GRIMES — For the second consecutive season the boys basketball campaign for Perry has ended with a lopsided loss to host DC-G.
DC-G crushed Perry 92-41, in 2020, and made that margin pale in comparison with an 85-12 victory Monday in their Class 3A Substate 8 first round contest.
Perry had several starters and regular players unavailable, with two seniors, four juniors, and two freshmen the only players available, all seeing time.
Junior Matthew Booker hit a 3-pointer and a basket and freshman Drake Levan added a hoop to give Perry seven first-quarter points.
The problem for the Bluejays (0-19) was that the Mustangs (18-3) had rolled off a whopping 38 points in eight minutes. That total matched Perry’s game output against Greene County Jan. 21 and was topped this season by the Jays only when they scored 48 points in a six-point loss to West Central Valley Dec. 10.
Levan hit a bucket and scored with a traditional three-point play early in the second frame, which ended with Perry trailing, 59-12. Perry went scoreless for more than the final 22 minutes in the game despite DC-G using their entire bench in the second half.
Cole Glasgow had 16 points, Alex Thomas14, and Bo Huston 12 to lead the hosts.
Luke Rankin added 11 points, and with his nine assists and four steals etched his name into the DC-G career record book in both categories.
The win sends the Mustangs into a home game Thursday against ADM (10-12), who defeated Harlan (9-12), 54-44, Monday. Glenwood (20-2) will host Atlantic (13-6) Thursday after the former topped Clarke (7-13), 75-48, and the latter bested Creston (10-10), 53-47, Monday.
The Substate 8 Final will be played Monday at a site to be determined. All games begin at 7 p.m.
First-year head coach David Morris was forced to guide a barely-experienced Perry team through a season that was twice halted due to COVID-19 quarantines, greatly hampering the practice time so necessary for a young squad.
Only three seniors — June Rey Riesberg, Jordan Ochoa, and Dalton Scott — were on the final roster for Perry Monday.
