Preview: Kenesaw Blue Devils vs. Deshler Dragons
The Kenesaw Blue Devils on the road again on Thursday and play against the Deshler Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on January 25th. Hopefully Kenesaw focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 26 on Monday.
Last Monday, things could have been worse for Kenesaw, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 56-39 loss to Elm Creek. Kenesaw was down 46-26 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Despite the loss, Kenesaw got a solid performance out of Blake Steer, who scored 19 points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Deshler can now show off four landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They claimed a resounding 67-30 victory over Harvard at home. That 37 points margin sets a new team best for Deshler this season.
Deshler's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Carson Sieber, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 16 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Sieber has scored all season. Kaden Kleen was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Kenesaw now has a losing record at 6-7. As for Deshler, their win bumped their record up to 5-6.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Kenesaw have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Deshler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Kenesaw was able to grind out a solid victory over Deshler when the teams last played back in January of 2023, winning 46-38. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Deshler's Gavin Nash, who scored 19 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Kenesaw to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
