It’s been a tough season for the boys team from East Carbon this year; nine losses against two wins has not made for a happy group of players. And after last week it was even unhappier.
East Carbon entertained Meridian last Wednesday night in a game they thought they could win, but still lost 62-49.
Then they took the long bus ride to Wendover on Friday, but their luck didn’t improve as they fell to the Wildcats 69-58.
In the past Meridian has not been much of a power in the 1A ranks, but this year the much improved Mongoose squad came into the Viking gym with a 3-1 league and 6-5 overall record.
In the first quarter it looked good for the Vikings as they jumped off to a 19-13 lead in the first quarter behind the hot hands of Pat Hanson and D.J. Huitt.
But the second quarter dawned dark as they were buried by a Mongoose defense that held them to only five points while the kids from the small school in Provo were able to put 24 points on the board.
In the third quarter neither team came out with any offensive power and both ended up with anemic scores for the quarter. East Carbon edged the Mongooses 9-7.
The fourth period began with the Vikes feeling they had stemmed the Meridian tide, but catching up with that second quarter deficit proved to be just too much. In a 18-16 quarter the Mongooses took the victory.
The Vikes had three players in double figures with Huitt getting 15 points, Hanson garnering 12 and Tony McFarland putting through 10.
On Friday night things were different in terms of the scoring.
Carbon got behind early and were never able to catch up despite a good showing offensively and defensively in the second half.
Wendover jumped out to a seven point lead at the end of the first quarter with an 18-11 score.
In the second quarter East Carbons offense improved a little as they were able to put 17 points on the board, but he defense let the Wildcats out of their cage as the kids from the salt flats scored 21 points.
With an 11 point lead going into the third quarter, Wendover must have felt quite confident, but the Vikings, led by McFarlands hot hands was able to edge the Wildcats in the third with a 22-21 score.
Unfortunately the trend didn’t continue into the fourth period as both teams fought to gain the edge. Wendover ended up with only nine points in the fourth period, but to win the game East Carbons offense had to work as well as their defense and it didn’t as they were only able to squeeze eight points out of their teams offensive sets.
McFarland scored a career high 29 points in the game. Austin Preston was the only other player in double figures for the Vikes with 12.
The team does not play again until Friday when they face Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant.
East Carbon boys lose two
