DECATUR — The Decatur junior high boys team beat the Mountainburg Dragons 30-25 during a conference game on Jan.12, and the Watts Engineers, 34-24, during a non-conference game on Jan. 13.
The two victories give the junior Bulldogs a conference record of 2-2 and an overall season record of 7-10.
“They play so steady. They are a very disciplined team. I can always trust the kids to do what they’re supposed to,” said Decatur’s head basketball coach John Unger.
The leading scorers of the Mountainburg game were Terry Kell and Meng Vang, both with 10 points. Vang was also the leading player in the game against Watts.
“Meng Vang has been a key for us and he is only getting better. He can do a lotof good things for us,” said Unger, “He is very talented for his age. He can score inside and outside and is a very good passer and rebounder.”
Kile Shaffer also played well during the Watts game. Shaffer brings a lot of energy to the game and is a good team player and a natural leader, according to Unger.
“The other players have all found their roles and are willing to do whatever it takes to help our team. I’m really excited about this group and their basketball future here in Decatur,” Unger said. “They have come together as a group and they are becoming very good basketball players and will compete for the conference championship this year if they keep working.”Lady Bulldogs
The Senior High Lady Bulldogs lost both their games last week.
The team fell to the Watts Engineers, 62-31, during a non-conference game on Friday, and 66-23 to the Mountainburg Dragons on Jan. 10.
The Dragons are one of the top five teams in the 3A conference, according to Decatur girls’ coach Larry Claphan.
“They are a pretty solid team. We held them for a while and then they pulled away from us,” he said.
Claphan said his team is improving and getting better at rebounding.
“We’re still working but I see some improvement, so hopefully we will keep building on that,” he said.
Sports, Pages 10 on 01/18/2012