Even though the Cheylin Cougars have not done well against the Wheatland-Grinnell Thunderhawks recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Couldn't have asked for a better start to 2024 than the 76-38 blowout they got at home against Wheatland-Grinnell. Given Cheylin's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 102nd, while Wheatland-Grinnell is ranked 321st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pablo Bermudez was his usual excellent self, scoring 27 points along with nine rebounds and five assists. He also posted two+ blocks for the first time this season. Another player making a difference was Logan McCarty, who scored 12 points along with six assists and five rebounds.
Wheatland-Grinnell lost despite a true team effort on the offense, the best among them being Branton Goetz, who scored ten points along with five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Mason, who scored four points along with five rebounds.
Cheylin pushed their record up to 6-2 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Wheatland-Grinnell, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Cheylin will take on Weskan at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Weskan is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 65.7 points per game. As for Wheatland-Grinnell, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Northern Valley at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Averaging 64.1 so far this season, Northern Valley's high-powered offense has been in full-swing lately, so Wheatland-Grinnell better be ready for a challenge.
