This story is sponsored by Norm E Lane Farm
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Click to hear complete interview with Auburndale boys basketball coach Chad Weinfurter
AUBURNDALE – Tuesday’s Marawood Conference South Division game could have been considered a trap game for the Auburndale boys basketball team.
Coming off a loss at Lakeland last week, the Apaches’ first loss of the season, and heading into a matchup Friday with fellow conference unbeaten Marathon, Auburndale coach Chad Weinfurter said he was worried about his team’s focus heading into Tuesday’s matchup with Pittsville. The Apaches showed early he didn’t need to worry.
Auburndale outscored Pittsville 17-5 in the first quarter and cruised to a dominating 53-27 win at Auburndale High School.
Markus Kleifgen had 17 points and Austin Hawkins added 15 points as Auburndale owned the inside. The two combined to make 14 of 21 shots from the field and each had 10 rebounds. The Apaches improved to 8-1 and 5-0 in the Marawood South.
“I was really happy with our effort tonight,” Weinfurter said. “I was worried about how we’d respond to a loss, even though it was to a very good Lakeland team. They’re a much more bigger, physical school than we are. I was real happy with how we responded.”
The Apaches built on their first-quarter led by scoring the first nine points of the second, five by Hawkins, to build a 26-5 lead. Auburndale never led by less than 14 points the rest of the way.
Kleifgen had six points in another 8-0 run in the third and five different Apaches scored in a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter.
Auburndale finished 22 of 50 from the field, while holding the Panthers (6-3, 2-3 Marawood South) to 11 of 52 shooting.
“We’ve been real balanced scoring and our inside guys have done a nice job,” Weinfurter said. “We’ve passed very well. We haven’t the game where we’ve had a huge amount of turnovers. We’ve been shooting a higher percentage inside. Our main three inside – Markus Kleifgen, Austin Hawkins and Jake Hansen – have done a nice job passing to each other, and the perimeter guys have done a super job getting it inside too.”
Marathon (10-0, 5-0 Marawood South) poses specific problems with its pressure defense and the Marawood South’s reigning player of the year Cody Hanke.
“Obviously, they’re very good,” Weinfurter said. “Cody Hanke is one of the best players in the area. Hanke’s the best we’re going to see this year, at least in the regular season. Defending their inside game, they have three big guys as well, and taking care of the ball against their 1-3-1 are going to be the keys.”
Apaches 53, Panthers 27
Pittsville 5 6 7 9 – 27
Auburndale 17 9 14 13 – 53
PITTSVILLE (27): Sawyer Ladick 1-8 0-0 2, Jordan Rayburn 3-8 0-2 7, Chris Downs 0-2 0-2 0, Ryan Schwanebeck 0-4 0-0 0, Ryan Knutson 0-0 0-0 0, Cole Elwood 0-3 0-0 0, Gavin Hautala 4-20 0-0 12, Trail Pierce 0-4 0-0 0, Gabe Hautala 3-4 0-0 6, Zach Zdun 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 11-52. FT: 0-4. 3-pointers: 5-23 (Gav. Hautala 4-12, Rayburn 1-2, Downs 0-1, Elwood 0-1, Schwanebeck 0-2, Ladick 0-5). Rebounds: 20 (Pierce 8). Assists: 7 (Rayburn 3). Total fouls: 14. Fouled out: none. Record: 6-3, 2-3 Marawood South.
AUBURNDALE (53): Cale Weiler 0-3 3-4 3, Cole Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Brian Hoffman 1-2 0-0 2, C.J. Castellano 3-8 0-0 7, Isaac Castellano 0-1 0-0 0, Tony Altmann 0-0 0-0 0, Alex Lang 0-0 0-0 0, Steve Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Kyle Greunke 2-7 0-2 5, Markus Kleifgen 7-9 3-4 17, Austin Hawkins 7-12 1-2 15, Tyler Hartle 0-0 0-0 0, Jake Hansen 2-8 0-0 4. FG: 22-50. FT: 8-14. 3-pointers: 1-6 (Greunke 1-2, Weiler 0-3, C.J. Castellano 0-1). Rebounds: 39 (Kleifgen 10, Hawkins 10). Assists: 11 (Hawkins 3, C.J. Castellano 3). Total fouls: 5. Fouled out: none. Record: 8-1, 5-0 Marawood South.