Trojans blast Darby for District 13 regular season title

 Photo by Terri Cheff DRUMMOND – It was a clean sweep all around, highlighted by the Trojan Boys beating the visiting Darby Tigers and claiming the top slot in the district.  Boys Varsity Drummond 59, Darby 43 It was billed as a battle of the District’s two best teams. But it became clear by game’s end that the Drummond Trojans stood head and shoulders above their adversaries. Both teams opened the game tentatively, keeping the score low as defense took center stage. But the host Trojans stayed ahead and held a 25-17 lead at halftime while keeping two of the Tigers’ key players in check. “We wanted to take them (Darby’s Preston Smith and Hooper Reed) out of the game as much as we could and force the ball into the hands of the other players,” said DHS Head Coach Levi Parsons. “They came up with some high pick and roll deals that we didn’t defend well and they were able to some points out of that. “Outside of that we wanted to push the floor as hard as we could. We did that and we didn’t, but they got tired.” Reed managed 10 points over the first two periods but Smith was held to just four. Meanwhile Drummond’s Chase Goldade was lighting up the scoreboard from long distance, hitting a trio of three points and scoring 12 of his game-high 19 points in the first two periods. “We had a game plan and we stuck to it,” said Goldade of his performance. “I’m so proud to be part of this team and our coaches pushing us to be great.” The Trojan’s domination of the game started to become evident in the third quarter, extending their lead to as much as 20 on several occasions. But as the locals heated up, so did Darby’s Smith. He scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half, helping the Tigers pull within nine twice before Drummond eventually pulled away. His team couldn’t help fill the void, with Reed only getting four more points as the defense of Trey Phillips, Sam Bryant and Ben Bradshaw clamped down to keep him in check. The Trojans had some exterior motivation going into the game, with 406MTSports.com ranking Darby 10th, ahead of Drummond despite the Trojans having beaten the Tigers in the first round of district play. “It was big. We beat them the first time and truly we have the same record,” said Goldade of the ranking. “We’ve kinda been the underdogs to everybody. They’ve kinda counted us out. They were ranked above us and we beat ‘em.” Goldade’s 19 points led all scorers in the game for Drummond with Caleb Parke and Phillips each adding 11. The Trojans out-rebounded Darby 44-25 with Phillips getting 12 and Goldade 11. Parsons said that his team would take the first-round bye, using the extra for practice and scouting. They will face the winner of the (4) Valley Christian vs. (5) Victor game Friday at 3:15 p.m. at Frenchtown High School. SCORING Darby – 7/10/11/15 – 43 Drummond – 12/13/16/18 – 59 Darby – Townsend 8, Duggan 2, Smith 18, JHundley 3, Reed 12 Drummond – CBradshaw 6, CParke 11, Bryant 2, Phillips 11, BBradshaw 2, Goldade 19, Parsons 8 Boys Junior Varsity Drummond 53, Darby 27 The Trojan JV used an 18-4 first-quarter run on their way to an easy 26-point victory. Mike James had 12 points to lead the locals with Scott Parke right behind with 11.  Girls Varsity Drummond 44, Darby 16 After a low-scoring first half, the Lady Trojans clamped down on defense and revved up their offense to secure a win in the regular-season finale. “It’s a new season and we’re ready,” said DHS Head Coach Nate Bignell of the upcoming postseason. “We’re excited and ready to go. We’re energized.” When asked what his team has been preparing for the district tournament, Bignell commented, “We’ve been working on taking good care of the ball and playing good defense.” Holly Hauptman led all scorers in the game with 15 points. Drummond committed just 18 turnovers to 38 for Darby. The Lady Trojans finished the season ranked No 3. in District 13C play and will face No. 5 Valley Christian Thursday at 5 p.m. SCORING Darby – 6/4/2/4 – 16 Drummond – 8/5/15/16 – 44 Darby – Hawkinson 4, Shull 2, Reed 4, Wilson 2, Smith 4 Drummond – Williams 5, Hauptman 15, Struna 3, Perry 4, Nelson 8, Parke 2, Wagner 4, Parsons 3 Girls Junior Varsity Drummond 25, Darby 21 The Lady Trojan JV took a 20-10 halftime lead and then held on to earn a victory in their final game of the season. Delaney Wagner led all scorers in the game with 11.