Columbus East High School

The Columbus East boys basketball team showed exactly what March-ready toughness looks like Friday night in St. Leon. Facing a potential sectional opponent in East Central — and doing so without two starters sidelined by broken arms and another out with a concussion — the Olympians leaned hard into a next-man-up mentality and escaped with a gritty 53–51 varsity win in a defensive battle. East Central had Columbus East on the ropes late, taking a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Olympians never blinked. Behind timely stops, poised play, and key contributions from younger players seeing expanded varsity minutes, East rallied to close the game strong and seal the two-point victory. Junior Judah Lewis led the charge with 13 points, setting the tone on both ends of the floor. Senior Keaton Lawson followed with 12 points despite being double-teamed for most of the night, continuing to draw defensive attention and open opportunities for others. Freshman Miles Broaddus delivered a breakout performance, pouring in 11 points while playing significant minutes in a high-pressure road environment. Senior Ben Ellegood added five points and provided steady leadership during critical stretches. Sophomore Logan Neal chipped in four points, while junior Graham Preizer and sophomore Josiah Kiel each scored three. Sophomore Carson Sieglin rounded out the scoring with two points, as the Olympians got production up and down the lineup. The night was especially encouraging for the program’s future, as Broaddus, Kiel, and Sieglin all stepped into meaningful varsity roles and contributed on both ends of the floor against a physical opponent. Earlier in the evening, the Columbus East JV squad made it a clean sweep with a 58–47 win over the JV Trojans. Ridge Koester led all scorers with a standout 19-point performance, while Jax Branaman added 12 points. Jacob Thomas followed with 10 points, Connor Rodarte scored seven, Kamron Robertson added 4 points, and Zane Williams, Hudson Lay, and Josiah Shelton each added two points to cap the JV scoring effort. Columbus East returns to action tonight, Saturday, January 31, hosting Bloomington North in the Orange Pit. The JV game tips off at 6 p.m., with the varsity contest to follow.