Fans of the West Perry boys basketball team can only hope that the squad’s season-opening games are a sign of things to come. On December 3, West Perry crushed the Juniata Indians 46-24 at home after taking an astounding 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
We arrived prepared. Jaxson Bower, a sophomore forward, remarked, “We’ve been working really hard.” Head coach Tom Smeigh reaffirmed his statement, stating that we worked very hard this summer. Everyone is aware of their duty, and our starters have returned. We performed admirably. Hayden Fleisher, a sophomore, noted that the squad had prepared for the game with the goal of stopping Juniata’s best player and that the season had gotten off to an amazing start.
A dominant defense and three-pointers from Bower, Micah Weaver, Braedon McKeever, Hayden Fleisher, and Casey Sutch capped the Mustangs’ nearly faultless first quarter. West Perry maintained their pressure and led 31-4 at the half, a lead Juniata was never able to overcome.
ENDING a Mustang In a recent game, Micah Weaver attempts to score. (Photo by Craig Baughman)Times of Perry County
After the result seemed certain, the Indians did play a more aggressive 2-3 zone defense in the second half, outscoring West Perry 20–15 in that half.
Braedon McKeever, the senior forward, shut down Juniata’s top scorer on defense and led the Mustangs with 15 points. Micah Weaver, a senior, scored eight points, while Fleisher and Sutch both scored seven.
The Indians’ 20-point lead in the first quarter proved to be insurmountable throughout the game, although they came as close as 38-19 at the end of the third quarter. To put an end to any hopes of an Indian comeback, Weaver came out right away in the fourth session and made a three-pointer, which was followed by a layup by senior point guard Mason Sanno.
Following that, the Mustangs defeated Upper Perkiomen 42-34 over the weekend to capture the Tulpehocken Tip-Off Tournament championship. It was a competitive game, with West Perry scoring the game’s final seven points to seal the victory. Coach Smeigh noted, “We kept switching defenses to keep them off balance.” Weaver and sophomore Hayden Fleisher made clutch three-pointers as the Mustangs held onto a 35-34 lead, and Bower added a free throw to seal the victory.
Upper Perkiomen scored most of their points almost exclusively from their 6-7 center and star guard, with Sutch leading the Mustangs with nine points and Weaver chipping in with eight.
Braedon McKeever, the tournament MVP, scored 16 points and Sutch scored 14 points as West Perry defeated Pequea Valley 45-31 to advance to the championship game. It was a hard struggle all the way through, Smeigh said, adding that the Mustangs’ 6-6 performance at the free throw line played a significant role in the win.
West Perry’s season-opening record is now 3-0.
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