Columbus East High School

The Columbus East Olympians traveled to New Palestine High School on Saturday night for a non-conference doubleheader. Despite playing with a "next man up" mentality and battling until the final buzzer, both the Varsity and JV squads couldn't quite overtake the Dragons in two high-energy contests. Varsity: Short-Handed O’s Push Dragons to the Brink The Varsity Olympians (51) dropped a heartbreaker to the New Palestine Dragons (56) in a game that came down to the final possessions. East entered the contest with a significant disadvantage, playing without senior standout Keaton Lawson. Missing Lawson’s 6'6" frame and defensive presence, the Olympians were forced to rely on collective grit. East started hot, jumping out to a 17-11 lead after the first frame. The middle quarters were a back-and-forth slugfest, with New Pal taking a slim one-point lead into the half. While the Olympians fought to keep it within two points heading into the fourth, the Dragons’ late execution secured the 5-point victory. Varsity Scoring Breakdown: Carter Patterson: 17 pts (Game-high) Miles Broaddus: 8 pts Ben Ellegood: 8 pts Graham Preizer: 6 pts Tony Cowan: 5 pts Judah Lewis: 5 pts Josiah Kiel: 2 pts JV: Triple-Threat Scoring Not Enough to Stop Dragons The JV matchup was a tale of two halves. The young Olympians looked dominant early, behind a balanced offensive attack, heading into the locker room with a 31-28 lead. Ridge Koester led the way with a stellar 18-point performance, while Kam Robertson and Jax Branaman kept the pressure on the Dragons throughout. However, the momentum shifted in the second half. New Palestine regained a three-point lead by the end of the third and then ignited for a 19-point fourth-quarter barrage. The Olympians’ offense couldn't match the Dragons' late hot streak, resulting in a 66-56 defeat. JV Scoring Breakdown: Ridge Koester: 18 pts Kam Robertson: 15 pts Jax Branaman: 12 pts Jacob Thomas: 4 pts Josiah Shelton: 4 pts Chester Loniker: 3 pts Looking Ahead: The Final Stretch The Olympians have a few days to regroup before entering the final stretch of the regular season. The O's have a home and away matchup this coming weekend and then finish the regular season on Thursday, February 26th. Friday, Feb. 20: Home vs. Center Grove Trojans in the Orange Pit. Saturday, Feb. 21: Away at Jeffersonville Red Devils (HHC makeup game from Jan. 24). Bishop Chatard High School: Thursday, February 26th in the Orange Pit.