Comets get back on winning track with 68-58 home victory over Cadets

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Until otherwise notified, a 70-foot field goal in high school basketball is worth the same as a 19-foot, 9-inch FG.

3 points.

So Victor Ward and the Charles City Comets had to settle for what the officials and scoreboard operator awarded them at the end of first half of Friday’s Northeast Iowa Conference boys basketball game against Crestwood at Comet Gym.

After the Cadets converted on their end to pull a little closer (40-29) with two seconds left in the half after trailing by as many as 18, Ward heaved up a prayer deep in the backcourt in proximity to the Comet Student Section.

Just missing the Comet Gym rafters where it could have possibly joined several other balls lodged up there — just about every HS fieldhouse has at least one rafter-lodged ball with a story of its own — Ward’s shot proved to be nothing but buzzer red-lighted backboard and net after the carom.

Though Ward only got 3 points for that monster shot, that still didn’t prevent him from leading his team with 17 points while helping the Comets break a three-game skid with a 68-58 home victory.

Sophomore Henry Ruzicka had 14 as he was the only other Comet to reach double-digit scoring — though others did leave their marks on the stat sheet in other categories, like senior guard Jordin Ritter, who had 9 points, seven assists and six rebounds; and senior Akil Knighten, who had 8 points, six rebounds and four steals.

It was the second time the Comets defeated the Cadets this season as they completed the sweep while improving to 6-8 overall and 4-1 in the NEIC.

In the game before in Cresco, Charles City led by double-digits for most of the way — like during Friday’s game — but a late run by the Cadets nearly upended the Comets, who had squandered a 15-point fourth-quarter lead the game before in a loss against Algona and were having the same problems finishing the game against Crestwood before prevailing by 1 point (67-66).

This time, Charles City kept Crestwood comfortably at distance in the rearview mirror throughout the entire game. The aforementioned surge at the end of the first half could have been lockerroom tonic for another comeback bid for the Cadets, but Ward’s shot assured that any intermission mojo was going to be in the Comets’ favor.

Junior Alex Berg led all scorers with 19 points, and junior Dane Curtin led all rebounders with 13 boards for Crestwood (2-12, 1-5).

Charles City will be back in action when it hosts Newman Catholic on Tuesday for a non-conference game.

CHARLES CITY 68, CRESTWOOD 58

Scoring By Quarters

Crestwood 10 19 10 19 — 58

Charles City 19 24 10 15 — 68

Individual Scoring

CRESTWOOD — Luke Drtina 12, Richie McKuster 6, Drake Sir 10, Tate Cummings 7, Dane Curtin 2, Alex Berg 19, Zander Mehmert 3.

CHARLES CITY — Victor Ward 17, Xander Graeser 2, Nick Williams 8, Jordin Ritter 9, Henry Ruzicka 14, Riley Perez 6, Akil Knighten 8, Jackson Ruzicka 4.

RECORDS — Charles City 6-8 (4-1 Northeast Iowa Conference), Crestwood 2-12 (1-5)