Columbus East High School

Freshman Olympians Rally Late but Fall Short at Floyd Central The Columbus East freshman boys basketball team showed resilience and growth Saturday afternoon but came up just short in a 40–35 loss on the road against the Floyd Central Highlanders. It was a rough opening for the young Olympians, who took a hard hit in the first quarter and trailed 20–8 after one. To their credit, East didn’t fold. The O’s steadied themselves in the second quarter, preventing the game from getting away. Parker Jones scored seven points and Eric Kiel added six as East closed the half down 30–19. The tone completely changed after the break. Columbus East came out locked in defensively, holding Floyd Central to just two points in the entire third quarter. That defensive intensity carried through the fourth, as the Olympians allowed only 10 total points in the second half. Luke Lienhoop and Eric Kiel anchored the defensive effort as East repeatedly trimmed the deficit to four points and kept pressure on the Highlanders until the final horn. Despite the strong finish, the early hole proved too much to overcome, with East ultimately falling 40–35. Jones led all Olympians with 15 points, followed by Kiel with 9. Frank Phillips and Lienhoop each scored 4, and Cam Kibler chipped in 3. Now 5–4 on the season, the freshman O’s wrapped up a demanding stretch of five games in eight days, including four on the road. The results may not have gone their way Saturday, but the response, defensive effort, and resilience are clear positives moving forward. Next up, the Olympians return home to host Shelbyville on Tuesday, January 13th at 6:00 p.m.