Stacie Vonderheide and Nancy Ruholl combined to score 43 points and helped the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs open their 2023-24 season in impressive fashion Monday night, posting a 61-36 victory at Dieterich.

Vonderheide pumped in 12 points and Ruholl added eight more, as the Lady Bulldogs raced to a 22-7 lead after the first eight minutes and were never threatened. Both Vonderheide and Ruholl knocked down a pair of three-pointers in that opening period.

St. Anthony led 42-30 heading into the final quarter and then went on a 19-6 scoring spree to widen the gap to 25 points by the end of the game.

Vonderheide finished with 27 points and Ruholl added 16. Addi Nuxoll chipped in with nine points.

The Lady Bulldogs will return to action Thursday night. It will be their home opener and they will host Sandoval.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Before the game, Cody Rincker said, “the first team to 40 will probably win.”

How prophetic was that?

But slowing down a team like Christ Our Rock Lutheran was not going to be an easy task. The Silver Stallions were taller, quicker, more athletic and liked playing an up-tempo game.

Plus, they had a near-perfect record, a lofty ranking and was considered the heavy, heavy favorite.

Rincker, however, had a blueprint for success.

“We couldn’t let them run and we couldn’t turn the ball over,” he noted. “We had to be successful doing those things to give ourselves a chance. Ever since I’ve been coaching, that’s been the blueprint for big games like this.”

The St. Anthony coach needs to keep that blueprint handy.

His Bulldogs went out and executed the game plan with near-perfection. And, as it turns out, that 40^th point clinched the outcome.

When the final horn sounded Friday night, it was St. Anthony doing the celebrating. The Bulldogs had just pulled off an exciting and hard-fought 40-34 victory to clinch the championship of the Class 1A South Central Regional.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

For the second game in a row, the St. Anthony Bulldogs were the heavy underdogs.

And for the second game in a row, they played their opponent on even terms.

In the regional championship, the Bulldogs used a fourth quarter run to take the lead and then maintained it the rest of the way in knocking off Christ Our Rock Lutheran.

Wednesday night’s game followed a similar pattern.

This time, however, it was the opponent that built a late cushion and then hung on.

But St. Anthony had a chance until it’s last-second, game-tying three-pointer was off-target, securing the 48-45 victory for Tuscola in a semifinal game of the Class 1A Altamont Sectional.

The Warriors will now face the host Indians for the sectional title Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Not many were expecting a close game Wednesday night. After all, the Bulldogs had gotten beat twice by Altamont and Tuscola handled the Indians fairly easily just a few weeks ago.

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By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

North Clay has to be tired of seeing Ryan Schmidt in the semifinals.

In the semis of the National Trail Conference Tournament, Schmidt came off the bench, took 14 total shots and hit them all. He finished with 25 points and helped the Bulldogs win 60-43.

“Mr. Instant Offense” was back at it again Wednesday night – this time in the semifinals of the regional. His first two shots were three-point attempts and both hit nothing but net. He did ultimately miss a couple shots, but made 8-of-10, including all five from long range, and turned in a game-high 19 points.

That offense, plus the team’s ability to “flip the switch back on” in the third quarter, helped the Bulldogs pull away and post a 62-45 win over North Clay in a semifinal game of the Class 1A South Central Regional.

“I bet he wishes he played against North Clay every night,” St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker said.

That victory sets up a regional championship clash between St. Anthony and Christ Our Rock Lutheran. The Silver Stallions beat Cisne 61-46 in Wednesday night’s first semifinal contest. The regional final will be at 7 p.m. Friday at South Central High School in Farina.

Schmidt made his presence known immediately after entering the game midway through the opening quarter. His first three expanded the SAHS lead to 13-8. After Alex Boose hit a shot from behind the arc and Logan Fleener, who had 12 points in the opening period, scored on back-to-back possessions, the Cardinals had the lead, 15-13.

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