Preview: Cherokee Trail Cougars vs. Grandview Wolves
Cherokee Trail is 0-10 against Grandview since February of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Cherokee Trail Cougars will be playing in front of their home fans against the Grandview Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Cherokee Trail has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 217 points over their last three matchups.
Even though Rampart scored an imposing 55 points on Wednesday, Cherokee Trail still came out on top. Cherokee Trail blew past Rampart 77-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Cherokee Trail has posted since December 1, 2023.
Braylen Thomas was his usual excellent self, scoring 17 points along with six rebounds. Naode Ghide was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Grandview came up short against Douglas County last Saturday and fell 60-47. Grandview has struggled against Douglas County recently, as their contest last Saturday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Grandview's defeat came about despite a quality game from Cole Holtman, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Another player making a difference was Breven Anderson, who scored 13 points along with two steals.
Cherokee Trail's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Grandview, they bumped their record down to 3-9 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road.
Wednesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Cherokee Trail have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Grandview struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 23.8 rebounds per game. Given Cherokee Trail's sizeable advantage in that area, Grandview will need to find a way to close that gap.
Cherokee Trail ended up a good deal behind Grandview in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, losing 57-42. Thankfully for Cherokee Trail, Uk Onyenwere (who scored 28 points along with two steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
