Reminder: Tomorrow is an Early Out! School will dismiss at 12:15 pm. There will be NO B & G Club. We will be on Christmas Break from December 22, 2025 thru January 5, 2026. School will resume January 6, 2026.
Jr. High Student Council Caroling Night
Bluebird Basketball: Cole Camp Varsity girls and boys basketball teams were in Warsaw December 16th. Will cover the girls first, but a pretty special moment at the start of the boys game took place.
Madilynn Ogle started the game with a hot hand sinking a pair of long-range 3's. Warsaw's Aleannah Yoder countered with 6 close range points as she darted to the basket. Lillyann Mellen with 4 free throws helping Cole Camp lead 16-11 after 1.
Mellen another 6 in the 2nd, followed by Leah Allison with 5. Cole Camp led by 10 mid qtr, then Warsaw's big freshman Kenyan Beck took over. She had 9 in the 2nd qtr which ended at Cole Camp 29, Warsaw 27.
Beck another 6 in the 3rd. Heck of an effort by Kristin Carl for the Lady Bluebirds. She tallied all 6 points of the qtr and grabbed a rebound or 2. Warsaw had moved ahead 41-35 by the end of the 3rd.
Katherine Timoshchuk took on the role of point guard mid 4th qtr. She made a steal under the basket defensively, took off dribbling down the court and was headed for a possible layup when fouled. Timoshchuk with 4 in the 4th, but Warsaw took the game 51-43.
Scoring: Carl 12, Mellen 10, Allison 9, Timoshchuk 6, Ogle 6. Beck with 20 leading Warsaw. Timoshchuk 8 rebounds, Mellen 4 steals.
Warsaw recognized their Senior athletes, 6 boys and 3 girls prior to the boys game. One of those boys Tyler Fajen has some physical limitations, but he was on the floor when the game started. Warsaw "won" the tip, passed the ball to Tyler and he scored the first fieldgoal while Cole Camp stood aside. How about that! Tyler will always have that memory that on Senior night, which was also his Birthday, he scored the first basket!
Play continued after a substitution and by way of Colton Dieckman with 6 and Bovey Clark adding 5, Cole Camp led 11-8 after 1 qtr.
Lots of passes, not much scoring in the 2nd. Will Espey with 5 and Blake Abey a steal to basket combo. Warsaw nailed a 3 late so a close 18- 16 lead for Cole Camp at halftime.
The Wildcats must have had better refreshments during the break than Cole Camp. They connected on three shots from downtown, a traditional 3 plus others. Single baskets by Kolton Phillips and Dieckman were it for Cole Camp. Warsaw led 31-22 after 3.
Regardless the Bluebirds were able to narrow the margin to 5 in the 4th. Clark with 2 of 2 freethrows and a long range 3. Espey chipped in 4, but the Wildcats still prevailed 38-33.
Scoring: Dieckman 10, Clark 10, Espey 9, Phillips 2, Abey 2. Brennan Slavens with 13 to lead the Wildcats. Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!
Madilynn Ogle started the game with a hot hand sinking a pair of long-range 3's. Warsaw's Aleannah Yoder countered with 6 close range points as she darted to the basket. Lillyann Mellen with 4 free throws helping Cole Camp lead 16-11 after 1.
Mellen another 6 in the 2nd, followed by Leah Allison with 5. Cole Camp led by 10 mid qtr, then Warsaw's big freshman Kenyan Beck took over. She had 9 in the 2nd qtr which ended at Cole Camp 29, Warsaw 27.
Beck another 6 in the 3rd. Heck of an effort by Kristin Carl for the Lady Bluebirds. She tallied all 6 points of the qtr and grabbed a rebound or 2. Warsaw had moved ahead 41-35 by the end of the 3rd.
Katherine Timoshchuk took on the role of point guard mid 4th qtr. She made a steal under the basket defensively, took off dribbling down the court and was headed for a possible layup when fouled. Timoshchuk with 4 in the 4th, but Warsaw took the game 51-43.
