Comets defeat Devils, 55-52, to get back into win column
Charles City senior Jack Molstead drives through the Osage double-team of Brett Bobinet (No. 4) and Elijah Bluhm (No. 2) on way to scoring 2 of his game-high 25 points while leading the Comets to a 55-52 win on Saturday afternoon. Two-time all-stater and Wartburg College-bound Molstead is among the 22 Iowa nominees for the upcoming McDonald’s All American Basketball Games.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
OSAGE — Maybe they should someday move the high school 3-point arc back to NBA distance. Afterall, many prep players entrusted to be go-to shooters have that type of range these days.
Even if they do move it, two-, three- and even four-possession leads late in the game will never be safe.
Once again, the Charles City Comets found themselves in the danger zone late into their non-conference Saturday afternoon boys game against the hosting Osage Green Devils. Always a tough team to beat on their own floor, the Green Devils were a 3-point shot away from tying the game with a score at 55-52 with a little more than 13 seconds in regulation.
Two days before, the Comets had their seven-game winning streak snapped when Crestwood hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. It would have been a shame to get burned again by the Devils.
But Osage, which got the inbounds possession on its side of the floor after a Charles City turnover, turned the ball over itself. And then when the Comets successfully inbounded to senior guard Jack Molstead, the Green Devils were unable to get their hands on the elusive Molstead to put him on the line as time ran out putting the Comets back into the victory column with the aforementioned score being the final.
Molstead led all scorers with 25 points. And even though he was far shy of being the tallest player on the court, Molstead was among the game’s leading rebounders — or missed shot retrievers — with an unofficial total of nine.
One of the most prolific scorers in Charles City history, the two-time all-stater Molstead has been recently listed among the 22 finalists in Iowa for the McDonald’s All American Games. The final boys roster of 24 will be announced this Thursday (Jan. 24) on ESPN’s “The Jump” at 2 p.m. and SportsCenter at 6 p.m.
The 42nd All American Boys Basketball Game as well as the All American Girls Game will take place March 27 in Atlanta and will be broadcast by ESPN2.
On Monday, Molstead announced his commitment to play for Wartburg College in Waverly.
Junior Bradley Andrews had 12 points for Charles City (9-4).
Osage (10-5) was led by Brett Bobinet’s 15 points. Bobinet’s 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining in regulation tied the game at 51 after the Comets led by as many as 11 points in the second half.
* In the previous girls game, the Class 3A No. 2-ranked Green Devils improved to 14-0 after defeating Charles City 59-19.
Osage senior guard Rylie Olson led all scorers with 18 points.
Charles City freshman Lydia Staudt and senior Jodie Sindlinger had 7 and 6 points, respectively, for the Comets (0-14).
Boys Varsity
CHARLES CITY 55, OSAGE 52
Scoring By Quarters
CHARLES CITY 15 18 17 15 — 55
OSAGE 14 10 11 17 — 52
CHARLES CITY — Bradley Andrews 12, Tait Arndt 7, Marcus Cranshaw 3, Jack Molstead 25, JJ Ritter 4, Colton Slinger 4.
OSAGE — Elijah Bluhm 11, Brett Bobinet 15, Jonah Bluhm 8, Gage Belz 2, Thor Maakestad 4, Tye Creger 10.
Girls Varsity
OSAGE 59, CHARLES CITY 19
Scoring By Quarters
CHARLES CITY 5 13 0 6 — 19
OSAGE 22 13 16 8 — 59
CHARLES CITY — Rachel Chambers 2, Ashlyn Hoeft 2, Kara Hoffman 2, Jodie Sindlinger 6, Lydia Staudt 7.
OSAGE — Mia Knudsen 12, Katerina Smith 2, Rylie Olson 18, Meredith Street 2, Melanie Bye 5, Danielle Johnson 10, Ellie Bobinet 2, Libby Schwamman 2, Sidney Brandau 6.
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