Harrison boys notch solid road win over Farwell

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

After slipping by inner-county rival Farwell by just three points earlier in the season, the Harrison boys basketball team notched a more convincing victory over the Eagles on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The Hornets won the Jack Pine Conference game, 69-41.

Matt Latunski helped the Hornets start on a strong note, as he connected on 11 first quarter points; including one three pointer and he was two-of-two at the line. Peyton Gallo also hit a three pointer for the Hornets, who led 18-3 after one.

Harrison continued its offensive barrage in the second, as Kelton Carlstrom connected on three 3-pointers. Collin Dennis netted two threes and Latunski and Jayden Bobzien had one three pointer each. The Eagles did get four points from Aiden Barkley, but Harrison was way in front at the break, 44-13.

Seven more points from Latunski and four by Gallo helped the Hornets to a 57-26 lead into the fourth.

The Hornets had Latunski finish with 25 points, Carlstrom buried four threes to get to 12 points on the night, Bobzien added 11, Gallo finished with seven and Dennis netted six. Gavin VanBuren added four points, while Logan Young and Alex Erskine had two points apiece.

The Eagles had nine points from Seth Berkhart. Rylee Sprague and Conner Cousineau had six points apiece, Barkley and Mason Esterline added five each and Tristan Szott had four. Adding two points apiece was Walker Brown, Blake Sholes and Brayden Travis.

“Harrison shot the ball well from three and we refused to communicate on screens and rotate accordingly,” Farwell head coach Mike Rocha said. “They’re a good team and we can’t have these breakdowns against good teams.”

Harrison also lost a road Jack Pine game at Standish-Sterling on Thursday, 52-41. Details for this contest were not available.

The Hornets (9-10 overall, 8-8 Jack Pine) hosted non-league foe Charlton Heston Academy on Monday, they hosted Bullock Creek in the league crossover on Tuesday, and they’ll play in their regular season finale on Thursday at Lakeview. Harrison opens up Division 3 district action on Monday, when they head to take on host Farwell.

In Farwell’s other action last week, they lost a Jack Pine game at Gladwin, 78-51.

“We knew it was going to be a uphill battle playing against the number-1 team in the league but I’m proud of the fight be brought to them tonight,” Rocha said. “Scoring 51 on a team of that caliber is great for our confidence going into these last few games of the season.”

The Eagles faced quarter deficits of 21-11, 46-25 and 65-37 during the contest.

Szott and Burkhart both led the team with 12 points and Travis hit double figures as well with 10 points. Asher Yarhouse and Dylan Mitchell had four points apiece, Cousineau had three and adding two points apiece was Brown and Sprague, and netting one point each was Sholes and Esterline.

Farwell (3-17 overall, 2-14 Jack Pine) hosted Clare in its crossover game on Tuesday and they conclude the regular season today (Thursday) in Ashley. The Eagles will host Harrison on Monday in district action.