Scoring: Carl 12, Mellen 10, Allison 9, Timoshchuk 6, Ogle 6. Beck with 20 leading Warsaw. Timoshchuk 8 rebounds, Mellen 4 steals.
Warsaw recognized their Senior athletes, 6 boys and 3 girls prior to the boys game. One of those boys Tyler Fajen has some physical limitations, but he was on the floor when the game started. Warsaw "won" the tip, passed the ball to Tyler and he scored the first fieldgoal while Cole Camp stood aside. How about that! Tyler will always have that memory that on Senior night, which was also his Birthday, he scored the first basket!
Play continued after a substitution and by way of Colton Dieckman with 6 and Bovey Clark adding 5, Cole Camp led 11-8 after 1 qtr.
Lots of passes, not much scoring in the 2nd. Will Espey with 5 and Blake Abey a steal to basket combo. Warsaw nailed a 3 late so a close 18- 16 lead for Cole Camp at halftime.
The Wildcats must have had better refreshments during the break than Cole Camp. They connected on three shots from downtown, a traditional 3 plus others. Single baskets by Kolton Phillips and Dieckman were it for Cole Camp. Warsaw led 31-22 after 3.
Regardless the Bluebirds were able to narrow the margin to 5 in the 4th. Clark with 2 of 2 freethrows and a long range 3. Espey chipped in 4, but the Wildcats still prevailed 38-33.
Scoring: Dieckman 10, Clark 10, Espey 9, Phillips 2, Abey 2. Brennan Slavens with 13 to lead the Wildcats. Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!
Congratulations to our JH Girls & Boys Basketball teams! Both teams brought home 1st place at the Lincoln Tournament tonight. Way to go, Bluebirds!
Mrs. McLaughlin’s Forensics class put some holiday mischief on trial today as the Grinch faced the courtroom! Students analyzed a probable cause statement written by our SRO, Trampus Jackson, examined evidence, and took on the roles of prosecution and defense to determine whether the Grinch was truly guilty or just misunderstood.
Critical thinking, teamwork, and a little holiday fun made for a very engaging lesson in forensic reasoning and the justice process. Thank you, Officer Jackson, for all of your assistance as Head Bailiff!
JH Girls and Boys will play for 1st Place in the JH Lincoln Tournament on Wednesday. Girls play at 6:30 in the new gym at Lincoln and boys play at 7:45 in the new gym at Lincoln. Come out and support your JH Basketball teams!!!
Wrestling for Grades K-6
Katy Smiles on the Go
Dear families,
A big thank you to everyone who attended our meeting about the upcoming trip to Europe in Summer 2027! Enrollment is now open!
There are only 4 spots available, and you can lock in your spot with only $95. Plus, enroll by December 19 and you’ll receive a $200 discount. As a reminder, EF also offers risk-free enrollment, which gives you the flexibility to cancel within 7 days for a full refund, just in case your plans change.
Enroll now and check out the trip details here: www.eftours.com/2993090RY
Space is limited and spots are first-come, first-served!
To learn more about EF Educational Tours, our trusted travel partner, you can check out their website. It covers everything from payment plans to what’s included to their approach to safety. Once you enroll, you'll also get access to your personal fundraising page and can apply for EF’s Global Citizen Scholarship.
Have additional questions? Email me directly, check out EF’s website, or contact EF’s Traveler Support Team:
💬 Live chat: https://www.eftours.com/contact-us
📞 Call: 800-665-5364
🖥 https://www.eftours.com
If your student has friends who are interested but haven’t signed up yet, feel free to pass this message along to their families.
Looking forward to an incredible trip!
Best from your group leaders,
Jake Montemayor, Pamela Eckhoff, and Katrina DeJonge
A big thank you to everyone who attended our meeting about the upcoming trip to Europe in Summer 2027! Enrollment is now open!
