Standouts: #2 Bismarck vs. #1 Bismarck Century

Bismarck, ND - These are the top two ranked teams in Class A North Dakota. Bismarck came into this game with a perfect record of 5-0. Century also came into this game with an unblemished record of 7-0. When it comes to rivalry games, this is a big as they come. There was an excellent crowd on hand and it was a great environment for a high school basketball game. Wow, what a game! The Demons came out blazing hot in the first half. At one point Bismarck led 22-2. The Demons biggest lead got up to 22. The Patriots never quit and they clawed their way back into the game. They went into halftime only down by 5. In the second half, the Demons came out and extended their lead. Eventually, the Patriots would tie the game at 66. Shortly after the Demons went on a mini-run and got their lead up to 7 points. Century would answer multiple times. They tied the score a few times and they took the lead a couple of times as well. The Demons made a few more plays down the stretch and came away with a huge road and rival WDA game! Scores Halftime - Bismarck 56 Century 51 Final - Bismarck 106 Century 103 3-point Shooting Bismarck 15/41 Century 10/24 <h4>TOP DEMONS </h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1046352" first="Treysen" last="Eaglestaff"] (2022) |6-6 SF| 52 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, eight 3-pointers, and 8/10 ft’s. What a game for Mr. Eaglestaff! This one has to go down as one of the best single-game performances in Class A history. He obviously scored a ton, but Trey boarded up, shared the ball, dropped dimes, had crucial blocks, and steals. He was also clutch with big plays late. The Patriots tried running a second player at him when he had the ball. Eaglestaff moved the ball to his teammates when the double team came. His first basket came when he weaved through the defense and Eaglstaff hit a tough running jumper. Next, he hit a baseline 3-pointer and he was off to the races from there. Trey’s biggest 3-pointer came very late in the game when the Patriots scored a big bucket, but Trey slammed the door shut on the comeback with a dagger 3-ball. He scored many points attacking in transition, off the bounce, pull-up jumpers, and runners/floaters. He was also good from the charity stripe. Eaglstaff is such a gifted player, it is like watching poetry in motion. He makes it looks so easy. He is not just skilled, Trey is athletic as well. He showed off his vertical with a couple of dunks. Late in the game, Trey had a monster steal and fastbreak dunk to help seal the victory. I was very impressed with his rebounding and passing. Trey dropped numerous dimes when attacking the basket off the bounce. I knew he could pass, but his rebounding was excellent. I liked the way he moved without the ball. His handles are great and he scored with the ball and by spotting up for shots. Overall [player_tooltip player_id="1046352" first="Treysen" last="Eaglestaff"] had a game for the history books. WOW! [player_tooltip player_id="1135881" first="Ethan" last="Stotz"] (2022) |6-1 F| 8 points and 4 rebounds. His first basket came early in the game from the block. Stotz also scored in up-tempo transition situations. Ethan had two other baskets when Eaglstaff found him open around the hoop. He stood out on a few rebounds with his aggressiveness and how he snatches the ball out of the air. Stotz is also a crucial part of the Demon defense. Caden Fischer (2022) |6-0 G| 8 points and 3 rebounds. Fischer was 4/4 on FG’s. Caden scored with an aggressive offensive rebound putback. He showed off a smooth baseline runner. Fischer had another short runner in the second half. He had a big block shot after making a hustle play. Fisher is a physical player that gives great effort. Kyler Scott (2022) |6-4 F| 6 points and two 3-pointers. He picked off a pass and forced other turnovers. I was impressed with Kyler’s crossover move. He looks to be a gifted athlete. Scott really got up for some rebounds. Kyler had a vital 3-pointer with 4 minutes left in the game, the big shot took the lead back for the Demons. [player_tooltip player_id="1136404" first="George" last="Gillette"] (2022) |6-1 G| 2 points and 1 assist. He took a charge in the first half. On offense, Gillette showed a nice spin move when attacking the basket. His hustle led him to block a 3-point shot. To start the second half, Gillette had a perfect backdoor bounce pass to Eaglstaff. [player_tooltip player_id="1144489" first="Preston" last="Lemar"] (2024) |6-2 G/F| 5 points, 2 rebounds, and one 3-pointer. Lemar scored his first basket off an O-board putback. His other basket