By Mike Drooger –

One thing could be said about Edgerton’s basketball game at home against the Coyotes of Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda on Monday night, January 3—it was entertaining. In a game that went down to the wire, the Dutchmen battled with everything they had as Coach Doug Van Kley utilized just six players. EHS fell behind big in the first half then they caught up and went ahead. But a spurt very late in the game—with Edgerton leading 57-52—spelled defeat for the winless Dutchmen. When the final buzzer sounded to end a wild game, Edgerton lost 66-62.

Edgerton, thanks to a snowed out contest in December, had yet to play at home. The play-ers celebrated the 2022 home event by wearing dress shirts, ties, and suit coats to school on the 3rd. Their spiffy appearance during the day did little to spur their offensive attack at the onset of the game. With 4:43 left in the first half, the Dutchmen trailed 16-31. With 3:16 on the clock they trailed 18-33. But then EHS got busy. Jacob Fischer hit a pair of free throws. Chase Bootsma scored. Nolan Buckridge added a bucket (assist Blake Schultz). Jacob assisted younger brother Jared. Then Jared scored again and EHS had pulled to within 29-33 at the break.

Bootsma was named KDWC radio’s Player of the Game. During his postgame interview with Ross Kreun, Bootsma was asked what Coach Van Kley had told the team at the break. He summarized the coach’s halftime speech, saying, “Play hard…play smart…cut down the turnovers.”

The Dutchmen followed Coach Van Kley’s words of wisdom to the letter for the first 15 minutes of the second half. HL-O/F scored first to begin the second half but then Jared scored. Buckridge scored and then he assisted Jared who tossed in a baby hook shot in the lane to tie the score at 35-apiece.