There are only 4 spots available, and you can lock in your spot with only $95. Plus, enroll by December 19 and you’ll receive a $200 discount. As a reminder, EF also offers risk-free enrollment, which gives you the flexibility to cancel within 7 days for a full refund, just in case your plans change.
Enroll now and check out the trip details here: www.eftours.com/2993090RY
Space is limited and spots are first-come, first-served!
To learn more about EF Educational Tours, our trusted travel partner, you can check out their website. It covers everything from payment plans to what’s included to their approach to safety. Once you enroll, you'll also get access to your personal fundraising page and can apply for EF’s Global Citizen Scholarship.
Have additional questions? Email me directly, check out EF’s website, or contact EF’s Traveler Support Team:
💬 Live chat: https://www.eftours.com/contact-us
📞 Call: 800-665-5364
🖥 https://www.eftours.com
If your student has friends who are interested but haven’t signed up yet, feel free to pass this message along to their families.
Looking forward to an incredible trip!
Best from your group leaders,
Jake Montemayor, Pamela Eckhoff, and Katrina DeJonge
Congratulations to Teagan Sharp on his 100th career win!
Congratulations Grant Rodriguez 2nd Team All State Linebacker and Garrett Elliott 3rd Team All State Offensive Line.
Here are the photo packages available for tomorrow's dance! Doors will open at 7 PM. If you did not purchase an advanced ticket, the cost will be $8/person or $12/couple.
Winter Wonder Week is next week for 7-12 students! See the dress-up days below.
Blueb ird Basketball: Dec 11th was Senior Recognition night for the following Bluebird students. Maddi Brandt, Payten Brandt, Alivia Haase, Marilyn Hesse, Katherine Timoshchuk, Colton Dieckman and Ty Loganbill. Also this being the first home game of the season, made for high hopes that didn't quite materialize.
Cole Camp varsity girls fell behind by 5 to the Versailles Lady Tigers before Leah Allison hit a basket. Allison added a 3 late in the qtr, which ended with Versailles ahead 10-6.
Timoshchuk with a fieldgoal and Madilynn Ogle a 3 to give Cole Camp an 11-10 lead early 2nd qtr. Nice work by Dakota Dieckman as she drew a charging foul on a tiger player and chipped in 4 points as well. However Versailles still held a 20-19 lead at halftime.
Lillyann Mellen with 5 to pace the Lady Bluebirds in the 3rd qtr. The Tigers had a pretty balanced team approach and they were still up 31-29 after 3.
Ogle, Payten Brandt and Allison with back to back to back fieldgoals mid 4th qtr to nose ahead 35-34. But Versailles scored the next 5 before an Ogle basket at 2:30 made it a 37-39 score favoring the Tigers. Cole Camp had a pretty good looking shot from the corner late, but it failed to fall so Versailles won the girls game 37-39.
Scoring: Allison 10, Ogle 9, Timoshchuk 6, Mellen 6, Dieckman 4, Brandt 2. Brooke Andersen had 11 for the visitors. Allison 11 rebounds, Mellen and Dieckman 5 each.
Then it was the boys turn and mercy sakes, it was a humbling outcome for the home crew. Kind of like having an antique car or tractor entered into the Cole Camp Fair parade. You think it is ready to roll, but when time to line up the darn thing won't start!
Versailles was leading 13-0 before Kolton Phillips broke through for Cole Camp with a basket. Blake Abey with 5 in the last 30 seconds gave Cole Camp a flicker of hope, though Versailles led 23-9 after 1.
Cole Camp almost matched the Tigers' output mid 2nd qtr, but Versailles was connecting from about any spot on the floor. With a 3 at the buzzer, the Tigers led 42-20 at the break.
Bovey Clark with a lone fieldgoal in the 3rd, Cole Camp's other 4 points were via freethrows. Versailles up 61-26 after 3.
Everyone dressed out on the Cole Camp bench saw some action in the last qtr. Final score of Versailles 69, Cole Camp 30.
