Today's Sports

If someone doesn't help, Chiefland basketball is in for a tough season.

Last month, the Chiefland Citizen reported a break-in at the Chiefland High School athletic department, and the theft of some uniforms and equipment. The brief report didn't begin to touch on the loss. The football and basketball programs lost, between them, almost $27,000 in vital gear.

In their season-opening five-point loss to district rival Williston, Chiefland girls played a solid game, leading for a half and putting on a good late rally despite a third quarter collapse. Chiefland looked flat and out of sync Tuesday in an all-over-the-place 48-33 loss at Trenton. An early lead against Williston had allowed them to play with composure; against Trenton, though, their composure was sorely tested, starting, no doubt, with a 17-point first quarter deficit from which they really never recovered.

When you take the emotion out of a big rivalry and boil it down to the bare facts, Williston's 61-43 win over Chiefland last Friday comes down to one raw number.

Chiefland lost by 18 points. Chiefland missed 17 free throws.

The Red Devils pulled out to a 38-19 halftime lead, then withstood a Chiefland rally in the second half to get the win.

Chiefland coach Mark Lundy approved of his team's effort. "We cut it to (13). I was really pleased that the team did not give up."

With the easy win over Trenton and a 55-49 overtime loss to Oak Hall, the Bronson Eagles have officially launched this season's rollercoaster ride. Two of the edge-of-the-seat highlights for those keeping score at home: First, team go-to James Rivers suffered a nasty high-ankle sprain with four seconds to go in regulation against Oak Hall and second, the Eagles face longtime district threat Hawthorne on Saturday, possibly without Rivers. It's enough to make an Eagle fan bite his nails.

After the Trenton win, Haldeman looked ahead to Oak Hall, which he had scouted.