Finishing the season 2-20, the Eagle Grove Eagles boys basketball team participated in a banquet last Thursday, where individuals were recognized for their performances, along with the team as a whole for their hard work and persistence all season long.
Coach Ryan Pedersen added his commentary and reflection to the 2021/2022 season, as he said, “Our main goal this season was to get some experience and really prepare ourselves for the 2022-23 season. This year we had three new starters to our varsity team as well as a handful of players on our bench that were new to varsity basketball. Hopefully the work we put in this season and what we do this off-season will prepare us to compete at a high-level next season.
“At the start of the season, I pictured us being very competitive in our conference. I felt like we had the players we needed to be able to finish in the middle of the conference. However, we ran into a few issues early in the season as well as some injuries that set us back. I feel like we left some wins out on the court. We were able to win two games in the conference, both of which came against our Wright County rival Belmond Klemme. We played well at times in many of our games but just couldn’t put an entire game together.
“We had a huge event with this season’s Coaches vs Cancer night. That night we were able to raise $4,200 for the ACS! It was a great night honoring loved ones that have fought cancer over the years. Another amazing night was our senior night. This may have been my favorite night of the year. We celebrated Jaden Armstead, Jensen Cooper, and Titan Christensen. They all worked extremely hard this season and were all very important to our team. Jensen joined us after taking a couple of years off to wrestle for EG. Jensen brought a lot of energy and toughness to our team. He led our team in charges taken. Titan Played his first year of organized basketball since he was in elementary. He really improved throughout the year. He was long, quick, and never stopped hustling. Jaden came back to us after taking a year off due to COVID. Jaden was the heart and soul of our team this season. Although Jaden only played around a minute and a half a game, he brought the most energy and life to our team. It was great to see Jaden in the spotlight. I’ve never seen a player get more compliments from opposing coaches and fans than Jaden. He was truly a fan favorite. He will truly be missed next season.
“As a team, the JV players worked hard throughout the season on their communication and teamwork. The boys fought hard every game, keeping their heads high and their attitudes positive throughout the difficult year. The wins may not have come, but if they continue to work hard in the off-season, I think they will be better prepared for next season. I am looking to put in the work in the offseason and get the boys into a position to be successful. Go Eagles!”
With the season over, here are all the stats summed up for this season:
TOTAL: ORB DRB RBD AST STL BLK TO FL PTS
Tate Richardson 30 62 92 29 15 3 78 61 40
Drake Canavan 15 125 140 29 31 3 66 25 273
Jordan Morris 14 48 62 40 19 2 92 21 193
Jaxon Morris 24 25 49 20 21 0 94 38 119
Cody Gearheart 4 15 19 9 2 0 13 14 15
Noah Thul 4 1 5 3 5 0 4 3 10
Kale Wildering 10 33 43 11 9 1 21 32 36
Jaden Armstead 5 0 5 0 3 0 0 0 38
Titan Christensen 4 7 11 2 1 1 9 10 4
Brandon Crail 2 0 2 2 0 0 1 1 0
Jensen Cooper 34 25 59 12 5 0 39 30 59
Cole Fouarge 5 3 8 1 2 0 2 0 0
