County Seat Newspaper
of Clare County

Clare Boys Topple Farwell, Drop Close One to Ogemaw

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By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sportswriter

Clare outscored host Farwell in every quarter of the two’s Jack Pine Conference boys basketball game Friday. The Pioneers used that to steadily increase their lead as the evening went on, eventually coming away with a 42-16 Jack Pine Conference victory.

“Overall, the effort was good,” head coach Byron Schunk said. “We still have to play better basketball than we are. (Our) effort was good.”

Clare took a double digit lead early on, and led 14-2 after one. That margin grew to 26-6 at the half and 37-8 entering the fourth.

The Pioneers were led by Parker Smith who had 16 points and Dane Alexander put in 13 points.

The Eagles had Walker Brown lead them with six points.

Clare also lost a home JPC game with Ogemaw Heights on Wednesday, Dec. 11 in a close one, 52-50.

The Pioneers were able to lead much of the early portion of the game. They led 10-4 after the first quarter and 27-14 at the half. That was trimmed some to 41-30 entering the fourth. There the Falcons went on another run, surging ahead late.

Clare was unable to tie the game in final moments and they left the game with an unsettling setback.

“We have to play smarter at the end of the game,” Schunk said. “We had two shots to be able to tie it up at the end, but we didn’t get it done. We just have to play smarter basketball when it comes to the last two or three minutes and that will come with time.”

Ryan Louch led the Pioneers in scoring in this one, getting 15 points, Alexander put in 13 points and Lincoln Older hit double digits as well with 10.

Clare (2-3 overall, 2-2 JPC) heads to Standish-Sterling today (Wednesday) for JPC play and will return to play on Jan. 3 up at Boyne City for a non-league contest.

Farwell also lost a home JPC game with Meridian on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 62-21.

The Eagles faced holes of 16-3, 24-8 and 46-15 at the quarter breaks.

Rylee Sprague and Seth Burkhart both had seven points for the Eagles.

Farwell (0-6 overall, 0-2 JPC) was home against Merrill on Monday, will be at home to take on Kalkaska on Friday and they’ll play Jan. 8 at Chippewa Hills.

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