Jimtown High School

Jimtown overpowers LaVille in Sectional opener By Red Williams Freelance Sportswriter ELKHART – “They were clicking on all cylinders,” the saying goes. And that certainly was true for the Jimtown Jimmies Tuesday night (3.4.25) as they vaulted over LaVille, 63-42, in Sectional 34 tournament play. The competition is being played at the Jimmies’ home court. A good-sized crowd was on hand. With the victory, Jimtown moves on to the semi-final round to face Knox on Friday night with a 6 o’clock tip-off. The Jimmies (13-10) used a swarming, ball-hawking defense and an unstoppable offense to overpower the Lancers (15-9 and 10th ranked in the South Bend Tribune’s power ratings). “Our man-to-man pressure on the ball was much better tonight,” said Jimmy Head Coach Tyler Leighton. “Coach (Derek) Fey’s scouting report was spot-on. “We recognized we must be aggressive and take advantage of the open looks,” he added. “I’m proud of the way we moved the ball and made some great passes.” The Jimmies forced LaVille into 15 turnovers, many of which resulted in easy baskets downhill. Jimtown’s offensive explosion was led by 6-foot-7 senior Branden King, who scored a game high 31 points, just a nickel shy of his career high. King hit an amazing 75 percent from the floor (12-of-16), including 6-of-8 beyond the arc. The team hit 54 percent for the night. The Jimmies started the contest with a 7-0 onslaught: A trey by Dylan Fey, a 12-foot jumper by King and a Javen Jackson lay-up on an assist from King. The Lancers never recovered. Fey was cited by Leighton for his outstanding effort: “He is a great competitor.” Jimtown zoomed to an 18-9 advantage in the second period and 17-7 in the third, more than doubling LaVille, 50-24, at the horn. The Lancers had their own brief spurt, a 9-0 run to open the final quarter, but they could get no closer than a 17-point margin. “We battled, but gave Jimtown some good shots,” remarked Lancer Head Coach Mike Edison. “Jimtown played well and were really ready for our press.” Leighton said, “LaVille is a smart, tough team and well-coached. We had to be at our best to beat them.” Senior Collin Czarnecki led the Lancers with 19 points and Lance Edison added 14. Their shooting percentage was shackled by the Jimmies to 41. Will Spurgeon backed up King’s effort with 13 points, and Jimtown had a slight edge in rebounds, 26-22. Leighton warned his team about its next opponent, Knox. The Jimmies topped the Redskins during the season, 63-21, but he said, “They are much better than when we played them the first time. This game won’t be as easy.” Score by quarters: LaVille 8 9 7 17 = 43 Jimtown 15 18 17 13 = 62 Officials: Jake Linder (Fort Wayne), Jerry Fitzgerald (Granger), Don Herchel (LaPorte)