Hot shooting helps Wildcats blow out Falcons at home

By SEAN BLEVINS

Times sports editor

Kenton made it look easy as it got off to a 12-0 start and never looked back en route to a 72-50 nonconference win over Riverdale Saturday night in Kenton.

The Wildcats got back to even in the win column at 3-3 behind four double digit scoring performances by Colby Quay (19 points), Ethan Yoder (16), Gavin Payne (13) and Parker Rarey (10). The Falcons fall to 1-6 after getting their first win Friday against North Baltimore.

KHS coach Ryan Miller said they were able to experiment with their zone defense a bit in the win, but was far from satisfied with how their man defense has played all season so far.

The Wildcats try to play to their strengths as much as they can and they were able to force 26 turnovers by the Falcons, largely from throwing a variety of different looks at them.

The rout was on from the start, although Riverdale got slightly better throughout. Payne made two shots, Quay hit two shots, Rarey got a bucket and Kenton jumped out to a 12-0 lead quickly. Kenton’s first quarter ball movement was as crisp as it has been in their six games and they kept getting assisted buckets.

Yoder drilled two triples in a row and Manny Wilson got a putback right before the buzzer sounded, putting the Wildcats up 25-10 after one.

The Falcons played a more even second quarter, but were still outscored 13-12 in it. Mitchell O’Flaherty, Evan Reiter and Ethan Elwood were steady contributors as Riverdale went into the locker rooms down 38-22.

“We can’t dig ourselves a hole in the first quarter and try to climb out, you exert too much energy trying to make it respectable. We kept battling. We cut it to 12, but we were exhausted and I wanted to ride with the guys that were in. I told our guys that if we could make them come out of the zone, we could make them uncomfortable,” first-year Riverdale coach Drew Hobensack said.

Reiter dropped eight of his 13 points in the third quarter. O’Flaherty had six of his 12 points in the third as the Falcons scored 21 in it, but they also gave up 20.

Quay was a force from the outside, while Payne was eating on the inside and it was a long night for the Falcons. 

Rarey had his best offensive game of the season. His toughness and grit in the post adds a much-needed element to the Wildcats on both ends.

“He [Rarey] has come with a workman’s attitude and he has made us better,” Miller said.

Kenton doubled up Riverdale in the fourth quarter, 14-7, to win 72-50.

Elwood finished with nine points in the loss. Carson Young had six. Davon Harbor added five, Jack Dusseau four and Landon Holland one.

“We can’t have 26 turnovers against good teams, that’ll kill you. We shot 60% from two, so that’s good. We’re trying to get three or four guys up around 10 points. Mitchell [O’Flaherty] and Ethan [Elwood] were really good tonight,” Hobensack said.

Kenton’s Tyson Lawrence had six points in the victory. Manny Wilson tallied four, Steven Piper hit a three and Dawson Miller rounded it with one.

Next up, the Wildcats will host Bath on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons will travel to face Pandora-Gilboa Friday at the same time.