Douglas County vs. Ralston Valley – Five Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Douglas County has a scrappy backcourt once again</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year for Douglas County's Elite 8 run they were led by a scrappy backcourt consisting of Black Hills State players Jaeton Hackley and Ty Nettles and they are once again this year. This year they are led by sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1369811' first='Anthony' last='Nettles'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1426513' first='Reilly' last='Guerra']. They were both terrors on both ends of the court creating deflections and steals to start fastbreaks. Each of them set the pace for the team constantly attacking the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>There's another Braketa brother</strong> <strong>in Ralston Valley's backcourt</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year [player_tooltip player_id='1369807' first='Tanner' last='Braketa'] put the state on notice putting up almost 20 points a game as a freshman. This year his younger brother Caiden is a freshman and looking to make a varsity impact as well. Tanner did his thing per usual and led Ralston Valley in scoring by attacking all three levels. Caiden looked good stepping into his shot and knocking down some three-pointers. Tonight the backcourt was missing standout guard [player_tooltip player_id='1318382' first='Jackson' last='Hansen'] who will surely help Ralston Valley win plenty of games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Douglas County thrived on the fastbreak</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team did a good job of pushing the tempo, led by their guards the whole team followed suit running the break. Senior Zach Blatter did a good job of rebounding or grabbing a steal and finding a quick outlet pass up the floor. Wing [player_tooltip player_id='1139611' first='Xander' last='Baldessari'] did a good job of rim running and making smart passes to teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1479351' first='Jayce' last='Bahl'] sprouted up</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1479351' first='Jayce' last='Bahl'] came off of the bench and was the tallest player to touch the floor. Jayce stands at 6'7 and had good mobility for his size and age. He did a good job of grabbing rebounds and using his length to contest shots around the rim. Jayce showed off his soft touch on a mid-range jumper finding the soft spot in the zone. He is a lengthy forward with a high upside to keep an eye on with this young squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Senior</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1139611' first='Xander' last='Baldessari'] steps up in the fourth</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1139611' first='Xander' last='Baldessari'] is a big forward who made big plays in the fourth that helped Douglas County seal the deal. On the defensive end, Xander hustled and made a crucial block. He then made two layups through traffic to give his team the lead. Xander also made a great pass on the fastbreak dishing off the ball just in time for a cutting teammate. His senior leadership will continue to help this young Douglas County squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->