Coyotes Stopped At District After Subdistrict Title

MAYWOOD--After a middling 11-11 performance during the regular season, the Potter-Dix Coyote boys basketball team had a tall task ahead of them, as they had to travel as the number 15 seed to match up with number 2 seed Maywood-Hayes Center in the D2-2 District Final.

Even prior to the consolidation of the Maywood and Hayes Center School districts, both teams were perennial State Tournament participants, and this season sailed to a 21-3 record. The Coyotes would have to play their very best game, with lights-out defense, if they were to get past the Wolves.

It became quickly apparent that this would not be the Coyotes’ very best game, as the Maywood boys started hot and their defense totally shut down the Potter-Dix offense.

The Wolves breezed through the first quarter, shutting out the Coyotes. The Coyotes did not score a point until the 3:42 mark of the second quarter when senior Brayden Kasten finally put the Coyotes on the scoreboard with a free throw. The Wolves took a 31-5 lead into halftime.

The Coyotes continued to struggle on offense, getting few good looks and turning the ball over. The Maywood-Hayes Center boys played fast and loose, moving the ball around quickly and finding the open man to continue to rack up points.

The third quarter ended with the Wolves up 57-13. The Wolves slowed the pace down in the fourth quarter while Potter-Dix scrambled for points. The Coyotes were able to connect more often in the final frame, but it was far too little and too late to make any difference in the final outcome of the game. Maywood-Hayes Center took the victory 60-21, to advance to the State Tournament.

Potter-Dix ends their season with a subdistrict title and an 11-12 record.

Senior Brayden Kasten led the scoring for Potter-Dix with 15 points in the loss. Maywood-Hayes Center out-rebounded Potter-Dix 36 to 23 and won the turnover battle 20 to 14.