By Noah Dalton
FRENCH LICK — Compared to last year’s opener against Springs Valley, things looked a bit different for Mitchell this time around.
Perhaps the most notable of which were a different lineup after the program graduated a handful of key senior members after the previous season, and a new head coach in Clint Roesler, hired to replace Jackson Ryan, who resigned following the conclusion of his fourth year leading the team.
One thing did remain the same though; the Bluejackets were victorious against the Blackhawks to kick off their season, this time by a final score of 62-57.
Last time around, things were a bit more lopsided, with Mitchell winning by nearly 20 points, 68-51.
On Tuesday night, the game turned out to be a nail-biter, despite the Bluejackets holding a lead for nearly the entire game.
Both sides traded baskets early, notably each team’s top scorer, Austin Mosier for Mitchell and Deion Edwards for Springs Valley, with both scoring seven in the first quarter.
Mosier knocked down his first three attempts, which was on theme for the Bluejackets and their hot start to the night, cashing their first four shots to secure an early lead.
Things slowed down a bit for Mitchell in the second, though Mosier continued at his previous pace. He scored five more to finish the half with 12 points to lead all scorers at the time. He did so efficiently, shooting 71% across the two periods, missing just two of his tries.
According to Roesler, it was important for his team to come out and set the tone early, something Mosier’s strong half and the team’s relentless pace helped them to achieve on their way to a 30-24 lead at the break.
“We talked before the game that we wanted to come out and we wanted to be the ones that throw the first punch, and I felt like we did that with our style of play. We really want to push the pace, and I thought we scored and got some easy buckets in transition, which is what we want,” he said. “Mosier came out and hit some shots, which is always good to see, kind of got us going. We’ll be relying on that all season. I thought a lot of our guys just showed a steady hand in the first half.”
After an even third quarter, the Blackhawks came fighting back in the fourth, tying up the game midway through the period and threatening to steal the win, thanks in large part to a heroic effort from Edwards, who scored 11 points of the team’s 15 points in the quarter.
Stopping Edwards, who averaged 22.4 points per game last season and broke the school’s single-game scoring record previously held by Larry Bird in a 56-point effort against Austin, was a top priority for the Bluejackets heading in the night.
Mitchell had designated senior Carl Chenault as his primary defender, but early on he, as well as another potential defender for Edwards in Gavin Robinson, encountered early foul trouble and were forced to sit significant minutes.
“We had guys coming off the bench to just come in and give valuable minutes. We were trying to throw as many bodies as we could at Deion. He’s a special kind of player, and I thought we did as good a job as I felt like we could have done against him,” said Roesler.
“It was Carl’s assignment to start and Gavin was our secondary, but we talked about how it’s not solely dependent upon them to get stops. We have to make sure that we’re in gaps defensively. We have to make sure we’re loading up the box in transition and helping them out, that it’s going to take all five of us to help stop him, and not just one or two guys.”
It was a three-pointer from Springs Valley senior Evan Brown that knotted the two sides at 48 each with around six minutes left to play, but once again for the Bluejackets it was Mosier, who knocked down a pair of free-throws and got to the basket for a layup to put the team back in the driver’s seat.
Another layup for Mitchell, this time in transition from Aiden Pridemore after he’d ripped away a steal on the other end, put them back up by six with around three minutes left, before Edwards reared his head again with another bucket to end the run.
The Bluejackets managed to hang on to their lead until the final buzzer despite Edwards’ best efforts, including two fadeaway threes over Mitchell defenders in the final minute to keep things close.
Some clutch baskets from Mosier and Nate Robertson, as well as some timely free-throw shooting, 6/11 in the fourth quarter, was enough to do the trick for the Bluejackets.
“We wanted to come out and show a steady hand when things got tough. I’d be lying to tell you I wasn’t a little worried about it, but those guys really came through, showed a steady hand down the stretch. Wish we could have hit a couple more free throws, but I can’t be too picky,” said Roesler.
Mosier finished with 25 points to lead all scorers on the night. Also in double figures for Mitchell were Robertson, who added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Pridemore, who scored 11.
Edwards led the way for the Blackhawks with 21 points. Brown (12 points) and Kayce Jones (11 points) were the team’s other top scorers on the night.
This win marks Roesler’s first with the program, a milestone that was marked after the game with the players dumping their water bottles on him in celebration.
“I told the guys my very first varsity win, I never really got a chance to celebrate it. So, this one was really special and I got a shower in there,” he said. “It’s really special to be able to celebrate with this group. I love those guys.”
With this win, Mitchell are off to a 1-0 start, not just in their overall record, but in the Patoka Lake Conference as well, where they’ll be looking to earn their first conference championship since the 2008-09 season.
They’ll continue their pursuit in their next outing on Dec. 6 with another PLAC matchup against Crawford County.
