ELDRED – “It was a typical Eldred/Rockland game; hard fought, and well played by both teams,” said Eldred’s head coach, Bill Furler, of Eldred’s 58-50 section IX Class C first round win. The Yellowjackets played to a full house, but the Rockland Wolves  brought their own ‘pack’ to  the Yellowjackets’ ‘hive.’ Ahead of this section’s round, Coach Furler was looking forward to having home-court advantage.  

“It’s very hard to beat a team three times in a season. We have done it two years in a row. No matter if Rockland is up 10, down 10, they never give up. This game was another example of that. In the end, it comes down to size. James and Koen owned the paint.”

It reflected in the stats, as both Deyermond and McGill scored 18 and 20 points, respectively. 

Rockland Head Coach Charlie Hicks also noted Eldred’s height advantage. “We tried to exploit their size by pressing and using our speed and depth,” Hicks said, “but unfortunately, their size was too much for us to overcome. My boys played their hearts out, and I am super proud of the hard work and dedication all season. It’s a shame it had to end. Hats off to Eldred, I wish them luck in the next round.

Tyler McRay led the Wolves with 18 points, followed by Ben Johnston with 16. 

Rockland ends their season 14-5, while Eldred (15-5) moves on to the next round of sectionals to take on a tough Mount Academy.

Find full coverage of Eldred vs Mount Academy in Tuesday’s edition of the Democrat.