Pirates take first at 54th annual Crane Invitational
January 21, 2021
Back Row L to R: Asst. Coach Bryston Branstetter, Sam Woodward, Adian Vaught, Zander Mayne, Taylor Calzaretta, Isaiah Smith, Seth Steele, Brecken Vaught, Tanner Graham, Aric Spyres, Coach Kevin Smith, and Asst. Coach Houston Steele.
Front Row L to R: Ginny Thompson, Lydia Crume, Malynn Moreland, Brook Luney, Brenna Lasiter, Rachel Quintana, Hannah Brown, Amber Hadley, and Madison Thach.
Front Row L to R: Ginny Thompson, Lydia Crume, Malynn Moreland, Brook Luney, Brenna Lasiter, Rachel Quintana, Hannah Brown, Amber Hadley, and Madison Thach.
January 11th through the 16th was the 54th Annual Crane Tournament, and the participating teams did not disappoint. In seeding order on the varsity side, Crane, Billings, Marionville, Aurora, Clever, Monett, Pierce City, and New Covenant entertained us all week. Monday night, Billings took on Pierce City, and Marionville took on Monett sending Billings and Marionville into the winners’ bracket. Aurora and Clever played a nail biter Tuesday night, and though Aurora fought hard, Clever took the win. Thursday night, Marionville rallied for a comeback against Billings, but Billings secured their place in the championship with a 12 point win, and Crane beat Clever 62 - 51. Friday night sent Aurora and Monett on to the tournament consolation game.
Saturday was a good day for basketball and the Crane Pirates. Early in the day, Aurora and Monett should have been tired from playing the night before and coming back to play at 10:00 am, but if they were tired, they certainly didn’t show it. Both teams played hard, and Aurora went home with the consolation trophy. It should also be said that, if there had been a team sportsmanship award, it would have gone to Aurora: what a great group of young men and a positive coach for his team. The third place game between the number four seed Clever and three seeded Marionville was a hard fought game from both sides that ended in a win and the third place trophy for Clever. On the JV side of the tournament, crucial players for the Pirates were sophomore team leaders Nolan Brawley, Christian Church, and Ty Lower; their week finished off with Billings taking home the championship, second to Aurora, third to Monett, fourth to Clever, fifth to Crane who played hard and didn’t give up, and sixth to Pierce City.
The highlight of the week for the Pirates was, of course, the championship. While Crane fans expected the win against number two seed Billings, they did not expect the 45 point finish that sealed the fourth consecutive Crane Tournament championship for the Pirates. The fans and cheerleaders certainly brought a wild energy to the win as they screamed from beneath their, “We play 6 on 5” banner. Each player contributed to the epic triumph. Isaiah Smith finished with a triple-double, and was awarded tournament MVP. Brecken Vaught also earned tournament honors, and held one of Billings’ top scorers at bay. Seth Steele came to play as well in what some would say was the best game of his high school career. Tanner Graham did what was needed of him and came in as a lock-down defender. Starting sophomore Taylor Calzaretta was a beast in the paint scoring 16 points and Aidan Vaught pulled down rebounds. Zander Mayne and Aric Spyres were both hitting their threes, and Sam Woodward was a consistent and reliable scorer as well. All of the boys put on a show and worked hard for the big win.
Saturday was a good day for basketball and the Crane Pirates. Early in the day, Aurora and Monett should have been tired from playing the night before and coming back to play at 10:00 am, but if they were tired, they certainly didn’t show it. Both teams played hard, and Aurora went home with the consolation trophy. It should also be said that, if there had been a team sportsmanship award, it would have gone to Aurora: what a great group of young men and a positive coach for his team. The third place game between the number four seed Clever and three seeded Marionville was a hard fought game from both sides that ended in a win and the third place trophy for Clever. On the JV side of the tournament, crucial players for the Pirates were sophomore team leaders Nolan Brawley, Christian Church, and Ty Lower; their week finished off with Billings taking home the championship, second to Aurora, third to Monett, fourth to Clever, fifth to Crane who played hard and didn’t give up, and sixth to Pierce City.
The highlight of the week for the Pirates was, of course, the championship. While Crane fans expected the win against number two seed Billings, they did not expect the 45 point finish that sealed the fourth consecutive Crane Tournament championship for the Pirates. The fans and cheerleaders certainly brought a wild energy to the win as they screamed from beneath their, “We play 6 on 5” banner. Each player contributed to the epic triumph. Isaiah Smith finished with a triple-double, and was awarded tournament MVP. Brecken Vaught also earned tournament honors, and held one of Billings’ top scorers at bay. Seth Steele came to play as well in what some would say was the best game of his high school career. Tanner Graham did what was needed of him and came in as a lock-down defender. Starting sophomore Taylor Calzaretta was a beast in the paint scoring 16 points and Aidan Vaught pulled down rebounds. Zander Mayne and Aric Spyres were both hitting their threes, and Sam Woodward was a consistent and reliable scorer as well. All of the boys put on a show and worked hard for the big win.