Preview: Greenview Bulldogs vs. Hartsburg-Emden Stags
The Greenview Bulldogs will head out on the road to take on the Hartsburg-Emden Stags at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Greenview and three for Hartsburg-Emden.
Greenview lost a heartbreaker when they last took the court, but unfortunately for them the loss they were handed on on Tuesday was a bit more commanding. They took a serious blow against Arthur-Okaw Christian, falling 67-31. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Greenview in their matchups with Arthur-Okaw Christian: they've now lost four in a row.
Meanwhile, Hartsburg-Emden had to suffer through a rough 59-30 loss at the hands of Illini Bluffs. While losing is never fun, Hartsburg-Emden can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 707th, while Illini Bluffs is ranked 141st).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Evan Cross, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. That was a full 50% of Hartsburg-Emden's points, marking the 15th time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Jace Whitted, who scored seven points along with three steals.
Greenview has traveled a rocky road recently having lost 12 of their last 13 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-21 record this season. As for Hartsburg-Emden, they dropped their record down to 5-19 with that defeat, which was their third straight on the road.
Greenview suffered a grim 58-34 defeat to Hartsburg-Emden in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Can Greenview avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
