Pleasant Never Trails, Wins on the Road Against Buckeye Valley

By Logan Kelleher

The first quarter made it seem like this game would be close, but Buckeye Valley could not stop Pleasant from maintaining their lead.

Pleasant got off to a good start with a pair of baskets from Jason Joehlin and Gage Williams, but Dylan Herbert made one of his two three pointers to cut it to one. Ethan Warner, Clark Newland and Nick Kimmel all made baskets to bring it to 8-5, and Herbert made his second three to tie the game. Ethan Warner scored three more points before Max Stokey tied the game again with a three at the buzzer.

The Spartans never lost the lead after being tied at the end of the first quarter, with Gage Williams starting it off with two shots to make it 15-14. Joehlin, Warner and Jacob Harter had 2, 4 and 4 for Pleasant, and Herbert, Stokey and Austin Richard combined for 10 in the quarter. At the half, Pleasant led 25-21.

Pleasant went on a 16-4 run to start the second half, and ended the third quarter with a 16-point lead, 48-32. Warner, Williams and Joehlin had 9, 8, and 6 for the Spartans in the quarter, putting them all into double-digit point totals. Herbert made another three pointer along with two free throws to put him at 14 for the game, and Newland and Richard added 4 and 2.

The fourth quarter saw a combined 42 points, with 15 of them coming from the line. Herbert scored 10 for the Barons, five coming from the field and five from the free-throw line. Newland added seven, and Richard and Luke Lucas added 2 and 3. Pleasant had five players score in the fourth quarter, with Patrick Blubaugh scoring his first three points of the game.

Herbert and Warner were the leading scorers for their teams with 24 and 26. Herbert made five threes in the game out of seven, and made all seven free throws he attempted. Warner was 10-14 from the field, making a three pointer and five out of six free throws.

Newland and Richard each were in double digits for the Barons, finishing with 13 and 10. For the Spartans, Williams and Joehlin had 18 and 13.