02-22-08
BY JACK BULLOCK
DIETERICH - The wait is over.

The Dieterich Movin' Maroons have finally won a boy's basketball regional championship.

With a 50-42 win over Stewardson-Strasburg Friday night at home – coach Jamie VanScyoc and his club can now claim that the drought is over.

In a game in which there wasn't much difference in the two teams statistically – Dieterich clearly showed that they collectively wanted the victory more than their opposition on this night.

The loose balls, the key rebounds and the big defensive plays were all collected by the team wearing Maroon and Gold.

“There were times tonight – especially in the fourth quarter – when there were bodies flying all over the place for loose balls and it seems like they got to all of them,” said Stew-Stras head coach Mike Walker. “And they made their foul shots down the stretch. A lot of credit should go to them tonight. I am disappointed for our guys. I thought if we kept them under 50 we would have a chance of winning but their defense was very good tonight.”

Dieterich took the best shots from the Comets and responded each time with a championship run of its own.

And when the outcome was settled a collective sigh of relief in the form of long lasting cheers erupted as the final horn went off.

Dieterich had many heroes on the night but probably the most important cog in the title wheel was 6-foot sophomore reserve Blake Kuhl.

This kid – normally a bench role player who wears number 23 – ended up with the job of shadowing the Comets number 23.

Ben Giertz – Stew-Stras' top player and shooting guard – was hindered by Kuhl on this night.

Although Giertz managed a game-high 21 points – none of the points came easy.

Offensively Giertz was the only bright spot for the Comets.

Jaden Widdersheim scored nine points which was second on the Stew-Stras scoring stats.

“Blake got stuck in the starting line up because he had a good game the other night against St. Elmo. Kuhl is the fastest kid we have on the team and if anyone was going to be able to stay with Giertz it was Kuhl,” said Coach VanScyoc. “Defensively I can't talk enough about how well we played as a team. We frustrated him (Giertz) and the rest of the team stepped up and did a lot of other things right tonight.”

While the Maroons were shutting down S-S – three of the Dieterich players netted double-digits with Ethan Heuerman and Darin Worman each gathering 13 points.

Teammate Brock Zumbahlen chipped home 11 points.

But it was the defensive effort as a whole that kept Stewardson-Strasburg from hoisting up the championship plaque.

“Dieterich played with tremendous heart tonight and their defensive effort was outstanding,” said Walker - who saw his teams' season end at 19-10. “They (Dieterich) are long and athletic and they get their hands on a lot of shots and rebounds.”

Although the Maroons stumbled out of the gate with a bit of the nerves showing with four early turnovers before they could get off a shot offensively – they quickly settled down.

S-S held two early leads thanks to seven consecutive points from Giertz.

His 3-pointer from the right wing and leaning drive in the lane gave the Comets a 7-3 advantage with 2:40 remaining.

But Coach VanScyoc switched the Brock's with Kuhl taking over guarding Giertz from Zumbahlen.

This strategy paid off big for Dieterich.

After hitting three of his first four shots – Giertz was just 3-of-10 the rest of the game.

The final ten points of the opening stanza went in the Dieterich column.

Worman – a 6-foot-3 senior wingman – cause a lot of problems for Stew-Stras.

This lanky lefty scored four points in the run including a fast break score breaking the Comets press with :08 left.

Giertz helped out on a offensive run to begin the second quarter with a steal and fast break bucket as he faked a Dieterich defender in the air and scored on a short bank shot to cut the Maroons lead to 14-12.

However - as they did in the opening quarter – Dieterich responded with a run.

This one was 7-0 with Worman scoring on a lob pass for a reverse lay in which was followed by a 3-pointer from Zumbahlen.

Zumbahlen finished the streak with a pair of free throws to RUSH his team to a 21-12 lead.

Although S-S got four straight free throws to close the half – Dieterich was in command 21-16 at intermission.

The biggest Comet offensive flare came at the beginning of the third quarter.

