Columbus East High School

The Columbus East Olympian boys basketball team finally got to lace it up on Saturday afternoon, opening the season with an IHSAA-controlled five-quarter scrimmage against the Roncalli Royals inside the Orange Pit. Scrimmages are always a mixed bag—coaches shuffle lineups, certain quarters come with mandated rules, and the flow rarely resembles a true game. Still, the outing offered a clear look at where the Olympians stand and what needs sharpening before the real thing begins. Senior guard Carter Patterson set the tone offensively, pouring in 17 points and looking every bit like a veteran ready to carry a big load this winter. Junior newcomer Graham Preizer made an immediate impression as a first-time starter, knocking down four threes and finishing with 14 points—12 of them from deep. Junior Judah Lewis added 9 points and brought a relentless defensive motor all afternoon. Sophomores Logan Neal and Josiah Kiel chipped in 3 points each, while fellow sophomore Carson Gallion added 2 to round out the scoring. The biggest sticking points were on the glass and in the half-court. Without 6'6" senior and All-State candidate Keaton Lawson—who sat out the scrimmage recovering from a broken collarbone suffered during the Olympians football season—East struggled securing both offensive and defensive rebounds. Even so, too many Roncalli possessions were extended by missed box-outs, something Coach Perry Nash will undoubtedly hammer home this week. Offensively, East actually created plenty of good looks. The sets worked; the finishes didn’t always follow. A handful of missed point-blank chances kept the O’s from putting together stronger stretches, but the encouraging piece is that the structure is producing those opportunities. For a preseason tune-up, it was productive. Most of the issues are the kind you can clean up with time, film, and a few focused practices. East has a short runway before things get real on Wednesday, November 26, when the Olympians travel to Whiteland. The Warriors split last year’s matchups with East—falling in the regular season before knocking the O’s out in the sectional title game—so there’s no shortage of motivation. The season starts for real next week, and this group looks ready for the challenge. Good luck, Olympians!