Bluebird Classic - Level Up
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Goessel Basketball – @ Goessel v. Canton-Galva Friday, December 13, 2024
Goessel’s girls’ basketball team showed promise on defense and at the charity stripe tonight, holding a taller
Canton-Galva team at bay, putting up a 10-4 2 nd quarter, and going 10-12 from the free throw line. Senior
Brooklyn Wuest was back on the floor and led the Bluebirds with 12 on the night. Goessel could barely contain
the Eagle’s lone Senior Raegan Hawkinson in the final quarter as she put up 12 of her 14 points to nearly bring
the visitors back in it. The contest had four lead changes in the first quarter, Goessel led by as much as 13 and
Canton by as much as 3. At half time it was 18-11 and Goessel stayed firm, pulling away to 37-31 for the win.
This year’s theme is “Level Up.” Goessel’s Seniors, Aimee Funk, Logan Bryant, Adriana Duerksen, Abbigail
Funk, and Brooklyn Wuest will lead as examples with hustle going both ways, defense and offense.
To start, the game went back and forth to the 6:30 mark when Bryant struck pay dirt on a 10-footer from the
corner. The Eagles responded with a 5-0 run off a three from one of the many Hoppes (3 of 8 Eagles). Goessel
notched a nice come-back with an inbounds set to Wuest, then a steal with two charities from A. Funk. 6-5.
Two more charities left it at 8-7 after one. Wuest plopped on in on a nifty inbounds set. Goessel showed great
hustle all night; a visiting fan commented that they hadn’t seen that many players strewn on the floor in a
while. At 4:54 #10 Delaney Duerksen found nothing but the net on the 10-foot basket from 10 feet out to go
up 12-7. Canton-Galva’s Hoppes starters were all in foul trouble with two apiece as the Bluebirds sought to
penetrate and draw the whistle. Aimee Funk continued the Bluebird success at the line, going 2/2 to take it to
14-7. This 10-4 quarter made the difference in this game; Goessel held the visitors off the board until the 4:36
mark. Coach Hoopes called time at 2:30 after a 4-0 run from the Eagles. Two more charities and a nice finish
off a dish from Funk underneath for Wuest left it at 18-11 at the half.
Great hustle from the Funks put up 6 points in the third, one bucket on an inbounds play and two more off of
runs down the floor. At 3:20 there was a long injury timeout, as precautions were taken for a neck/back injury
on one of the Canton-Galva girls. From 8:05 to 8:43, action stopped as emergency services were called.
Prayers go out to all affected. Abbigail Funk (Abbigail and Aimee won this year’s three point shooting contest
at the Blue/White Scrimmage) launched a long two from close to Emma Creek but had her toe on the line 27-
14, the biggest lead of the night. Canton had three chances in the double bonus but could not convert and it
was 27-19 to close the 3 rd quarter.
Goessel made the 4 th quarter exciting for all in attendance. It was the Bluebirds v Hawkinson. The Eagle
Senior put up 12 points on two made threes and three 2 pointers to single-handedly make it a game. Aimee
Funk ignited the crowd with a giant fist pump and a huge three from the far side of Larry Lindeman’s Christmas
layout to go back to 30-22, then Wuest socked in a gigantic stop and pop inside. At 32-26, Goessel again called
time to quell the run at 3:55. Funk hit Wuest with a beautiful in-pass and it was 34-26. Pesky Hawkinson
blasted in another three to close to 34-29, but at 2:48 Abbigail hit the back end of two to stay at 35-29. During
an Eagle timeout at 1:39, Goessel’s outstanding cheer team led in Go Big Blue and time was running out for the
Eagles. One more bucket with time running low made it 35-31, but the Bluebirds flew down the floor once
more for a sensational finish from Aimee 37-31 and were able to hold the Eagles at bay the rest of the
remaining seconds. This exciting finish ended 37-31. Wuest had 12 (perfect 2/2 from the line), Abbigail Funk
10, Aimee Funk 9 and was a perfect 4/4 from the line, Delaney Duerksen 4 and Logan Bryant had 2, the first
score of the game. Also on the floor tonight for Goessel were: Hailey Rosfeld, Jayley Schmidt and Abigail
Johnson.
-Karl Brubaker