Scoring: Abey 7, Clark 6, Dieckman 4, Phillips 4, Espey 4, Kaiser 2, Davis 2, Loganbill 1. Brayden Albrecht with 14 leading the Tigers.
On the road again next week. Dec 16th at Warsaw, 18th at Sweet Springs. Both boys and girls each night starting at 5pm. Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!!
Cole Camp varsity girls fell behind by 5 to the Versailles Lady Tigers before Leah Allison hit a basket. Allison added a 3 late in the qtr, which ended with Versailles ahead 10-6.
Timoshchuk with a fieldgoal and Madilynn Ogle a 3 to give Cole Camp an 11-10 lead early 2nd qtr. Nice work by Dakota Dieckman as she drew a charging foul on a tiger player and chipped in 4 points as well. However Versailles still held a 20-19 lead at halftime.
Lillyann Mellen with 5 to pace the Lady Bluebirds in the 3rd qtr. The Tigers had a pretty balanced team approach and they were still up 31-29 after 3.
Ogle, Payten Brandt and Allison with back to back to back fieldgoals mid 4th qtr to nose ahead 35-34. But Versailles scored the next 5 before an Ogle basket at 2:30 made it a 37-39 score favoring the Tigers. Cole Camp had a pretty good looking shot from the corner late, but it failed to fall so Versailles won the girls game 37-39.
Scoring: Allison 10, Ogle 9, Timoshchuk 6, Mellen 6, Dieckman 4, Brandt 2. Brooke Andersen had 11 for the visitors. Allison 11 rebounds, Mellen and Dieckman 5 each.
Then it was the boys turn and mercy sakes, it was a humbling outcome for the home crew. Kind of like having an antique car or tractor entered into the Cole Camp Fair parade. You think it is ready to roll, but when time to line up the darn thing won't start!
Versailles was leading 13-0 before Kolton Phillips broke through for Cole Camp with a basket. Blake Abey with 5 in the last 30 seconds gave Cole Camp a flicker of hope, though Versailles led 23-9 after 1.
Cole Camp almost matched the Tigers' output mid 2nd qtr, but Versailles was connecting from about any spot on the floor. With a 3 at the buzzer, the Tigers led 42-20 at the break.
Bovey Clark with a lone fieldgoal in the 3rd, Cole Camp's other 4 points were via freethrows. Versailles up 61-26 after 3.
Everyone dressed out on the Cole Camp bench saw some action in the last qtr. Final score of Versailles 69, Cole Camp 30.
Scoring: Abey 7, Clark 6, Dieckman 4, Phillips 4, Espey 4, Kaiser 2, Davis 2, Loganbill 1. Brayden Albrecht with 14 leading the Tigers.
On the road again next week. Dec 16th at Warsaw, 18th at Sweet Springs. Both boys and girls each night starting at 5pm. Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!!
Newsletter for Dec. 15-19, 2025. Have a Great Weekend!!
Celebrating Mrs. Bell in this week’s CCHS Teacher Spotlight! Thank you for all you do!
Tonight is the night for the High School Christmas Concert. If you are not able to attend, we will be livestreaming through HUDL.
https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mo/cole-camp/organization/8365/cole-camp-high-school/schedule?date=2025-12-07T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&range=Week&s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2OTM4YTA2OTQ5MmEyYWMxMDQxNGU1ZGU%3D.
https://fan.hudl.com/usa/mo/cole-camp/organization/8365/cole-camp-high-school/schedule?date=2025-12-07T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&range=Week&s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2OTM4YTA2OTQ5MmEyYWMxMDQxNGU1ZGU%3D.
Lincoln JH Tournament - Beginning on December 11th
Bluebird Basketball: Cole Camp traveled just west of Creighton Missouri on December 8th to take on the Marksman in basketball action.
