O’Neal weekly sports update
Varsity Girls Basketball
Northwood Temple Final Score: 79-12 W
Trinity Christian School 71-27 W
The Lady Falcons demonstrated outstanding performance this week in basketball, securing consecutive victories at Northwood Temple on January 16 and achieving a significant conference win against Trinity Christian. This success has propelled them to sole possession of the first-place position. The players showcased exceptional skills and teamwork, asserting their teamwork and efficiency on the court.
Looking ahead, the team's next challenge is scheduled against Fayetteville Christian on Tuesday, January 23, with the tip-off set for 5:30 pm.
Varsity Boys Basketball:
Northwood Temple Final Score 47-93 L
The Falcons started off the week on the road at Northwood Temple. The Falcons showed some bright spots defensively on Tuesday. The Falcons battled and matched Northwood ‘s 3pt shooting in the first half. The Falcons got into some foul trouble as Northwood Temple pulled away in the second half. The Falcons had multiple players contribute to the score book led by Gunnar Adam who had a team-high 13pts. Boyd Kenny(7pts), Nick Joyce(9pts), Christian Lyles(6pts) and Brennan Hodges(12pts) also added scoring for the Falcons.
Trinity Christian Final Score 30-86 L
The Falcons hosted the top team in the conference on Wednesday night. The Falcons did a good job hitting shots and rotating on defense for the first quarter. The Falcons kept the game interesting by taking a 5-point lead in the first quarter with Boyd Kenny and Gunnar Adam hitting key shots. The Falcons struggled with turning the ball over which led to Trinity Christian taking the lead and pulling away. The Falcons led in scoring by Nick Joyce (8pts). Boyd Kenny(7pts), Gunnar Adams(3pts), Brennan Hodges(2pts), Max Pashley(2pts), Jack Manning(2pts), Jacob Lindsey(3pts), Christian Lyles(2pts) and Andrew Pavlovich(1pt) each contributed to the scorebook as well. The Falcon will finish up the week on the road at Fayetteville Christian on Friday night.
Varsity Swimming:
On Thursday the O’Neal pool was buzzing with excitement for the last home meet for seniors Aidan Blackwell, Lauren Hobbs, and John Shepherd. When recognizing these fantastic seniors, their coach, Jen Schmitz, had many exemplary notes and memories about each swimmer’s contribution to the Falcon Swim Team. When recognizing Aidan Blackwell, Coach Schmitz stated, “Aidan made state qualifying times at his first meet back after a two-year hiatus. That says a lot about his work ethic and determination. I also remember him telling me his favorite part of swimming is cheering for his teammates.”
Lauren Hobbs, three-time state champion, named All-Conference and All-State for the last two years, was all smiles as Coach Schmitz noted her quiet confidence as she has led the team this year as one of the captains. “Lauren is a leader by example and although she is pretty quiet, she always has poignant things to say when she speaks.”
John Shepherd has been an outstanding swimmer since he joined the varsity team in 7th grade. He has had three podium finishes at State meets and has been named All-Conference for six years! Since he started younger than most, he would be right by Coach Schmitz's side at meets, “...asking me if I think he can swim fast and me psyching him up before races...Now he doesn’t even check in with me before he swims. Oh, how they grow so fast!” These swimmers are not done yet, they will compete next week in the Tri-TAC Invitational, followed by their participation in the State championships.
contributed. Photos by Wendy Hodges.
