Packers top Trojans, 60-45
The New Prague Trojan boys basketball team lost its first game of the season last week, as the Austin Packers won a battle between two of the top 10 teams in Class AAA.
The Packers were rated No. 5 and the Trojans No. 10 in the pre-season AP poll. The Packers led throughout the contest, but the Trojans kept things close in the first half. Austin pulled away and led by as many as 20 points in the second half before the Trojans cut the final margin to 15.
“We told our guys to try and not let Austin's big three hurt us,” Coach Aaron Jasperson said after the game. “But [Bret] Lukes and {Zach] Wessells did just that.” The two had 14 and 18 points respectively. Austin’s three-point shooting was particularly fatal to the Trojans, as it seemed every time New Prague would make a run, Austin would answer with a three, making eight of them on the game.
Daniel Feneis came off the bench to lead the Trojans in scoring for the second time in as many games. He scored 14 points. Paul Friendshuh had 12, Michael Soderlund 8, Tanner Milinkovich 4, Jake Ryan 3, and Ben Buthe and Tyler Johnson 2 each.
Soderlund had a strong game on the defensive board, grabbing eight. Milinkovich had five assists and Ryan and Soderlund had three each.
New Prague was scheduled to host Delano on Tuesday, Dec. 3, and will play at Holy Family Catholic at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Both games will offer a glimpse at the future, since both are members of the Wright County Conference, which New Prague will join next season.
