Bulldog basketball teams host Senior Night

When the calendar page turns from January to February that means that the high school basketball season is coming to a close. Players will soon play their final games in their home gyms and be recognized for the years they have put into their programs. The Hampton-Dumont-CAL basketball programs hosted their senior night this past week and several players stepped onto their home courts for the final time.

On Tuesday, the Bulldog basketball teams hosted Webster City in a North Central Conference quadrangular. The girls took the court first and entered into a tough battle with the Lynx through the first quarter. The Lynx pulled away in the second and took a 27-18 lead into halftime. The Bulldogs were unable to close the gap and would fall 51-40. Jordan Valley led H-D/CAL with 16 points, while Brooklyn Valley added 13 points and seven assists, with Lily Hambly pulling down 10 rebounds. 

The Bulldog boys took the court next against seventh-ranked Webster City. The game was tight throughout the entire first half, with neither team pulling away. At halftime the Lynx led 21-19. The third quarter though saw the Bulldog offense come alive, and H-D/CAL headed into the fourth with a 37-33 lead. The Lynx battled back effectively and regained the lead, but the Bulldogs would not go away, scoring a last-second basket to tie the game and send it into overtime. Overtime was not the Bulldogs salvation however as The Lynx overpowered the team in overtime to win 59-55. Tucker Heeren led the Bulldogs in points with 20, while Scott Harr scored 19 and pulled down 14 rebounds.

Thursday night saw the Bulldogs head down to Eldora to take on South Hardin. The girls started slow and by the half trailed the Tigers 15-13. The Bulldog offense came alive in the third quarter, with the team taking a 29-24 lead, but the Tigers would not go away and rallied back in the fourth to tie the game at 34, sending it to overtime. The Bulldogs defense held the Tigers to three overtime points here though to secure a 38-37 win. 

The Bulldog boys’ basketball team came out strong against the Tigers and took a 28-26 lead into the half, but the Tigers made adjustments and came from behind to prevail in a 66-57 victory for the Tigers. Birdsell led the Bulldogs with 18 points while Harr and Sackville added 13 each. Harr grabbed 20 rebounds while Sackville had four assists.

Friday night was Senior Night for the basketball teams. Girls' seniors included Kasey Springer and Colleen Pals while boys’ seniors included Tommy Birdsell, Will Sackville, Tony Valenzuela, Noah Shaver, Alex Hernandez, Luis Moto and Marco Guererro, who had been injured since football. 

The Bulldog girls played a tight first quarter against the Cowgirls but the opposition pulled away in the second and third quarters and ultimately won the game 38-22 over the Bulldogs. The loss dropped the Bulldogs record to 4-16 overall and 3-8 in the conference. 

The Bulldogs received their pairing for the regional tournament and will head to Osage in the first round of the playoffs Saturday. They wrap up their regular season Tuesday with a trip to Fort Dodge and a game with the St. Edmond Gaels.

The boys’ game was close in the first quarter, with the Bulldogs leading 13-12, but in the second the Bulldogs pulled away and never looked back. A 10-point halftime lead would turn into a 27-point win. Guererro dressed for the game and started the second half, playing for only a few seconds but receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, a heartwarming moment. Coach Brian Neisen cleared his bench at the end of the game and allowed his seniors to finish the game together one last time. 

The win improved the Bulldogs’ record to 5-12 overall and 3-7 in the NCC. 

The Bulldog boys travel to Fort Dodge to take on Fort Dodge St. Edmond Tuesday , then Thursday host Algona Garrigan, before traveling to Algona to take on the Bulldogs Friday.