~by Dustin Teays for The Scranton Journal
The Paton-Churdan Rockets boys’ basketball team is enjoying one of its best seasons in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its speed bumps.
The win total for the Rockets so far this year represents the most wins in a season since the 2019-20 season – their record is now 6-9 – but this past week featured two matchups against tough teams. The week’s first game was Jan. 21 against Ar-We-Va, where Paton-Churdan fell 56-40. In their game Jan. 24 they faced the tough Coon Rapids-Bayard Crusaders, where they lost 67-21.
In their game against Ar-We-Va, two Paton-Churdan players were able to score in the double figures as Trevon Keely led with a game-high 15 points, and Kinnick Steimel was second on the team with 14 points. Bryce Stephenson had five points, Phoenix Hartman had four points, and Patrick Wolterman had two points. Keely netted a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds, and Steimel was second on the team with six rebounds. Stephenson led the team in assists with five.
The game against Ar-We-Va was also Senior Night for the Rockets. The Rockets are a young team and have just one senior in Kinnick Steimel.
In their game against the Crusaders, the Rockets struggled to find the bottom of the net as they scored in the single digits each quarter. They had four points in the first quarter, seven in the second, six in the third, and four in the fourth.
This week, the Rockets were expected to face the West Harrison Hawkeyes on Tuesday. The Rockets were then expected to face the West Central Valley Wildcats at home on Jan. 30 and then the CAM Cougars on Jan. 31.
The extended calendar has the Rockets facing Coon Rapids-Bayard on Feb. 3, Exira-EHK on Feb. 4, Woodward Academy on Jan. 6, and Woodbine on Feb. 10.
