The Fort Calhoun boys basketball team made a pair of comebacks during the Blizzard Battle Holiday Tournament in Howells, but both came up short.
Coach TJ O'Connor's Pioneers went 0-for-2 against Centura and Howells-Dodge and are 2-6 overall this season.
FCHS outscored its first-round tourney opponent by eight points during the fourth period Friday, but Centura still earned the 51-47 win, holding off Kade Foy and company. Foy, a FCHS guard, finished with 18 points for the Pioneers, while Jaxson Burns scored eight in his season debut after transferring from Arlington during the offseason.
Barrett Fries, meanwhile, led the Centurians with 21 points. His team led 22-20 at halftime and 40-8 after an 18-point third period in Howells.
The host Jaguars then held off the hard-charging Pioneers on Saturday during the third-place game. Coach O'Connor's players outscored Howells-Dodge's 20-12 during the fourth quarter, but they still fell short on the scoreboard, 57-53.
Foy added 21 more points to his weekend total against the Jaguars, while Dylan Keyser also scored 10 in defeat.
Calhoun next hosts West Point-Beemer today at 7:30 p.m. The junior varsity game starts at 4:30.
FCHS BASKETBALL LINE SCORE
Saturday
Howells-Dodge 57, Fort Calhoun 53
FCHS (2-6) 8 12 13 20 — 53
H-D (7-3) 13 14 18 12 — 57
Scoring: FCHS — Kade Foy 21, Dylan Keyser 10, Eli Tinkham 9, Travis Skelton 7, Blake Welchert 6.
H-D — Nathan Tomcak 15, Andre Martin 13, Dane Meyer 9, Hunter Luther 8, Chase Luther 3, Carson Heard 3, Ethan Presa 2, Briggs Ernst 2.
Friday
Centura 51, Fort Calhoun 47
FCHS (2-5) 7 13 8 19 — 47
CHS (4-3) 11 11 18 11 — 51
Scoring: FCHS — Foy 18, Jaxson Burns 8, Skelton 6, Welchert 5, Adam Elofson 4, Keyser 4, Eli Tinkham 2.
CHS — Barrett Fries 21, Weston Kroeger 12, Tyus Francl 7, Wyatt Dvorak 4, Zavery Jensen 4, Mason Gorecki 3.
