When we last reported on Wyvern athletics, teams had just cleared a rough patch of weather and returned to competition.  A lot has gone on since our last report on December 13, 2013!

Basketball 

The boys' basketball team played host to Walden on that date.  A slow start led to a 16-13 lead for the Wyverns in the first half before St. Francis got things rolling in the second.  The Wyverns pulled away until in the game, winning their home opener 53-41.  The team had four players score in double figures, led by senior Len Adams' 11 points and 11 rebounds.  Fellow senior Kenny Gray posted eight points and eight steals. The following night, the boys traveled to Robertson County to take on the Black Devils.  The Wyverns didn't fare so well in their first true road test of the season.  They found themselves down a dozen after the first half, eventually falling 78-49.  They were again led by Len Adams with 18 points and nine rebounds.  

After a week off from games for exams, the Wyverns were back in action at the Portland Christian Holiday Classic.  Their opening round game was a matchup against Walden, and the Wyverns were victorious 77-50, earning a championship berth against Brown. This was the first game of the season against the Bears, and St. Francis dismantled them 65-36. Junior Greg Hamilton and freshmen Jaylon Hall and Stevie Mack were named to the All-Tournament Team and Len Adams was named Tournament MVP.

The varsity boys' basketball team poses with their trophy after winning the Portland Christian Holiday Classic.

The boys played three more times over the break.  A road loss to Thomas Nelson followed the championship win.  They then defeated Covington Latin at home, with freshman James Risley leading the way on 6-8 shooting (18 points) from the 3-point arc. They closed out the holiday break with a win against Christian Fellowship to bring their record to 7-2. This leaves the Wyverns two wins away from tying the school record for most wins in a basketball season, accomplished twice (most recently in 2010).

The boys were halted by district opponent Shawnee last night in a game that was a few made shots away from making it a contest.  The Wyverns fell behind early and could not muster enough on the defensive end to keep the Golden Eagles at bay. However, they are back in action tonight at 6:00 p.m. at home against Collegiate, followed by a road trip to Burgin tomorrow.

The Wyverns girls' basketball team had their biggest improvement of the new season during a 21-17 loss to Brown just prior to the holiday break.  There was a real competitive spirit in the gym, as the St. Francis defense was much tougher than Brown had encountered during a preseason scrimmage.  The Wyverns were leading the contest at the half.  Senior Captain Jessi Lowe led the SFS offensive attack with 6 points, followed by junior Anna Finkelstein, who scored her first 5 points for the season.  Anna dropped in a 3-pointer and a well-timed jump shot to help the Wyverns challenge Brown until the end of the game.

The Wyverns tallied their highest offensive output of the season (with a breakout performance from exchange student Fatima Ceballos) thus far in their loss to Christian Fellowship over the break. They took on Shawnee in their first game of the second semester and battled hard. They play a JV game against Collegiate tonight at 4:30 p.m. at home.

Bowling

After an extended layoff, the bowling teams were back in action on Wednesday night.  The girls played host to Sacred Heart, and while they were a little rusty after having three weeks off, a few girls had good games.  Freshman Bethany Strickler bowled two consistent games and sophomore Aliya March nearly reached her personal best with a 144 in the second game. Junior Grace Riely had one of her highest outputs of the season with a 120, which included a turkey.

Upcoming Schedule

1/11 Boys/Girls @ PRP Tournament Dixie Bowl 8:30 a.m.

1/13 Boys Home v. Fern Creek Vernon Lanes 4:00 p.m.

1/14 Boys/Girls Home v. PRP Vernon Lanes 4:00 p.m.

UPDATE:  Manual match rescheduled for 1/21/14 at Vernon Lanes 4:00 p.m.