DANVILLE — With the theme “Rodeo” there was no shortage of cowboy hats, blue jeans, chaps at Danville High School on Friday night.
But even with the theme and a rowdy home crowd against them, the Fredericktown boys basketball team had little trouble roping their 14th straight victory in a 72-49 victory.
“The biggest thing is that you come into a hostile environment and be able to hold your composure,” Freddies coach Derek Dibling said. “They are a great crowd. These are the things that made high school sports special.
“There is nothing like coming into the opponent’s gym and you have a title (both teams vying for first place in the KMAC) and the guys are playing well and playing together.”
The Blue Devils entered the contest with a 13-2 record and 9-1 in conference play. With the win, Fredericktown remained perfect, 9-0 in the KMAC.
The first period was what might be expected with the two talented teams doing battle. Trading baskets through the first eight minutes, the visitors mounted a 19-15 lead at the horn.
The unbeaten Freddies enjoyed a 7-0 run to begin the second quarter and by the intermission had built a 37-23 advantage.
From there, Fredericktown continued to pull away.
“When you are preparing, you really don’t think about the spread and stuff like that,” Dibling said. “We just concentrate on doing the little stuff right and if you do the little things right, the rest just seems to take care of itself.”
Fredericktown placed four players in double figures, Gavin Toombs with 18, Carson Rinehart with 16, Zane Luckmeier hit for 15 and Blake Sipes tallied 13.
Danville coach Matt Proper knew from the outset that his team would need a near flawless performance against an experienced opponent.
“It’s tough to get momentum back, you know because they have been there and done that,” Proper said. “We are kind of building, this is kind of our first year together.”
Proper felt that in transition, his team didn’t respond as well as they might have.
“If you can get quick buckets and they get right back in defense, that is how you gain momentum,” he said.
The coach believes that there are lessons to be learned in defeat.
“There was a full gym and all that energy and you have to learn to play through that and it is tough,” Proper said. “You take a look at the scoreboard and see that it is getting away from you a little bit and you start to panic.
“You take some shots that aren’t yours. You learn from that. You learn to stay with the plan.”
The Blue Devils were led in scoring by Aston Spaulding with 15 points and Aidan Mickley with 12.
Fredericktown will host Mount Gilead on Tuesday, while Danville will travel to Northmor that same night