Columbus East High School

The Columbus East boys freshman basketball team delivered a complete, no-nonsense performance Thursday night, pulling away early and never looking back in a 57–41 road win at Trinity Lutheran in Seymour. The young Olympians set the tone immediately. Columbus East burst out of the locker room with pace and confidence, fueled by a scorching opening quarter from Frank Phillips. Phillips poured in 12 of his 17 first-half points in the first eight minutes as the O’s built a commanding 25–11 advantage. That fast start proved decisive. East controlled the tempo the rest of the way, continuing to defend, share the ball, and extend the lead. The second half showcased the team’s depth, as all 14 Olympians saw action and 10 different players found the scoring column. Parker Jones led the way after halftime with seven points, keeping the pressure on as East cruised to the finish. Phillips finished with a game-high 22 points, while Jones added nine. Owen Hatfield chipped in six, and Gavin Wilcox delivered a strong all-around effort with four points and a team-best 13 rebounds. Luke Lienhoop and Asa Malonaski scored four apiece, Tucker Day added three, Jakobi Noble and Matt Muir each had two, and Cooper Koons rounded out the scoring with one. With the win, the freshman Olympians improve to 4–3 on the season and won’t have long to enjoy it. East is right back on the road tonight (1/9/26), traveling to Bedford to take on Bedford North Lawrence, looking to keep the momentum moving in the right direction.