By Greg Keim
Someone needed to make a play and 6-1 Goshen junior Carson Roberts was the Redskin who stepped forward.
Roberts’ driving under-handed layup just beat the horn as Goshen posted a 56-54 high school boys basketball win Friday night at West Noble in Ligonier.
Goshen coach Brian Becthel called timeout with 0:16 left to play after 6-1 West Noble senior Loren Cunningham had tied the score 54-54 with a jump hook shot at :29.
Roberts found an opening and drove down the lane. His shot seemed to hang on the rim for some time before the game-winner dropped in.
“We work on end of the game situations every day in practice,” Bechtel said. “But this is one of the first times we have gotten to us one in a game situation. The kids knew what to do. I really only had to call time to remind them.
“West Noble took away the first option on the play. Carson is the second and he found the seam.”
West Noble coach Ross Hales said, “We wanted to take (6-7 senior) Taylor Kolbus away from Goshen on the last play. We wanted to force someone else to make a play and beat us.
“These types of endings have been following us all season.”
It was a tough ending for the Chargers to a very tough week. West Noble seniors Amanda Musser and Brandon Replogle were killed in separate automobile accidents during the week.
There are seven seniors – Nathan Costner, Cunningham, Cody Hastings, Jake Hutsell, Mitchell Knepper, Dakota Kreczmer and Kyle Maresh - on the West Noble team who were recognized on “Senior Night” before the game.
The Charger team came out for warmups wearing green T-shirts that had Theater 33 on the front and Live Laugh Love Sing Dance Remember Amanda and Brandon on the back.
“This has been a very emotional week for our students,” Hales said. “There are seven seniors on the team and they lost two classmates. They were kids they have grown up with. The senior class here does a lot of things together.
“Playing this game tonight was a lot to ask of 17- or 18-year-old kids. But I can’t say enough about the way these kids handled the situation.”
West Noble principal Nate Lowe addressed the crowd before the game and helped lead students in the singing of the National Anthem.
Members of the student body collected $865 at halftime for the families.
“I’m proud of the way the West Noble kids played,” Bechtel said. “We have kept them in our prayers all week.”
The game was one of two halves as Goshen controlled the first half by feeding the ball inside to Kolbus who tossed in 16 of his game-high 19 points by intermission.
West Noble took that option away from the Redskins in the second half by fronting Kolbus.
“We couldn’t run our offense inside-outside in the second half,” Bechtel said. “We also made some silly turnovers at the start of the second half.”
Hales said, “We did a much better job on Kolbus in the second half. In the first, we got caught too many times by letting him catch the ball when we were behind him. Once he catches the ball like that he is hard for us to stop.”
Goshen led 32-24 at halftime before West Noble outscored them 30-24 in the second.
“You have to give Coach Hales credit for making great halftime adjustments,” Bechtel said.
Goshen got a great effort in the second half and especially in the third period from 6-3 senior Jon Good.
He scored eight points in the game, all of them in the third.
The Chargers had pulled to within three points (37-34) at 3:57 of the third on a 3-pointer by Hutsell.
Goshen then missed a shot, but Good was there for the tip in giving the Redskins a 39-34 lead.
“Jon Good had by far his best game of the season,” Bechtel said. “We have been talking to him about focusing on rebounds and screens. He made a couple of big baskets for us.”
Six-two sophomore Jake Speicher netted 12 points for the Redskins. Seven of his points came in the fourth quarter.
“Jake also hit some big shots for us,” Bechtel said.
Six-one sophomore Warren Kay chipped in with eight points for Goshen. His ‘3’ at 7:19 of the third period gave Goshen a 35-26 lead.
Kreczmer tossed in 18 points and Hastings 13 for the Chargers.
