Troopers battle through illness
The Garrison Troopers boys basketball team faced one of its most challenging stretches of the season last week, navigating a demanding three game road swing while battling illness and a shortened bench.
Despite the obstacles, the Troopers showed resilience, picking up a convincing win at White Shield, edging Flasher in a hard fought contest, and competing deep into the second half against New Salem-Almont.
Garrison opened the week on Tuesday, Jan. 27, with a dominant 73-31 victory at White Shield.
After a steady start, the Troopers pulled away as the game progressed, using balanced scoring and defensive pressure to take control by halftime and never look back.
Garrison led 17-9 after the first quarter before stretching the advantage to 27-21 at halftime. A strong third quarter proved decisive, as the Troopers outscored White Shield 27-6 to put the game out of reach.
Grady Crawford led all scorers with 26 points, providing a consistent presence on the offensive end.
AJ Fuller added 14 points, while Brody Seidler finished with nine. Gaige Roberts scored six points, Ethan Butman added five, Anthony Belzer had four, Nicholas Heinzen chipped in three, and Slade Nordstrom, Aiden Ferguson, and Lucas Holte each scored two points.
The win set the tone for the week, but the Troopers were immediately tested two nights later.
On Thursday, Jan. 29, Garrison traveled to Flasher for a district matchup and came away with a gritty 59-54 win despite being shorthanded.