By Mari Smith
After the Bulldogs big win before the holiday break, on January 10 the Varsity team travelled to Otsego, who was ranked 5th in the state when Vicksburg hit their court. Against a team that is likely to go far this season, Vicksburg lost in double digits with a score of 75-45. Leading scorers for the Bulldogs were Solomon Barwegen with 11 and PJ Callahan with eight.
Vicksburg hosted the Three Rivers Wildcats three days later and took their turn at handing another team a double-digit loss, with the Bulldogs winning 72-49 in a non-conference game. Topping the scoreboard were Brad Spieldenner with 11, and Callahan and Conner Henderson tipping in another 10 each. Another nine each was added by Dalton Ketelaar and Mitchel Van Schoick, and Barwegen contributed eight.
Meeting up with Edwardsburg on their home court in a Wolverine Conference cross-over game, the Bulldogs were hit again with losing in double digits, with a final score of 70-54. Top scorers for Vicksburg were Callahan with 16 and Van Schoick with 10.
Keeping the alternating win-loss cycle alive, the Bulldogs went to the den of the Allegan Tigers and handed them a 63-48 loss. Callahan was again the top scorer with 18 and Barwegen close behind with 16.
A trip to Comstock continued that cycle where the Colts achieved their first Wolverine East conference win by defeating the Bulldogs 55-44. Barwegen earned top scoring honors this game with 22.
Coach Shawn McGuire notes that Callahan and Spieldenner are doing a great job on the defensive end, with Callahan blocking shots and Spieldenner a strong defender with a lot of steals this season. He goes on to say that “Soloman Barwegen is our leading scorer and is in the top ten in the league with three pointers made and points per game. He can score in a variety of ways and doing a good job even though the opponents are trying to build their defenses around stopping Solomon.” He also feels that their bench continues to improve as they gain more experience and confidence.
The Bulldogs currently stand 4th in the Wolverine East with a 2-3 record, and an overall record of 3-7. The game against Three River on the 28th on the Wildcats’ home court was cancelled.