JV boys started the evening at 5 p.m. and Cole Camp led 6-0 after 1 qtr. The 2nd qtr, which was also the last due to limited Sherwood players, belong to Cole Camp also. Final score was 19-9 favoring the Bluebirds.
Scoring: Jarrett Phillips 6, Micah Davis 5, Colton Mellen 4, Landon Bauer 2, Wyatt Cooper 2.
Varsity girls next on court and Sherwood had a 2-2 record so far. One senior on the team, no juniors, 5 sophomores and 4 freshmen. That's a young team who will have lots of experience in a year or two.
Those youngsters jumped out to a 7-0 lead in less than a 1:30. However the Lady Bluebirds soon had pecked their way back and pulled ahead. Lillyann Mellen with 6 and Kristin Carl two 3's from downtown leading the effort as Cole Camp led 16-9 after 1.
Peyten Brandt with a 3 early 2nd qtr. Leah Allison a traditional 3 as part of her 7 in the qtr. Cole Camp up 28-22 at halftime.
Dakota Dieckman a nice rebound put back early in the 3rd. A field goal by Madilynn Ogle at 5:30 gave Cole Camp a 10-point lead. From there the Lady Marksman, specifically sophomore Mykiah Felton went on a tear! She had a long 3, two traditional 3-point plays, and a layup giving her 14 total points just in the 3rd qtr. So Sherwood now ahead 41-38 after 3.
The Lady Bluebirds turned that deficit into a 4 point lead with 5 minutes to go. Sherwood nudged ahead by 2 with 2:20 left. After an Ogle basket and freethrow at a 1:50, Cole Camp was up 51-49. Felton tied it at 51 at 1:37. Several exchanges followed until Cole Camp gained possession with 6 seconds left. After a timeout, Mellen received the inbounds pass at the far end of the court. She raced down the sideline and dribbled into the lane for a shot and drew a foul with half a second left. Yep she made them both! Then Carl intercepted the Sherwood inbounds pass so Cole Camp won 53-51.
Scoring: Allison 13, Mellen 12, Carl 11, Ogle 7, Dieckman 4, Brandt 3, Timoshchuk 3. Felton 27 for Sherwood. Dieckman 6 rebounds, Allison 6, Carl 5.
Finally the Varsity Boys and Bovey Clark nailed a couple long 3's helping Cole Camp to an 8-8 tie after 1 qtr.
Kolton Phillips with 5 and Dasch Kaiser a fieldgoal in the 2nd for Cole Camp. But a quick 6 nearing halftime gave Sherwood a 23- 17 lead.
Phillips another 5 in the 3rd and Blake Abey 2 of 2 freethrows for the Bluebirds. However another late spurt for Sherwood opened up a 35-24 lead for the Marksman after 3.
Not sure who said what between quarters but team Cole Camp turned up the pressure on the Sherwood defense. By way of a 17-2 run, Cole Camp led 41-37 with 1:30 to go. Nine of those 17 points were freethrows. Abey and Will Espey each with 6 points in that effort. Sherwood within 1 late but Dieckman and Clark each made 2 of 2 free throws to secure a 46-44 victory.
Scoring: Phillips 16, Clark 8, Abey 8, Dieckman 6, Espey 6, Kaiser 2. Phillips, Abey and Espey 5 rebounds each. Abey 5 steals.
Senior night at Cole Camp December 11th vs Versailles at 6pm. Come on out! Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!
JV boys started the evening at 5 p.m. and Cole Camp led 6-0 after 1 qtr. The 2nd qtr, which was also the last due to limited Sherwood players, belong to Cole Camp also. Final score was 19-9 favoring the Bluebirds.
Scoring: Jarrett Phillips 6, Micah Davis 5, Colton Mellen 4, Landon Bauer 2, Wyatt Cooper 2.
Varsity girls next on court and Sherwood had a 2-2 record so far. One senior on the team, no juniors, 5 sophomores and 4 freshmen. That's a young team who will have lots of experience in a year or two.
