» Braves foiled again

The Reedsport boys left the court at halftime Friday night with a frustrating 56-17 disadvantage to Rogue River. It had been a very agressive game on both sides, and they were ready for a breather.

The locker room break re-energized them, and the Braves came out ready to play ball. They toughened up their defense to outscore the Chieftains 35-21 in the second half.

During the third quarter, they gave up only eight points to Rogue River, while putting up 11 points themselves, shutting down the scoring binges enjoyed by the Chieftains’ three top scorers during the first two quarters.

Two of those players, Dustin Krouse (No. 10) and Darren Taylor (No. 15), apparently weren’t happy about the Braves’ new-found toughness.

The fourth quarter began well for the Braves, with a field goal by Taylor Ladd, followed by another from Marco Santana. Less than two minutes into the final period, however, Santana grabbed a rebound after a Rogue River shot failed. He had a firm grip on the ball under the Chieftains’ basket when Rogue River’s Krouse grabbed it,  then shoved Santana out of bounds.

Santana shoved back. Then Darren Taylor stepped in, shoved and elbowed Santana, and called him an obscene, racially charged name, according to Coach James Hixenbaugh, Santana, and others.

And the fight was on.

Santana shoved Taylor out of the way, Taylor shoved back, and teammates on both sides had to step in to separate the players.

Referees slapped Taylor with a technical foul and then charged Santana with two, and ejected him from the game.

The din raised by Reedsport fans booing the referees followed Santana out of the gym.

“We’d been playing rough all night,” Santana admitted Monday.

Reedsport senior Ismael Osorio confirmed that the two Rogue River players had thrown insults as well as elbows throughout most of the game.

“That’s no excuse ... (but) that’s how it went. It was intense,” Osorio said. “Most of the time, it inspired everybody to do better, ... but it got out of hand.”

Hixenbaugh said he’d talked with at least one of the referees “several times about (Taylor) ... and the play right before the altercation happened, I told the ref, ‘You ought to give that kid a technical’ for the way he was talking. The ref told me he would if he kept it up.”

After the game resumed, the Braves committed two fouls against the Chieftains during the fourth quarter, and scored 24 points. The Chieftains sent the Braves to the free-throw line nine times, for 17 shots during the fourth, and scored 13 points.

Osorio led the scoring with 17 points. All 10 of the Braves who suited up for the game got on the scoreboard.

The Braves are now in seventh place among eight Sunset League teams, with eight losses and one win.

Myrtle Point also put the Braves away last week in a very close game in Reedsport.

The teams were tied at 19 after the first quarter, and went into the locker rooms with the Bobcats up by only 2 points, 29-27. At the end of the third, the score stood at 43-42 for Myrtle Point.

Despite Tyler Strowbridge’s 21 points and Osorio’s 20, the Bobcats poured on the power in the fourth quarter to end the game at a heartbreaking 65-60.

This week

After traveling to Glide on Tuesday, the Braves host the Coquille Red Devils Friday at 7:30 p.m. They travel to Bandon for a game Tuesday and host their final home game on Friday, Feb. 12, against Cascade Christian.