Bluejackets bounce back with 60-55 win over West Washington

Mitchell’s Malakai Goodman attempts a layup with Silas Batt defending

By Noah Dalton

CAMPBELLSBURG – Coming off three straight losses, their longest such streak of the year, Mitchell High School got back into the win column  on Friday, beating Patoka Lake Athletic conference foe West Washington 60-55.

The game came down to the wire, with the Bluejackets hanging on to thwart a comeback attempt from the Senators.

After trailing by double digits in the first half and remaining at a deficit in the third, West Washington, led by the efforts of Holden Russell, began to surge in the fourth quarter.

Russell scored eight of his team’s 13 points in the frame, including a bucket with just under four minutes left to make it a two-point game, with Mitchell up 53 – 51. 

Mitchell’s Carl Chenault surveys the floor against West Washington

That basket was outdone shortly after by Bluejackets’ senior, Carl Chenault, who buried a three to help keep his team in front.

Mitchell also got some timely free throw shooting from Austin Mosier, who hit a perfect 4/4 attempts in the final 30 seconds of play, to help secure the win

“That’s a good young ball club that we’ll be battling with for the next few years with that sophomore class that they have. We showed that we were the more physical team and we were able to outlast any sort of run that they had,” said Mitchell head coach Clint Roesler.

“It almost seemed like anytime we were getting ready to break it open to a double-digit lead, they would hit a big three, so credit to them for keeping fighting. [Holden] Russell is a very nice player.”

Bluejackets guard Aiden Pridemore is guarded by Holden Russell in transition

Coming on the heels of a frustrating loss the night before against South Central, the third consecutive defeat for the Bluejackets, this win was a particularly rewarding one for Roesler and his squad, who now sit at 9-6 for the season and are within reach of the program’s first winning season since their 2018-19 campaign.

“Pretty tough day yesterday. As a coach, I go home and overanalyze everything. My main message today was just that we better bring a different energy than we brought yesterday. We’ve got to go back to playing for each other and playing together and I thought we did that,” Roesler said.

Mitchell’s seniors were a key part of their win, with clutch scoring late trom Mosier and Chenault, as well 16 points from Aiden Pridemore, tied for the team-high on the evening with Gavin Robinson.

Austin Mosier looks to set up Mitchell’s offense against West Washington

“I think Aiden had a really nice game, especially in the first half, and then Austin came in clutch with those free throws. That’s leadership and that’s being a senior and that stuff matters when it comes down to it,” Roesler said.

In addition to Pridemore and Robinson’s 16 points each, Mosier added 12, Nate Robertson scored six and Carl Chenault scored five.

Russell led all scorers on the right with 25.