Fort Scott boys show tenacity in loss

ALTAMONT, Kan. -- It's not often one will find positives in a 20-plus-point loss such as the one Fort Scott High's boys suffered to Labette County in their league opener at Harrison Gymnasium Friday night.

Consider, though, that the Tigers could have easily just played out the string after finding themselves down 27-1 late in the first quarter. Instead, they fought back and knocked the deficit down to 9 points three times in the second half before running out of gas and falling, 73-52.

Labette County (1-0 SEK, 2-0 overall) led 8-0 before the Tigers (0-1, 0-4) got their first point on a free throw with 5:15 left in the first. Then the Grizzlies scored 19 straight before Johnathan Stark put in Fort Scott's first field goal with 33 seconds to go.

Down 29-3, Stark put the team on his back to start the second quarter. He scored the first 8 points of the period on a layup, an "old-fashioned" 3-point play and a 3-point field goal.

The Tigers kept battling and Kaleb DeLaTorre cut the margin to 13 at halftime by making back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute.

The rally continued in the third period with Jash Pytlowany's steal for a hoop capping a 6-0 run that cut the deficit to 9 for the first time, 45-36.

Late in the period, Pytlowany hit a 3-point shot that chipped the deficit to 9 for the second time, 49-40.

Stark's layup early in the third brought Fort Scott within 53-44. LCHS scored the next 5 points.

Stark led Fort Scott with 25 points while Pytlowany finished with 12. Only three other Tigers scored: DeLaTorre with 8, Garin Sinn with 6 and Chris Davenport with a free throw.

Dontae Johnson scored 25 points for Labette County, going 12 for 14 at the free-throw line. Zack Stewart added 17 points and Tucker Thompson finished with 13.

Fort Scott unofficially outrebounded Labette County, 32-30. Throw out a 1-for-7 opening quarter and the Tigers shot 44 percent from the field the rest of the night. They also held the Grizzlies to 37 percent in the final three quarters after LCHS went 12 for 21 in the first period.

The Tigers will have a week off before playing host to Coffeyville in another SEK contest next Friday at the FSHS gymnasium. The Golden Tornado (0-0, 2-1) lost to Independence, 69-56, in the championship game of the Central Heights Tournament in Richmond, Kan., Friday night. Coffeyville also plays at LCHS Tuesday night.

FORT SCOTT: DeLaTorre 2 2-4 8, Woodring 0 0-0 0, Sather 0 0-0 0, Brown 0 0-0 0, Pytlowany 5 0-0 12, Bradbury 0 0-0 0, Fink 0 0-0 0, Stark 9 5-9 25, Sinn 2 2-6 6, Knopp 0 0-0 0, Davenport 0 1-2 1, Olin 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18-46 10-21 52.

LABETTE COUNTY: Thompson 5 2-2 13, Stewart 6 4-6 17, Dodsworth 3 1-2 7, Johnson 6 12-14 25, Releford 0 4-6 4, Dowdy 2 0-0 5, Page 0 2-2 2. TOTALS: 22-48 25-32 73.

Labette County.... 29 9 13 22 -- 73

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 6-17 (DeLaTorre 2, Pytlowany 2, Stark 2), Labette County 4-12 (Thompson, Stewart, Johnson , Dowdy).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 23, Labette County 19. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.