Columbus East High School

The Orange Pit — The Columbus East Olympians celebrated Senior Night in the Orange Pit on Friday, honoring four key program leaders before delivering their most complete performance of the season. With the roster finally back to full strength, the varsity O’s rolled past Hoosier Hills Conference rival Jennings County, 62-43. Before the tip-off, the program honored seniors Tony Cowan, Keaton Lawson, Ben Ellegood, and Carter Patterson for their dedication to Columbus East basketball. Varsity: A Return to Health and Form For much of the middle part of the season, the Olympians have battled significant adversity. A wave of injuries to starters forced head coach Perry Nash to shuffle lineups and navigate a difficult schedule short-handed. Friday marked the first time in a month and a half that the entire lineup was healthy and available for rotation. The difference was immediately evident, offering a glimpse of the team's potential when firing on all cylinders. Despite the eventual blowout, the game began as a battle. The Olympians got off to a slightly slow start, while the Panthers came out hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three 3-pointers in the opening period. After the first eight minutes, Jennings County held a slim 14-13 advantage. The dynamic shifted dramatically in the second quarter. The Olympians cranked up their defensive intensity, forcing turnovers and creating fast-break opportunities. The defensive pressure ignited the offense, fueling a 21-point outburst in the quarter. By halftime, East had erased the deficit and taken a 34-25 lead into the locker room. The momentum continued in the third quarter, where the Olympian defense became suffocating. East limited the Panthers to just six points in the period, expanding their lead to 18 points. The O’s maintained control through the final quarter to seal the 19-point victory. Varsity Scoring Leaders Senior Carter Patterson, recently returned from injury, led the charge with a team-high 14 points. He was followed closely by fellow senior co-captain Keaton Lawson, who tallied 12 points. The underclassmen also made significant contributions, proving that the Olympians have depth when healthy. Junior Judah Lewis and freshman Miles Broaddus shouldered a significant portion of the offensive load, dropping 10 points apiece. Seniors Tony Cowan and Ben Ellegood each added 4 points on their special night. Graham Preizer and Logan Neal chipped in 3 points each, and freshman Ridge Koester rounded out the scoring with 2 points. JV Action: A Tale of Two Halves In the junior varsity contest, the Olympians fell to the Panthers 52-44 despite a valiant effort. East started strong, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the first quarter. However, the game tightened up, and the teams entered halftime deadlocked at 18-18. The third quarter proved to be the difference-maker, as turnovers and rebounding struggles plagued the O's. They found themselves trailing 39-25 heading into the final period. The JV squad attempted a fourth-quarter rally but could not overcome the deficit. Ridge Koester had a standout performance for the JV O's, pouring in a game-high 18 points as the only Olympian in double figures. Kam Robertson added 8 points, followed by Jax Branaman (5), Jacob Thomas (4), and Connor Rodarte (3). Josiah Shelton, Zane Williams, and Chester Loniker each added 2 points. Up Next There is no rest for the weary, as the Olympians face a quick turnaround. The team hits the road for a Valentine’s Day matchup against schedule newcomer New Palestine. The JV tip-off is set for 6 p.m., with the varsity game to follow.