Those youngsters jumped out to a 7-0 lead in less than a 1:30. However the Lady Bluebirds soon had pecked their way back and pulled ahead. Lillyann Mellen with 6 and Kristin Carl two 3's from downtown leading the effort as Cole Camp led 16-9 after 1.
Peyten Brandt with a 3 early 2nd qtr. Leah Allison a traditional 3 as part of her 7 in the qtr. Cole Camp up 28-22 at halftime.
Dakota Dieckman a nice rebound put back early in the 3rd. A field goal by Madilynn Ogle at 5:30 gave Cole Camp a 10-point lead. From there the Lady Marksman, specifically sophomore Mykiah Felton went on a tear! She had a long 3, two traditional 3-point plays, and a layup giving her 14 total points just in the 3rd qtr. So Sherwood now ahead 41-38 after 3.
The Lady Bluebirds turned that deficit into a 4 point lead with 5 minutes to go. Sherwood nudged ahead by 2 with 2:20 left. After an Ogle basket and freethrow at a 1:50, Cole Camp was up 51-49. Felton tied it at 51 at 1:37. Several exchanges followed until Cole Camp gained possession with 6 seconds left. After a timeout, Mellen received the inbounds pass at the far end of the court. She raced down the sideline and dribbled into the lane for a shot and drew a foul with half a second left. Yep she made them both! Then Carl intercepted the Sherwood inbounds pass so Cole Camp won 53-51.
Scoring: Allison 13, Mellen 12, Carl 11, Ogle 7, Dieckman 4, Brandt 3, Timoshchuk 3. Felton 27 for Sherwood. Dieckman 6 rebounds, Allison 6, Carl 5.
Finally the Varsity Boys and Bovey Clark nailed a couple long 3's helping Cole Camp to an 8-8 tie after 1 qtr.
Kolton Phillips with 5 and Dasch Kaiser a fieldgoal in the 2nd for Cole Camp. But a quick 6 nearing halftime gave Sherwood a 23- 17 lead.
Phillips another 5 in the 3rd and Blake Abey 2 of 2 freethrows for the Bluebirds. However another late spurt for Sherwood opened up a 35-24 lead for the Marksman after 3.
Not sure who said what between quarters but team Cole Camp turned up the pressure on the Sherwood defense. By way of a 17-2 run, Cole Camp led 41-37 with 1:30 to go. Nine of those 17 points were freethrows. Abey and Will Espey each with 6 points in that effort. Sherwood within 1 late but Dieckman and Clark each made 2 of 2 free throws to secure a 46-44 victory.
Scoring: Phillips 16, Clark 8, Abey 8, Dieckman 6, Espey 6, Kaiser 2. Phillips, Abey and Espey 5 rebounds each. Abey 5 steals.
Senior night at Cole Camp December 11th vs Versailles at 6pm. Come on out! Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article!!
Bluebird Basketball: Sorry for the late post, Mrs. Ami forgot. Early season tournament rankings are a toss-up at most venues. Still teams always hope to finish higher than where they started. The Cole Camp boys certainly did that on Saturday afternoon!
Facing Leeton, Cole Camp turned a 4-4 game into a 13-4 lead mid 1st qtr. Bovey Clark with 5 and Will Espey with a chance at an old fashioned 3 point play. He missed the freethrow, but Kolton Phillips alertly grabbed the rebound and put it in. Later Brett Burdick nailed a 3 helping the Bluebirds lead 16-9 after 1.
Blake Abey a traditional 3-point play early 2nd period, and he would add 4 more in the qtr for Cole Camp. Leeton connected on two long-range 3's, plus a traditional 3 to stay within range through mid qtr. Phillips added 4 to the scoreboard and showed some toughness by taking an elbow to the eye area but staying in the game! One of the Leeton Bulldogs had a breakaway chance at a layup, but Colton Dieckman caught him from behind and blocked the shot- no foul! Cole Camp led 33-20 at halftime.
