Bulldog boys wrap two slot for district finals

Colfax boys nailed down a number-two finish on Friday, collided with Northwest Christian at Colbert on Saturday and wrapped up their league run with a home win over Davenport Tuesday night.

After the first two quarters of the three-game run, the Bulldogs knew where they were slotted in the upcoming district playoffs. They are number-two behind the NWC powerhouse and will go to Mead High Saturday for the first playoff round. The foe will be the winner of Thursday’s elmination round between Republic and the league’s number-seven team.

Colfax finished with a 65-58 win over Davenport before the home crowd. That left them at 13-3 in the league run with losses on both rounds to NWC. Other loss was an upset by Reardan.

Colfax led the Gorillas all the way Tuesday with Brandon Gfeller capping the league finale with 28. He had 15 from outside the threebie line. Brady Ellis had 14 with four 3-pointers.

The Bulldogs stacked a 10 point lead after the first quarter and led all the way. Another bright spot for Colfax was the return of Justin Berarducci for the last league game at home.

Saturday at Northwest Christian, Colfax again booked a solid start against the green machine, but it went off the track in the second quarter when NWC dropped 29 points to take a 46-31 lead at the half. The Crusaders just after the break hit their largest lead, 52-33.

Dakota Winward, the sharpshooting guard who ripped Colfax when they tried to stop NWC here Jan. 18, again did most of the damage at Colbert. Winward finished with 23 points. Veteran Kwinn Hanson hit 19.

Gfeller finished with 14, and Ellis and Jay Hart each finished with 12.

Friday on the home court, the eighth-place Chargers, who had just seven players listed on the varsity, kept pace with Colfax in the first half and trailed by just five points at the break. Springdale sophomore Josh Anderson hit four 3-pointers in the first two quarters. Anderson added one more long shot in the second half to finish 5-for-5 from outside the perimeter.

Gfeller again led Colfax with 21 beans against the Chargers, and Ellis, who also hit five 3-pointers, finished with 18.

Colfax came out after the break and dropped 23 points in the third quarter to douse Springdale’s upset hopes.

Colfax 68-Mary Walker 40: 18/15 14/12 23/7 13/6: Brandon Gfeller 7 (3-3pt) 4-4 21, Kyle Johnson 2 (3pt) 2-2 7, Tyler Stevenosn 3 0-0 6, Rick Scholz 2 0-0 4, Brady Ellis 6 (5 3pt) 1-2 18, Jay Hart 0 5-6 5, Kasey Johnson 0 2-2 2, Skylar Simson 1 3-4 5. Total 21/51 17/20 f-13 68. Springdale: Josh Anderson 8 (5-33pt) 0-0 21, Chase Fitzgerald 3 2-2 8, Jordan Cloud 1 0-0 2, Isiah Wynecoop 3 0-1 6, Austin Prouty 1 1-2 3. Total: 16/40 3-5 f-13 40.

. NW Christian: 78-Collfax 62: 17/20 29/11 12/13 20/18: Brandon Gfeller 5 (4-3pt) 0-0 14, Kyle Joihnxon 4 (3-3pt) 1-1 12, Tyler Stevednson 2 0-0 4, Rick Scholz 2 0-0 4, Brady Ellis 4 (all 3pt) 0-0 12, Jay Hart 4 4-7 12, Skylar Simonson 1 2-2 4. Total: 22/59 11/32 f-13 . NW Christian: Austin Friedly 0 1-2 1, Nick Kiourkas 4 (3pt) 2-2 11, Dakota Winward 9 (3-3pt) 2-2 23, Kwinn Hanson 8 3-5 19, Tyler Stephens 1 0-0 2, Reuben Clark 6 3-4 15, Josh Beltz 1 0-0 2.Total 31/53 11/15 f-11 78.

Colfax 65-Davenport 58:16/6 19/15 12/21 18/16: Brandon Gfeller 8 (5-3pt) 7-8 28, Kyle Johnson 3 (3pt) 3-4 10, Brady Ellis 4 (4-3pt) 0—0 12, Jay Hart 2 2-2 6, Justin Berarducci 3 1-2 7. Total: 21/50 13/16 f-17 65. Davenport: Ryan Zeller 3 3-4 9, Shane Hopkins 1 (3pt) 0-0 3, Austin Telford 3 1-3 7, Conner VanPevenage 2 (3pt) 1-2 6, Wyatt Evers 4 0-0 8, Joey Gunning 4 0-0 8 ,. Cole Evers 7 3-4 17. Total 24/56 8/13 f-15 58.