Comets can't control Langer

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
Comets can't control Langer in league loss to VikingsNASELLE - Willapa Valley 6-1 senior Brady Langer had one of those games that players dream about, but it turned into a nightmare for the Naselle Comets. The Comets could do little to slow him down, let alone stop him, in their Pacific League boys' basketball game played in Naselle's Lyle Patterson Gym Thursday, Jan. 4. Langer scored points from every conceivable angle with about every shot seen on the basketball court in scoring 36 points. With Langer's huge game as the key, the Vikings easily rolled over the Comets 74-64 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score indicates.Naselle's Burkhalter brothers, freshman Austin who had a career high scoring night (27 points, eight rebounds) and Junior Kyle (21 points, eight rebounds), more than matched the points scored by Langer, but they didn't have the scoring backup that Langer had. Two other Vikings, Rick Bannish and Mike Anderson, each scored in double figures with 15 points for Anderson, plus 16 rebounds and five blocks and 13 points for Bannish, while no other Comet was in double digits. Nathan Sultemeier added six points for Naselle.From the opening tip, this was a game of Langer and the Vikings speed, quickness and defense in the paint versus the Comets outside game. Langer quickly established the pattern that was to be followed practically all game long. The Comets took their only lead of the game when Sultemeier was fouled on a three-point try and he made all three free throws for a 3-2 Naselle lead. Langer countered by scoring Valley's first nine points on the way to 12 points in the period.For variety, Tom Colburn broke free on three back door cuts along the baseline to add four Valley points in the period plus two more to open the second quarter. The Comets got points from four players, the Burkhalters, Nick Hines and Casey Heagy, each added a hoop. But Naselle still trailed Langer and Co. 16-11 after one quarter.Naselle's best quarter turned out to be the second. Austin dialed in his three ball from the corner, canning three treys in the period as part of his 12 second quarter points while Kyle was scoring nine points on drives to the hoop and by hard work around the basket. Those points allowed the Comets to barely outscore the Vikings 21-20 in the quarter. But guess where 12 of Valley's points came from in the period? - You got it. Langer was busily scoring more than half of the Viking points in the quarter. But with the Burkhalter brothers' big scoring effort, the Comets only trailed the Vikings by four points at the break after having fallen behind by as many as 13 points as each team had traded scoring runs.The Comets solid quarter had put them right back into the game as they only trailed 36-32 at the break. But who could predict what was to follow?The Vikings opened the second half with a 10-0 run in the first three minutes and Langer did not score the first six points as the Vikings press and fast-break offense left the Comets scrambling. Austin finally broke the Naselle scoring drought with two freebies at the 5:14 mark, but Valley answered with six more points. Big 6-foot 5-inch Mike Anderson added his sixth point of the period as did 5-foot 7-inch guard Rick Bannish. That duo and Langer were to each score eight points in the eight minutes of the third period. On the Naselle end of things, only the Burkhalter boys were able to find the hoop. Austin had the Comets first five points of the period and Kyle the last six as Valley ran away with a 24-11 third quarter.Trailing 43-60 at the end of three, it was to get better and then get worse, again, before it ended a little better for the Comets. Bannish stole the ball for a lay-up but Austin, who was five for 10 behind the arc, countered with another three-ball. Sultemeier then stole the ball and soloed for a lay-in to bring Naselle within 14 points of the Vikings in the first minute of the final stanza.Langer - always Langer - and Co. then popped in the next 10 points while Naselle could only counter with Sultemeier's two free throws. That stretched the Vikings lead to 22 points with a little more than half a quarter left in the game. Gabe See's put-back rebound finally broke the Valley scoring string. With Valley Coach John Peterson clearing his bench at the two minute mark, the Comets completed a 14-2 run with many subs on the floor as Valley went home with its convincing 74-64 win.Suffering its fourth straight loss as they finished the first half of the regular season, the Comets record dropped to 4-6 overall and to 2-2 in the Pacific League with nothing but tough league games ahead. The Vikings are 4-0 in league and 4-5 overall.Naselle Coach Brian Macy said, "Turnovers and rebounding are killing us. We are usually out-manned and need to do a superior job at blocking out. This needs to come along quickly. The turnovers are from poor decision making and playing tentatively. This was a tough week and it is not over, as we travel to South Bend tomorrow. They will be very scrappy and quick."After finishing this week at South Bend, the Comets will play two league games a week for the next four weeks, and then finish the league season with a single away game in the final week of the regular season, hopefully followed by a district tournament berth.The Comets JVs lost to the young Vikings 55-23.$$$ The Naselle Community Pep Band, directed by Cliff Weimer and made up mainly of "used-to-be" band members, played some excellent ball game music. The band, in its second year, is a welcome change from the canned pre-game and half-time music that is often played loudly at Naselle home games. A big thumbs-up for Weimer and the band members who bring some of the old-time flavor back to games at Lyle Patterson Gymnasium!Vikings 74, Comets 64

WILLAPA VALLEY (74) - Brady Langer 36, Mike Anderson 15, Rick Bannish 13, Colburn 6, Mayfield 2, LeClair, Johnson, Barrett, Lundy, King, Landrum;

Shooting: FG - 33-69 (.478).
FT - 7-12;
Rebounds (36): Anderson 16;
Blocks: Anderson 5

NASELLE (64) - Austin Burkhalter 27, Kyle Burkhalter 21, Sultemeier 6, Hines 3, See 3, Heagy 2, Griss, Smith, Erickson;

Shooting: FG - 21-52 (.404),
3's - 5-15.
FT - 19-25;
Rebounds (36): A. Burkhalter 8, K. Burkhalter 8;
Turnovers (22)

Willapa Valley 16 20 24 14 - 74
Naselle 11 21 11 21 - 64