Trying times at New Waverly

The Bulldogs won the game, but Jordan Canady outshined the players on the #1 ranked New Waverly in their home gym. Van’Go’photo The Varsity Bison knew they had a tough row to hoe on Friday when they travelled to New Waverly to wrap up the first round of district play. The Bulldogs are the top-ranked 2-A school in the state, with a season record of 19-3 and 5-0 in district. The ranking proved to be well deserved, but while Coach Warren Ringland's youngsters were not able to hand the Bulldogs an upset, they did show their opponents and fans in the stands what a first-class team Buffalo has. The Bison hit 85% of their free throws (22 of 26), and handled the Bulldog's intimidating press with cool heads and impressive ball-handling. Although they were shorthanded by two players, BHS' squad never gave up and eight players contributed to their score.

Undeniably the most impressive player on the floor was BHS senior Jordan Canady, and WHAT a game he had. Canady led all scorers with 27 points, including two three-pointers and nine of nine opportunities at the free throw line. His ball-handling was amazing and he led the Bison in rebounds, as well. When the Bulldogs upped the ante with crowd-pleasing dunks, Canady had an answer. In short, he took care of business... all night long. Given the level of competition, it was arguably one of the best performances by a BHS basketball player in many years.

NWHS roared out to a 27-8 lead in the first quarter, scoring with speed, steals and layups. The Bison settled down and played them much more evenly for the rest of the game, but were unable to close the gap. The final score was78-60.

In addition to Canady's 27 points, seniors Micah Burnside Jones and Aaron Bell contributed 7 each. Saxton Sims, Curtis Yates and Tate Hartley each added 4, Cain Hayes scored 3, and Creagor Elsom and Ryan Read added 2 apiece.