came from a right-wing in-rhythm 3-pointer. He stuck out a few times with physical box-outs. Lemar looks like he has a ton of potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1141138" first="Cole" last="Jahner"] (2023) |6-3 G/F| 6 points, 2 rebounds, one 3-pointer, and 3/6 ft’s. He is a hustler and a fine athlete. His 3-pointer came from the left-wing. Cole hit two big free throws late in the game to tie the score up. Carter Sims (2022) |5-10 G| 6 points, 1 assist, and two 3-pointers. Sims hit both of his triples from the corner on the baseline. Sims provided two big outside shots for the Demons in this tight matchup. Drew Henrikson (2023) |6-2 G| 4 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists. Drew was perfect from the field going 2/2. In the press, Drew deflected a pass which led to a steal for the Demons. I liked his athleticism with his fullcourt transition layup. <h4>Top Patriots</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1050245" first="Ryan" last="Erikson"] (2023) |6-10 PF| 28 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, and 10/14 ft’s. On defense, Ryan had a powerful hammer block that bounced off the backboard. He also dominated on the glass. He scored from the paint and near the block with most of his points outside of the FT’s. Erikson is a strong player, but he finishes with a super soft touch. He got a few of his points from O-board putbacks. I was impressed with Ryan’s 3/4 court baseball pass. It looks like he has a rifle for an arm. He got the charity stripe often tonight. Ryan is a great outlet passer that gets his eyes down the court directly after he secures the rebound. He had a very nice pass to fellow big man Ware, which resulted in two points for Century. Erikson was crucial late in the game. He had an O-board bucket, an O-board tip-in, and a post-up basket off a SLOB. Erikson showed again tonight why he is the best BIG in the WDA. [player_tooltip player_id="1111175" first="Isaiah" last="Schafer"] (2024) |6-1 G| 25 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, five 3-pointers, and 4/6 ft’s. He got to the line on the first possession of the game and Schafer scored the first point of the game from the FT-line. On defense, Isaiah is a pick-pocket. He stole the ball multiple times. Schafer had two impressive offensive rebound tip-ins. He was great again shooting it from beyond the arc. Schafer showed off his range while knocking down triples from college range and NBA range. He hit 3-balls while spacing the floor and with pull-ups. The sophomore guard also had an impressive step-back corner 3-pointer. He had another clutch three in the second half that took the lead for the Patriots. I was very impressed with Isaiah’s baseline attack and finish after a hard foul. His AND1 finish and FT tied the game at 66. Earlier in the game, Schafer also had an athletic baseline drive that he finished with a sweet reverse layup. Isaiah continues to prove why he is a star on the rise. [player_tooltip player_id="1048689" first="Anthony" last="Doppler"] (2023) |6-4 G| 24 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, one 3-pointer, and 11/12 ft’s. In the first half, Doppler hit his 3-pointer from the baseline corner. I was impressed with his left-hand finger roll, across the rim finish. Doppler is a very good FT-shooter, and he got to the line often. Doppler showed his focus and balance with a 1 dribble off-balance jumper. He had an O-board bucket. Anthony also had an AND1 finish, plus the free throw. He was fouled on a 3-pointer, and Doppler cashed in all ft’s. I like his ball skills and his versatile passing ability. Doppler looks to be a gamer, he hit two big FT’s to keep the Patriots in the game. Anthony is a tough matchup for every team. [player_tooltip player_id="812232" first="Connor" last="Trahan"] (2022) |6-5 G| 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, three 3-pointers, and 2/2 ft’s. He got hot in the first half. Trahan was instrumental in the Patriot comeback in the first half. This smooth shooting senior hit 3 triples. He is also a knockdown free-throw shooter. Connor sacrificed his body and took a charge from Eaglestaff. [player_tooltip player_id="1050255" first="William" last="Ware"] (2023) |6-7 SF| 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, one 3-pointer, and 4/8 ft’s. Ware showed a very nice pull-up jumper tonight, he nailed multiple J’s. Willaim was impressive rebounding when he skyed up for the ball. Ware had a great high-low finish that showed off his strength when sealing and finishing. William had a huge 3-pointer in the second half that helped the Patriots take the lead.