Basketball Recap: Elgin/Pope John Comes Up Short

Elgin/Pope John was the 39-33 winner over Central Valley when they last played one another back in February of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Elgin/Pope John Wolfpack took a 60-54 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Central Valley Cougars. The Wolfpack's loss continues a trend for the team, making it four in a row.

It was another big night for Taesian Soto, who went 7 of 11 on his way to 19 points along with eight boards and three steals for Central Valley. That's the most points Soto has posted since back in December of 2024. Zaden Wolf was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to five assists and three blocks.

Elgin/Pope John's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 9-7. As for Central Valley, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-5.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Elgin/Pope John has already played their next matchup (against Humphrey-Lindsay), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing. Central Valley has also has no score uploaded for their next game, this one against Heartland Lutheran.