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Cold shooting dooms Eagles in home opener against OC

Youngsville’s Gage Hendrickson puts up a shot as Oil City’s Holden Stahl (10) looks on during the first half of the Eagles’ home opener, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Oil City won the game, 50-25.

Gage Hendrickson got the crowd up on its feet in the opening moments of Youngsville’s home opener against Oil City, hitting a 3 to start the game.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, that was the only time in the game they led.

Oil City, which was coming off a win over Bradford the night before, took advantage of its size inside and the Eagles’ inability to knock down shots en route to a 50-25 win.

“This was a missed opportunity,” said Youngsville coach Jesse DeLoof of his squad’s performance against the Class 4A Oilers. “Our lack of offensive production translated on the glass.”

It was one of those nights where the shots just weren’t falling.

Youngsville’s Brady Olewine puts up a jumper during the first half of Wednesday’s home opener for the Eagles against Oil City. The Eagles came out on the short end of a 50-25 score. They will look to bounce back on Friday when they host Sheffield.

The Eagles (1-2) went almost 11 minutes between made field goals – another triple from Hendrickson (who scored all of their points in the first half), and despite that, were still in the game.

Oil City’s inside duo of Noah Petro and Judias Johnson proved to be too much, however.

Those two helped lead an effort that saw Oil City (2-2) collect 14 offensive rebounds.

“They beat us up on the glass,” DeLoof said. “That was our main focus going in, keeping their big football players off the glass. When we weren’t making shots, we started turning and jumping with them instead of boxing out.”

The Eagles trailed 24-11 at halftime, and Oil City went on a 14-2 run to start the second half to essentially put the game out of reach.

Alec Klapec hit an open 3 during the run and Holden Stahl connected on a pair of jumpers as well.

The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled to make shots against OC’s 2-3 zone.

“I thought we got good looks,” DeLoof said. “We got open 3s off drive and kicks and those are shots that we have to make.”

Owen Procter provided a spark early in the fourth quarter with a pair of made jumpers, but it was too little, too late.

Hendrickson finished with 12 points to lead Youngsville, while Petro had 13 and Klapec 12 to pace a balanced Oil City attack.

“We had a game plan, and it’s on me to have my guys ready to play,” DeLoof said.

The Eagles will look to bounce back on Friday when they host county foe Sheffield.

“We will be ready to play, I promise you that,” DeLoof said.

– – –

OIL CITY (50)

Klapec 5-0-0-12, Cochran 0-0-0-0, Petro 6-0-0-13, Stahl 3-0-0-7, Johnson 4-0-0-8, R. VanWomer 1-0-0-3, McFall 1-0-0-2, Hartle 1-0-0-2, Williams 1-0-0-3, Serafin 0-0-0-0, Totals 22-0-0-50

YOUNGSVILLE (25)

Kesterholt 0-0-0-0, Mack 0-0-0-0, Hendrickson 3-4-5-12, Peterson 2-0-0-4, Olewine 0-2-2-2, Bower 1-0-0-2, Dell 0-0-0-0, Procter 2-0-0-4, Mowrey 0-1-2-1, Totals 8-7-9-25

By Quarters

Oil City 18 6 19 7 – 50

Youngsville 5 6 6 14 – 25

Three-point FGs: Oil City (6) – Klapec 2, Petro, Stahl, VanWomer, Williams; Youngsville (2) – Hendrickson 2

– – –

JV: Oil City 72, Youngsville 24; Youngsville – Xavier Mowrey 8 points

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