LEROY — The Yates Center Wildcats are enjoying a three-game winning streak as they prepare for their regular season finale against Crest, a rival in the Three Rivers League. Their latest triumph came in a commanding 72-30 victory over the Southern Coffey County Titans, which improved their season record to 12-10 and 6-7 in the league.
“We took the first few minutes of the game to get going,” said Yates Center coach Lane Huffman. “That”s a problem we need to fix as we head into the postseason. We stress that taking one play off can cost us a game. All five players must be doing their jobs on every possession.”
After a sluggish start, the Wildcats took charge in the second quarter, showing their scoring prowess with three players reaching double digits. Junior guard Colton Burkholder led the team with 15 points, 12 of which came in an explosive first quarter. Sophomore guard Ben Cook matched Burkholder”s scoring output, while sophomore forward Jacob Smoot had an impressive game, contributing 14 points.
“Colton Burkholder had a huge 12-point first quarter that really pushed us ahead and we maintained that lead,” Coach Huffman noted. “Smoot also had a great fourth quarter, doing a fantastic job attacking the rim, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the final period.”
Other key contributors included junior guard Evan McVey and sophomore forward Jeremiah Jones, each adding eight points, while sophomore guard Gavin Busteed chipped in six points. Coach Huffman highlighted freshman guard Caleb Kuhn for his valuable contributions off the bench, scoring five points.
“Kuhn has done a good job coming off the bench for us and earning more minutes,” Huffman said. “He”s becoming a better defender and can knock down a shot here and there.”
The Wildcats will conclude their regular season on Friday against Crest, who currently holds a strong record of 17-5 and 10-3 in the TRL. Before focusing on the Lancers, Coach Huffman emphasized the need to address some of Yates Center”s weaknesses.
“Rebounding is something we have to improve moving forward,” Huffman stated. “You can”t allow teams a second or third chance at points, especially against the talented opponents we”re likely to face.”
The game against Crest carries significant implications for postseason seeding. Tip-off is scheduled for 20 minutes after the conclusion of the girls” game, which starts at 6 p.m.