Pretty quiet 3rd qtr. Leeton scored 5 in the first 2 minutes and then nothing. Cole Camp went scoreless the first 4:30, then Burdick a 3. Abey followed with a long 3 and 2 freethrows making the score Cole Camp 41-25 with a qtr to go.
And what a drawn out 4th qtr it became. Jaxon Shaffer added 5 for Leeton before Cole Camp countered with 3. Next it was Harper Shaffer, a cousin to Jaxon, with 4. Regardless Cole Camp still held a 46-34 margin at the 4-minute mark.
Play turned a little helter skelter down the stretch and a couple Leeton fans seemed to think every call was against them. Friends, let's remember these are games for the students to play and for fans to enjoy watching!
Cole Camp still ahead 49-41 at the 2 minute mark and it was free throw time for the Bluebirds. Making just 3 of 6 chances, did that leave the door open for Leeton? They were knocking pretty hard, but no entry. Espey with a huge block under a minute forcing Leeton to use more time. Cole Camp up by 5 with 30 seconds and they still prevailed 52-50 after Leeton hit a last second 3.
Scoring: Abey 16, Phillips 9, Clark 8, Burdick 7, Espey 7, Dieckman 3, Kaiser 2. Jaxon Shaffer with 20, Harper 16. Those 2 scored 22 of Leeton's 25 in the last qtr. Dieckman 11 rebounds, Espey 5 rebounds and 6 blocks.
Congrats to neighboring Lincoln who won the Championship game by 8 over Windsor! Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article.
Facing Leeton, Cole Camp turned a 4-4 game into a 13-4 lead mid 1st qtr. Bovey Clark with 5 and Will Espey with a chance at an old fashioned 3 point play. He missed the freethrow, but Kolton Phillips alertly grabbed the rebound and put it in. Later Brett Burdick nailed a 3 helping the Bluebirds lead 16-9 after 1.
Blake Abey a traditional 3-point play early 2nd period, and he would add 4 more in the qtr for Cole Camp. Leeton connected on two long-range 3's, plus a traditional 3 to stay within range through mid qtr. Phillips added 4 to the scoreboard and showed some toughness by taking an elbow to the eye area but staying in the game! One of the Leeton Bulldogs had a breakaway chance at a layup, but Colton Dieckman caught him from behind and blocked the shot- no foul! Cole Camp led 33-20 at halftime.
Pretty quiet 3rd qtr. Leeton scored 5 in the first 2 minutes and then nothing. Cole Camp went scoreless the first 4:30, then Burdick a 3. Abey followed with a long 3 and 2 freethrows making the score Cole Camp 41-25 with a qtr to go.
And what a drawn out 4th qtr it became. Jaxon Shaffer added 5 for Leeton before Cole Camp countered with 3. Next it was Harper Shaffer, a cousin to Jaxon, with 4. Regardless Cole Camp still held a 46-34 margin at the 4-minute mark.
Play turned a little helter skelter down the stretch and a couple Leeton fans seemed to think every call was against them. Friends, let's remember these are games for the students to play and for fans to enjoy watching!
Cole Camp still ahead 49-41 at the 2 minute mark and it was free throw time for the Bluebirds. Making just 3 of 6 chances, did that leave the door open for Leeton? They were knocking pretty hard, but no entry. Espey with a huge block under a minute forcing Leeton to use more time. Cole Camp up by 5 with 30 seconds and they still prevailed 52-50 after Leeton hit a last second 3.
Scoring: Abey 16, Phillips 9, Clark 8, Burdick 7, Espey 7, Dieckman 3, Kaiser 2. Jaxon Shaffer with 20, Harper 16. Those 2 scored 22 of Leeton's 25 in the last qtr. Dieckman 11 rebounds, Espey 5 rebounds and 6 blocks.
Congrats to neighboring Lincoln who won the Championship game by 8 over Windsor! Thank you to Arthur Keuper for writing this article.