Winning all three of their games decisively, the sixth-grade boys cruised through the B bracket of the St. Peter youth basketball tournament on Sunday.
Although a large tournament, with third through eighth-grade boys teams from all over Southern Minnesota filling the courts in St. Peter and Cleveland both Saturday and Sunday, the Clippers emerging as champions didn’t carry a ton of surprise. After all, they only have one loss on the season: to Blue Earth Area.
Sixth-grade teams were divided into three brackets. All the Clippers’ games were held in Cleveland on Sunday.
The day started at 8:00 in the little gym against Kasson-Mantorville with the Clippers going on to beat the Comets 39-18. From there, also in the little gym, they rolled over the Delano Tigers 49-30 before heading to the new gym, where they pounded the Faribault Falcons 51-25 in the championship game.
The Clippers made a statement right after they tipped off against Faribault. En route to 14 points, Abel Hastings ran in a layup, Blake Christiansen stole and assisted a William Zimmerman jump shot, and Hastings put in another layup.
After Zimmerman hoisted in a bucket from under the rim, Charlie Mons got into the action with a steal and ensuing layup.
Keeping the run alive, Hastings dumped in a couple more layups, Mons pounded in another layup, and Dennis Ginter-Ernsting plopped in a jumper. After Mons put in a fadeaway jumper, the Falcons finally got on the board.
After Hastings looped in an acrobatic layup, Griffin Rutz closed out the half with a jumper for a comfortable 27-8 Clipper lead.
While the entire dozen players got lots of floor time in the second half, the Clippers kept their foot on the gas pedal and cruised to the victory.
Christiansen totaled nine points, including the Clippers’ only three. Zimmerman finished with seven points. Mons and Ginter-Ernsting each had six points. Rutz had four points. Bo Kortuem added three points, and Zack Miller chipped in a basket.
Hastings totaled 10 points against Kasson-Mantorville. Christiansen had 10 points, six of them from three-point country. Zimmerman added six points. Rutz had five points. Mons sank a three for three total points. Ginter-Ernsting had two points.
Delano had no answer for Rutz, who paced the Clippers with 20 points. The Clippers were up 36-11 at the break.
Hastings had three points. Christiansen scored five points. Mons had 13 points, including the Clippers’ only three. Ginter-Ernsting had four points. Lincoln Ernsting and Zimmerman each contributed two points.
Next weekend, the sixth-grade Clippers head to New Ulm, and the following weekend they play at Mankato West. Its dozen members are coached by Travis Mons, Jesse Hastings and Corey Christiansen.
Above: The Clippers with their first-place medals. They are, from L-R, front row: Lincoln Ernsting, Gabe Anderson, Blake Christiansen, Zack Miller, Bo Kortuem and José Castro-Arntson. Back row: Charlie Mons, Sawyer Roemhildt, Griffin Rutz, Dennis Ginter-Ernsting, Abel Hastings and Will Zimmerman.
