Royal Boys Fall to 2-6
By Nathan McShinsky

The Royals boys’ team traveled up to Hardwick with a three-game losing streak on their backs looking to take on the defending D-III Champions Hazen Union on the 2nd. It was SoRo’s first game of the new year and they were looking to start all over again. The game, however, didn’t go as planned, and the Royals lost, 68-58. 

At the end of the first quarter Hazen held a small three-point edge over the Royals 15-12. The Royals had a very good defensive showing in the middle of this quarter but weren’t able to get anything going offensively. The defense held Hazen scoreless for almost three minutes from 5:16-2:21.

In the second quarter SoRo lost another tight offensive scoring quarter by three, 20-17, giving the Wildcats a six point lead at the half, 35-29. The Royals once again shutdown Hazen in the second from 4:20-1:48, but this time SoRo went on an offensive run scoring seven unanswered points to give them a two-point lead, 29-27. Hazen, however, went on their own 8-0 run to end the half. 

The third quarter was another tight quarter scoring wise as SoRo again fell to the Wildcats by just two points 16-14 giving Hazen only an eight-point lead with eight minutes left, 51-43. Throughout the quarter both teams traded baskets back and forth with neither team getting any real runs. In the final quarter Hazen successful did away with the runs SoRo attempted to mount and added to their lead with a 17-15 quarter winning the contest by 10, 68-58.

Joey Kinnarney for South Royalton had a big night scoring eight points and adding some great defensive play and hustle rebounds, Peter Doyle-Braman added nine points. Spencer Howard led Hazen with 24 points.

Loss at Northfield

The Royals traveled into Marauder country on the 4th looking to come away with their first road win of the season after they had already beat Northfield earlier in the season at home for their first win of the season. This was a key game to get the Royals back on track that just slipped away at the end. 

The Royals were able to hold a slim margin of 16-14 at the end of one, which was a very weird quarter, and a quarter of runs as the Royals scored for the first time with 5:23 left in the quarter. They held Northfield scoreless for 2:18 in the middle of the quarter before SoRo went on a run in the final 1:15, scoring eight points and taking the lead.

The second quarter saw the Marauders tie the Royals just before the buzzer, 27-27, with a 13-11 quarter. However, seven of Northfield’s 13 points came from the line causing some foul trouble to the already short handed Royals due to sicknesses. Nick Enright stepped up in the quarter for the Royals as he had 8 of his teams 11 points.

The end of the third was another tie, 41-41, as each team added 14 points. Tim Martin paced Northfield, scoring 10 of the 14 points. In the final quarter both teams had small leads and the Royals had a 50-47 edge with 2:33 left. In the final quarter Enright and Doyle-Braman each had five points keeping SoRo right there. The Royals, after getting the small cushion, lost the lead down the stretch as they only scored two points in the final 2:20 of the game. The Royals were knotted up 51-51 with a minute left before Northfield put six points together to SoRo’s two. The Marauders won, 57-53. 

Enright finished with 26 points while Doyle-Braman added 13 of his own for South Royalton. Martin led Northfield with 24.

The Royals (2-6) look to turn their season around again as they host Blue Mountain Friday and Whitcomb on Monday, Jan. 15.

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