Columbus East High School

The Columbus East boys basketball team kicked off their season on the road Wednesday night in a Thanksgiving-Eve showdown with Whiteland. A year ago, the Olympians opened with a double-digit win over the Warriors in the Orange Pit. This time around, East nearly recreated that script, but a late swing in the final seconds left them on the wrong end of a 70–69 finish. East controlled much of the fourth quarter, building an eight-point cushion and still holding a four-point edge as the clock ticked under a minute. Whiteland clawed back with a deep shot that trimmed the margin to one. After East was unable to convert at the foul line with just a few seconds showing, the Warriors secured the rebound and drew a foul. Whiteland’s Dane Kunz calmly knocked down two free throws with 0.2 remaining, flipping the game for good. Kunz lead all scorers with 25 points on the evening. Keaton Lawson powered the Olympians with a strong 23-point outing. Carter Patterson followed with 17, while Ben Ellegood added 7. Judah Lewis, Graham Preizer, and Josiah Kiel each finished with 6, and both Logan Neal and Tony Cowan chipped in 2. East came out fast with a 20-point opening quarter and carried that rhythm into halftime with a 33–28 lead. After the break, both teams ramped up the pace. The Olympians put up 19 in the third, but Whiteland answered with 21 points in the 3rd quarter, one of their best stretches of the night, to tighten things up heading into the final period. In the fourth, East tallied 17 while the Warriors matched their earlier surge with another 21-point frame — just enough to swing the game in the closing seconds. The Olympians now get a short break before returning home to the Orange Pit next Saturday, December 6th, for a matchup with the Southwestern Hanover Rebels. JV tips at 6 p.m., with the varsity game to follow. The Rebels opened their season with a 83-58 over the Madison Cubs Wednesday night.