‘Rusty’ Nashville wallops Lebanon in season opener

Only a week removed from losing in the Class 2A football playoffs, the Nashville Hornets were far from being in midseason form on Saturday at the 18th annual Lebanon/Wesclin Thanksgiving Tournament.

But the Hornets were good enough.

Senior guard Brady Bultman scored 12 of his game high 18 points to spark a 22-2 third quarter scoring run as Nashville broke the game open and went on for a season-opening 59-32 win over cold-shooting Lebanon.

Despite two starters — including University of Missouri football recruit Royce Newman — having just three days of practice, Nashville led 21-13 at halftime. When junior Brogan Kamp, Butlman and the 6’7” Newman all scored in the opening 55 seconds of the third period, Nashville was off and running.

Lebanon, featuring a sophomore-dominated lineup, proved to be no match for the athletic Hornets in the final two quarters.

For Nashville coach Brad Weathers, the past three days of practice had been a little more a review.

“We just got the football players back on Wednesday so the last three days have been pretty much of a review of the things we did a year ago,” Weathers said. “We haven’t had time to worry about things like conditioning,’’

Weathers added, “We have a long way to but its always nice to come out and get that first win of the season. It was a good team effort.’’

Kemp added 13 points for Nashville and Newman added 10.

KEY SEQUENCE

With Bultman using his strength and ball-handling ability to penetrate the Greyhounds defense and Kemp and Newman using their size and bulk to dominate on the boards, Nashville scored the first 15 points of the second half as it took a 36-13 lead.

The Greyhounds only basket came on a 12-foot jumper by David Krumsieg with just over two minutes left in the period.

“Brady (Bultman) played very well for us last year and I was pleased at how he competed out there for us tonight,’’ Weathers said. “We would like to play the two big kids (Kemp and Newman) at the same time. I thought they did a good job in there for us .’’

KEY PERFORMERS

While Bultman, Kemp and Newman combined for 41 points, Lebanon was led by sophomore Derrick Guthrie with 13 points in the losing effort.

“Youth got us again. Freshmen last year and now sophomores this year.. .. we’re playing a lot of young kids,’’ Greyhounds coach Doug Schieppe said. “But I liked the way we competed. Especially in the first half.’’

Columbia 58, Wesclin 48

It took two quarters, but the Columbia Eagles true identity finally showed its true form against the Wesclin Warriors.

Senior Korbin Farmer scored 18 points and helped key a huge second half Eagles rally as Columbia drew first blood in a battle of Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division powers with a win over the Warriors.

Trailing 33-23 at halftime, the Eagles used a tenacious half-court trap to take Wesclin out of its game as it went on a 13-4 spurt to get back into the game. Sophomore Jordan Holmes gave Columbia its first lead of the second half and the Eagles made their free throws down the stretch to post the 10-point win.

“We showed our true identity in the second half,” Eagles coach Mark Sandstrom said. “That was the difference in the ballgame. The first half we gave up dribble drive after dribble drive after dribble drive. That’s not the way we play.”

“Last year in this situation we might have panicked a little bit. But tonight we were poised and we made our free throws.” ’’

Jordan Holmes added 15 points and Drew Huebner added 10 for Columbia. Wesclin was led by Jared Steenbergen who scored 12 points and Hunter Ottensmeier added 11.

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 10:33 PM with the headline "‘Rusty’ Nashville wallops Lebanon in season opener."