***William Ly is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
Last Friday, Kewanee High School hosted its 44th annual Salute to America Night during a boys basketball game against the Hall Red Devils. The Boilermakers took home this conference win 54-37.
Salute to America Night was a tradition started in Kewanee to honor the 50 Americans held hostage in Iran from Nov. 4, 1979, to Jan. 20, 1981. Since then, the tradition continues to honor those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military.
As usual, the town comes out and supports this tradition and to watch some Boilermaker basketball.
Senior Catrelle Reed won the tipoff, and both teams went back and forth for the first minute until the Red Devils struck with a pull-up jumper to start the night.
The Boilermakers fired back by taking full control of the game. With precise shooting and great defense, they went on a 14-3 run for most of the first quarter. Senior Colson Welgat led the charge, scoring seven of the 14 points during the run.
By the end of the first quarter, the Boilermakers maintained their lead but allowed the Red Devils to stay in the game. The first quarter ended 18-11 in favor of the Boilermakers.
During the second quarter, the Red Devils made a run of their own with basket after basket. They went on a 9-2 run to tie the game up at 20-20.
Before the end of the half, senior Brayden Conley and junior Logan Peed made a layup each to give the Boilermakers a four-point lead, 24-20, at the half.
The Boilermakers showed off their dominant inside scoring during the first half, as they were 9 of 10 from inside the arc. Welgat and Conley led the Boilermakers with seven and six points, respectively.
The second half began the same as the first, with neither team wanting to give up a bucket. After a defensive rebound, Welgat sent the ball across the court to Reed for a fast break to break the scoring drought.
The game returned to an intense defensive showcase until Reed, off a pass from Senior Kashen Ellerbrock, broke the silence with a corner three.
After Reed’s three, the Boilermakers were ignited, decisively taking over the third quarter. They would score possession after possession to end the quarter on a 15-3 run.
Poetically, the last shot of the quarter was a buzzer-beater from the same spot, this time by Peed.
The score deficit was too large for the Red Devils to overcome. The final basket came from Senior Jayce Klein as he sank the final layup.
The Boilermakers took a decisive 54-37 win over the Red Devils. This was the third time the Boilermakers toppled the Red Devils this season.
The Boilermakers shot 16 for 19. A key factor towards their win was their inside-the-arc shooting.
Leading the Boilermakers in scoring were Reed (17), Conley (10), Ellerbrock (7), and Welgat (7). The Boilermakers had five others contributing to the score.
The JV and freshman games had the same result: the Riveters took a 66-55 win, and the Freshmen won 51-44.
The Riveters had nine players on the scoreboard for their win over the Red Devils.
The freshmen had two dominant scorers in Jaxon Derue (21) and Alex Ramos (16).
The Boilermakers will be back in Brockman on Tuesday, Feb. 11, for a match against the Sherrard Tigers.
