submitted by Scott Weis
The Republic Special Olympics teams competed in the Regional Tournament over the weekend in Joplin, MO. Each of the teams played hard, gave a great effort and display outstanding teamwork and sportsmanship in each game.
The Tiger Paws earned a Silver medal winning an exciting Game 1 against Belton, 14-12 on a buzzer beater by Eric Whillock. The Paws lost the second game to Grain Valley 14-6. Leading scorers below.
Game 1:
Eric Whillock- 10 pts, 8 rebs
Christian Clayton- 2 pts, 9 rebs, 2 steals
Kali Foster- 2 pts
Game 2:
Eric Whillock- 6 pts, 8 rebs, 2 steals
Christian Clayton- 5 rebs
Kali Foster- Reb, steal
The High School Tigers Unified 5-on-5 team suffered two tough losses, 32-9 and 33-17, to two quick Neosho teams to earn a fourth-place ribbon. Despite the losses, there were several bright spots and positives this young and inexperienced team displayed. All players demonstrated excellent teamwork, and executing multiple offensive plays that lead to scoring in both games. Leading scorers for each game below.
Game 1:
Samuel Ard- 5 pts, 7 rebs, 2 steals
McKae Geromini- 4 pts, 4 rebs, 1 assist
Jaylen Jennings- 3 rebs, 1 steal
Riley Watkins- 7 rebs
Game 2:
Samuel Ard- 6 pts, 8 rebs, steal
McKae Geromini- 4 pts, 3 rebs, 2 steals
Dustin Schwind- 3 pts, assist, steal
Cameron Roberts- 2 pts, steal
Kaden Hill- 2 pts
In the Individual Skills competition, Dougie Kies earned a gold medal, competing in skills competitions including dribbling, passing and shooting.
The Middle School/Elementary Tiger Claws earned a fourth place ribbon. These athletes played with huge heart and determination in both games. The Claws, despite being outmatched by their larger opponents in a battle of David vs. Goliath, were true champions and exemplified the very meaning of the Special Olympics Athlete Creed "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." They showed the will to compete and a never-give-up attitude. Leading scorers below.
Game 1:
Josh Bean- 6 pts, 3 rebs
Izzach Thornton- 4 pts, 3 rebs
Kaden Coatney- 2 rebs
Eric Travis- 2 rebs, 2 steals
Kayla Kies- 2 rebs
Riley Hesterly- reb
Tyler Wells- reb
Game 2:
Christian Ard- 2 pts, steal
Kaden Coatney- 2 steals
Eric Travis- steal
The Republic Tigers next competitions will be Thursday Feb 23rd, when they host Bolivar at the Middle School at 6 pm. Then Saturday Feb 25th, when they travel to Carl Junction High School for a tournament.
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