In just under two minutes Stewardson-Strasburg scored eight consecutive points.

Giertz triggered the run by collecting his own rebound and putting in a short bank shot.

Then on back-to-back possessions – S-S took advantage of turnovers by Dieterich to nail 3-pointers.

Sophomores Will Rincker and Widdersheim drilled home long range bombs.

When Widdersheim connected from the left wing – Stewardson-Strasburg led 24-21 which forced a Dieterich timeout.

“We never had multiple possession runs tonight like Comet basketball is supposed to be,” added Walker. “Every time we would make a run they (Dieterich) would call a timeout and then they would come out and execute.”

The Maroons marched into the final quarter by finishing the last 6:09 by outscoring S-S 12-4.

Two free throws by Worman broke a 27-all tie giving Coach VanScyoc's club back the lead.

Zumbahlen scored on an offensive rebound and Heuerman took a lob pass and stuck it home to close the third quarter for Dieterich.

“When they put the runs on we kept our composure and at the end of the third quarter we really put things together,” added VanScyoc. “In the fourth quarter we got them in foul trouble and we made enough of them down the stretch to win.”

The Comets swan song came at the beginning of the final quarter in the form of a 8-1 run to even the contest at 36.

As it was in the first frame – Giertz was the scoring maker by marking the first six points in the book.

He scored on a pair of drives to the bucket sandwiched around a pair of made free throws.

Widdersheim hit a spinning bank shot in the lane with 4:18 showing on the scoreboard.

Dieterich – at this point – moved in for the kill.

Seven straight points deflated the Comets bubble coming off the two most important plays of the game.

A dagger of a trifecta by Kuhl – which was just his second basket of the contest – turned the game in the Maroons favor.

Then Zumbahlen stole a lazy inbounds pass near mid-court and this 6-foot senior took the ball the basket for a score while being fouled by Widdersheim.

His converted three-point play put Dieterich up 42-36.

Coach VanScyoc's squad sealed the victory with 5-of-8 free throws in the last 1:56.

Stewardson-Strasburg was just 1-of-6 from the field in the final three minutes.

Dieterich's Mitch Nosbisch iced the game with a pair of free throw following an intentional foul by Giertz with :07.4 left.

After Dieterich inbounded the ball – the home crowd and players realized the dream had finally came true.

The Maroons were 16-of-37 from the floor while S-S finished 14-of-40.

Dieterich held a slight 25-23 rebounding edge while Stewardson-Strasburg ended up with one fewer turnover (10) than the Maroons' 11.

“Our kids talked all night long about how bad they wanted this game,” finalized VanScyoc. “They played their hearts out tonight and I couldn't be any more proud of them. This is a special moment and I am going to enjoy it. This has been a lot of fun.”

Dieterich will play the winner of the Wayne City Class 1A Regional next Wednesday night at the Nokomis Sectional.

Dieterich (50) - Worman 4 0 5-6 13, Zumbahlen 2 1 4-5 11, Wright 0 0 0-0 0, Nosbisch 1 0 6-10 8, T. Niemerg 0 0 0-2 0, Heuerman 6 0 1-3 13, Kuhl 1 1 0-0 5, Berg 00 0-0 0, Flach 0 0 0-0 0, Hinterscher 0 0 0-0 0, Goeckner 0 0-0 0, Probst 0 0 0-0 0, C. Niemerg 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-14, 3FG-2, FT-16-26, PF-21.
Stewardson-Strasburg (42) - Thomas 0 0 0-0 0, Musson 0 0 0-0 0, Carlson 0 0 0-0 0, Huey 0 0 0-0 0, Widdersheim 2 1 2-2 9, Giertz 6 1 6-8 21, Wetherell 2 0 2-2 6, Hoene 1 0 0-0 0, Tabbert 0 0 0-0 0, Rincker 0 1 1-2 4.
2FG-11, 3FG-3, FT-11-14, PF-21.
Fouled Out - None.
Technical Fouls - None.