Basketball Game Preview: Cozad Haymakers vs. Ord Chanticleers

The Cozad Haymakers will face off against the Ord Chanticleers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Cozad's favor as the squad sits on eight straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Ord has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.

Cozad saw some tournament action on Thursday. They rang in the new year with a 62-49 win over Wilber-Clatonia.

Cozad's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Noah Shoemaker, who went 8 for 15 on his way to 21 points in addition to five boards and four steals, and Olliver Davis, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 18 points and six rebounds. With that strong performance, Shoemaker is now averaging an impressive 15.6 points per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Kellen Shoemaker, who posted eight points.

Meanwhile, Ord suffered their biggest loss since January 25, 2024 on Thursday. They had to suffer through a 72-44 loss at the hands of Grand Island Central Catholic. While losing is never fun, the Chanticleers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 147th, while the Crusaders are ranked 32nd).

Cozad will need focus on slowing down Will Lange, one of several Ord players who made an impact when they last played. He put up ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Colton Thompson, who posted three points and six rebounds.

Ord's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Cozad, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cozad has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Ord struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.6 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Cozad barely slipped by Ord when the teams last played back in January of 2024, winning 50-49. Will Cozad repeat their success, or does Ord have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.