This particular Hawk vs. Hawk match-up proved to be a one-sided affair. Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn was never allowed to get going offensively as Remsen St. Mary’s claimed a convincing 62-22 victory February 17 at Remsen. In winning the Class 1A District 2 semifinal, St. Mary’s improved to 22-0 on the season. HMS ended the campaign with a mark of 11-12.
“It certainly wasn’t the outcome we had worked and prepared for,” said HMS head coach Naet Hoaglund. “Remsen St. Mary’s is tough and they play so well together. Defensively, they are always in great position, contest everything, and really limit what you’re able to do with the basketball. Offensively, they are so balanced, they play unselfishly, they know where the basketball needs to go, and they all can hit shots.”
Lance Berends was the top HMS scorer with just seven points. Mason Brinkman added six points, Travis Kamradt five and Kooper Ebel and Keevyn Jacobsma two apiece. Ebel, Brinkman and Berends each had one assist.
“It was a real grind for us offensively all night,” remarked Hoaglund. “St. Mary’s did a great job making things extremely difficult on Lance and Kooper and we just couldn’t get going. They did a great job of denying Lance the ball. When he was able to catch it, they were sending double teams. They were physical with every action we tried to run. They are just a really good, well coached basketball team.”
The hosts’ 50 percent plus accuracy from the field (27-of-50) extended to three-point range where the home Hawks were 8-of-15. The visitors made nine of their 29 attempts from the floor to shoot 31 percent. They were 2-of-10 from distance. Jacobsma attempted the only three free throws of the game and made two.
Berends and Ebel each pulled down 10 rebounds. Berends rejected three shots while Ebel recorded one block and one steal. There were only 10 turnovers in the game with HMS committing eight of them.
“It’s a tough way to end the season,” said a reflective Hoaglund. “I feel for our guys, especially our seniors who don’t get to put on that HMS jersey again. I think no matter the outcome, you reflect on and remember the relationships with those guys. You remember bus rides, the locker room talks, bonding experiences, different situations and conversations. I think the hardest thing about it isn’t the loss, but the reality that this is the last time this group will be together collectively. There’s an emotional piece to all of that. I’m proud of these guys’ effort and the way they worked all year. I’m proud of their positive attitudes and how they treat other people. I’m just proud of who they are as people more than anything. I hope that as they reflect on the success and good things that happened this year, they reflect back with positive memories.”
The program says goodbye to five seniors in Wyatt Borden, Brinkman, Keith DeBoer, Jordan Ortega and Brenton Thomas. “We’re incredibly proud of their growth as players and people and so fortunate to have them in our program,” stated their head coach. “We’re tremendously grateful for their leadership, selflessness, and positive influence on and off the court. Their impact has been felt and will be missed.”
HMS 6 7 5 4 – 22
RSM 17 15 23 7 – 62