7th Grade Boys Keep Their Season Alive With Rally

With their season on the line, the seventh-grade boys were staring down the jaws of defeat. The Dutchmen led by fifteen halfway through the third quarter, a deficit that seemed nearly impossible to overcome.

The Eagles tipped off their home tournament the night before. They battled St. Clair to the wire but ultimately fell short.

Sullivan aimed to rebound in the consolation semifinal, but they found themselves on the ropes early on against Owensville.

Fouls and steals held the Eagles back from driving to the net. The Dutchmen jumped ahead by cashing in Sullivan’s turnovers for buckets.

Jackson Davis sank six points for the Eagles in the first two quarters, while Koleman Baumbach drained the other two.

Down 17-8 at halftime, Sullivan entered the locker room with their backs against the wall. Head coach Evan Scheer reminded them that this could be their “last game of the season,” saying, “If you don’t come out and perform in the second half with energy, you won’t be here tomorrow night.”

The Eagles returned to the court, ready to fight tooth and nail to keep their season alive.

Brayden Grayson made an early score, but Sullivan still struggled to catch up to Owensville. Four minutes into the third period, the Eagles trailed 24-9 for their largest deficit of the night.

Sullivan refused to give up and began rallying from the charity stripe. Davis, Tyson Witt, Blake McCulloch and Landon Merkel sank six free throws in two minutes. Witt also capped off the third quarter with a layup.

McCulloch tipped off the fourth quarter with a jumper. Owensville followed with a three-pointer for a 27-19 lead, but it would be their final basket. With Cooper Peterson dominating the glass, the Dutchmen could not score again, and the Eagles rose from the jaws of defeat. 

Merkel ignited the comeback with a finger roll and later fired a shot from downtown. Davis and Peterson tied it up for Sullivan with buckets from the perimeter. Grayson, Peterson and McCulloch also shut the door on Owensville with free throws.

The Eagles defied the odds, upsetting the Dutchmen 34-27 and punching their ticket to the consolation round.

Scheer was very proud of his boys, saying, “The guys came out, and they performed, they worked hard and they were energetic. Every single one of my guys came out and did what they needed to do tonight.”

The coach shouted out Peterson, stating, “He played some great minutes tonight [and] led us on defense [with] good box outs, good rebounds.” Peterson hit a crucial jumper and two free throws during the fourth quarter.

Scheer also praised Witt, sharing that “[he] came when we needed him as a big body to get some boards [and] get some layups in.” Witt hooped in three points against Owensville.

He then showed his appreciation for McCulloch, remarking, “He was great tonight at leading the offense and leading the defense as well.” McCulloch swished in seven points for Sullivan.

Davis topped the Eagles with 9 points. Merkel dropped 6 points, Witt and Grayson drained three, while Baumbach splashed two.

When reflecting on the season, Scheer believed the comeback victory showed how much his players have improved. “I’m really proud of the way they’ve come together as a unit, how they work hard together, and the way they really get along in a great way,” the coach explained. “They listen, they’re coachable, they never give up as we saw tonight—being down nine at halftime and winning that game by 7. I’m really proud of how they never quit.”

The day afterward, the Eagles played their final game of the year against Pacific. Despite giving a tough fight, Sullivan fell to the Indians, finishing sixth at their home tournament.

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