Comets’ win streak ended by 63-53 loss to Waverly-SR

By Erik Hoefer

Press Correspondent

CHARLES CITY —The Charles City Comets came in to Tuesday night’s contest with Waverly-Shell Rock having won three games in a row for the first time all season.

The Go-Hawks had lost two straight coming in, but had injured senior Camry Moore returning from a week-long injury.

Both teams saw those mini-streaks broken at Comet Gym in an entertaining 63-53 Go-Hawk victory.

Another streak that ended was the string of fast starts by the Comets. After a methodical pace by both teams, it was 11-9 Go-Hawks after one.

Charles City began to out-hustle and out-scrap Waverly in the second, and when Mike Cranshaw hit a 3-pointer from the left, the Comets had pulled within 22-21 with two minutes remaining.

Waverly scored the final 6 points of the half, however, with three of them coming on a 24-footer by Moore from out front as time was running out. It gave Waverly a 28-21 lead, and a bit of momentum, going into the locker room.

The first five points of the third quarter went to Waverly as well, making it eleven in a row overall. It was suddenly a 33-21 advantage for the Go-Hawks.

The Comets did not back down.

A Noah Schlader 3-pointer and five free throws by Jack Molstead, the last two coming after Waverly was assessed a technical foul for having six players on the floor after a time out, brought the Comets within ten at 39-29.

Then another hustle play went Charles City’s way.  After a miss, Shane Feller kept the ball alive, batting it to teammate Mike Cranshaw who threaded a terrific pass across the lane to Cade Hemesath under the basket for a lay-up.

Molstead then finished the quarter with a hanging 14-footer in the lane with two seconds left. The lead was down to six! Waverly’s advantage was just 39-33 when the third quarter buzzer sounded.

Molstead then hit a three to start the fourth. It was 39-36, and the Comets had scored nine in a row.

Two Hemesath free throws, a Jaden Foster lay-up, and a jumper by Molstead kept the Comets within five at 47-42 with five minutes left.

Molstead scored 21 of this game-high 27 points in the second half

Head Comet boys head coach Todd Forsyth was nothing but proud of his players after the game.

“Here’s a team we played right after Christmas and lost by 35 points,” Forsyth said. “The growth by this group is so evident in all aspects of the game – offensively, defensively, game situations, everything.”

In addition to Molstead, Schlader scored nine, Foster and Hemesath each had six, Cranshaw added three, and Feller had two.