Hartford boys basketball begins conference season with big victory
Hartford Husky varsity boys basketball team hosted Comstock on Friday, Dec. 6 for their first Southwest 10 Conference contest. The Huskies were looking to run their early-season record to 2-0. Hartford would take the victory, 75-44, winning their third straight game against the Colts, and their fourth win in the last five meetings.
Hartford controlled this matchup throughout, which started with a lead after the first quarter, 22-16, before they outscored Comstock, 21-8, in the second quarter, to build their halftime advantage, to 43-24. The Huskies continued their positive momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Colts, 16-12, before finishing the night with a 15-8 scoreboard advantage in the fourth quarter, to seal the final winning margin.
Brody Johnson led all Hartford scorers, with a game-high 28 points, while Austin Reyna and Jeff Littlefield joined him in the double figure scoring club; Reyna finished with 18 points and Littlefield concluded his night with 10 points. Other players scoring for the Huskies were Carlos Ruiz (7 points), Alonzo Johnson (4 points), Alex Johnson (3 points), Brandon O’Steen (3 points) and Mason Mireles (2 points).
Hartford is currently 2-0 on the season and is 1-0 in Southwest 10 Conference play. The team is scheduled twice this week, beginning with a conference matchup at Bangor on Tuesday, Dec. 10, before they conclude action with a road trip to Lawrence, for another conference game, on Thursday, Dec. 12.
Hartford girls basketball team drops season opener to rival, Watervliet
The Lady Husky varsity basketball team played just one game during their debut week on the court. In their lone game of the week, which saw the team host Watervliet on Tuesday, Dec. 3 for a non-conference contest, Hartford was looking to get their newest campaign started on a positive note but standing in their way was one of their biggest rivals. These two squads met in the district championship last winter, with Hartford coming out on top, 41-31. There was plenty of uncertainty on both sides, including coaching changes and the graduation of their top scoring threats. So, no one would be the least-bit surprised, if this was a close game. However, when the final seconds ran off the clock, Hartford would be on the losing end of the scoreboard, 35-22.
Graci Kinchen led all Hartford scorers with five points, while three players finished with three points each: Rebecca Johnson, Valeria Mandujano and Yajaira Reyna. Other players scoring for the Lady Huskies were Savannah Mullins (2 points), Sianelli Rodriguez (2 points), Katrina Wadlington (2 points) and Lillian Wolf (2 points).
Leila Liberto-Taylor led all Watervliet scorers, with a game-high 10 points, while two players, Isabella Bultema and Natalie Van Lente, chipped in seven points in the victory. Other players scoring for the Lady Panthers were Aubrey James (4 points), Moeko Crago (2 points), Riley Preston (2 points), Addison Smith (2 points) and Courtney Van Lente (1 point).
Hartford is currently 0-1 on the season. The team is scheduled to return to the court twice in the coming week, which started with a road non-conference matchup at Niles Brandywine on Monday, Dec. 9, before they conclude action at Lawrence in their first conference game of the season, on Friday, Dec. 13.
Hartford Wrestling starts regular season strong in weekend events
Last week the Hartford Husky varsity wrestling team got on the mats to start their regular season schedule, as they competed in a pair of weekend individual tournaments. With a roster totaling over forty wrestlers, this year’s squad has ambitions for big things.
For their weekend individual tournaments, the team was spaced out over two locations on Saturday, Dec. 7. Several Hartford wrestlers competed at the Galesburg-Augusta Individual Tournament, while others took part in the Coloma Girls and Boys Junior Varsity Early Bird Invitational. It was a fantastic weekend at both tournaments, as honors and medals were handed out to a plethora of wrestlers wearing the green and white.
At the Galesburg-Augusta Individual Tournament, Hartford finished in seventh place out of fifteen teams, with a total of 65 points. Roman Rodarte was the lone individual champion for the Huskies, winning the bracket at 132 pounds. He went 3-0 on the day, pinning all three of his opponents (Rodrigo Moreno of Decatur, Keegan Collis of Three Oaks River Valley and Liam McKinley of Sturgis) in a combined four minutes, thirty-eight seconds. Mason Whitman finished as the runner-up, at 106 pounds, while Brady Rice (126 pounds) and Linken Birkhead (165 pounds) finished in fourth place.
At the Coloma Girls and Boys Junior Varsity Early Bird Invitational, five Lady Husky wrestlers brought home podium finishes, led by a trio of wrestlers: Jehieli Gonzalez-Garcia (130 pounds), Taliyah Mendoza (135 pounds) and Mikayla Hartline (190 pounds), who took home runner-up finishes. Jasmin Delarosa (120 pounds) and Emma Hartline (155 pounds) finished their days, in third place.
The Hartford wrestling team is scheduled this week with a non-conference dual at Edwardsburg on Wednesday, Dec. 11, before they end the week by competing in the Burton Richards Memorial Invitational at Eau Claire on Saturday, Dec. 14.
As always, GO GREEN! GO WHITE!
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