grove Eagles still can walk out of a game such as Friday night with their heads held high. A loss may be a loss in terms of points, but the absorption of knowledge and education of the game through trial and error-that can be viewed as a win in any game.
The Eagle Grove Eagles continue their learning while giving it their all as they go to Belmond-Klemme on Tuesday, December 7, with tip-off set to commence at 6:15 PM.
