01/14/2025
Congratulations to KLER’s Maniac Pizza Factory Player of the Game recipients from last week: Nick Bonner, Kaitlyn Curtis and Blake Barlow!
The Maniac Boys took to the hardwood against the top dog in the Whitepine League Thursday, the Kamiah Kubs. Orofino got off to a nice start against the undefeated Kubs thanks to a superb 1st quarter from Nick Bonner-- Bonner scoring 9 of his team’s 10 points as the Maniacs jumped out to a 10-8 lead after one. In the 2nd quarter though, the Kubs proved why they’ve racked up so many wins already, outscoring Orofino 26-7 to take a 34-17 lead into half, and Kamiah never looked back. Bonner continued to pace the Maniacs scoring-wise in the 2nd half, tacking on another 8 points, including 6 in the 4th quarter to finish with 17 on the game.
Saturday night the Maniacs played host to the Kellogg Wildcats, and the Maniac Girls fell behind early, but were able to stay within striking distance thanks to early scoring from Kaitlyn Curtis, who scored the first 6 points for Orofino. The Maniac Girls hung around, putting up an excellent fight especially defensively against the hot-shooting Wildcats, but were plagued by turnovers and were snake-bit shooting from the field. Curtis finished with 8 points and contributed significantly on the boards and as always helped to alter Wildcat shots in the paint using her length and shot-blocking ability, but in the end the Kellogg attack proved too much.
The Maniac Boys also fell behind early thanks to a flurry of buckets inside from the Wildcats that opened things up for their shooters on the outside, and the Maniacs trailed 37-23 going into the half. Blake Barlow was the leading scorer in the first half, racking up 8 points to help the Maniacs hang around. Orofino then came out of the locker room at half with renewed energy and battened down the hatches defensively, getting key Wildcats into foul trouble and stormed right back into it, outscoring Kellogg 24-9 in the 3rd quarter to claim a 47-46 lead heading into the final quarter of play. Barlow hit big shots to bolster the Maniac comeback, knocking down two big threes and while adding another bucket in the 3rd. Hudson Schneider dug deep for big buckets all throughout the ball game as well to shoulder the scoring load with Barlow, the two combining for 33 points. The Maniacs and Wildcats exchanged blows in the 4th, the game going all the way down to the wire. The Wildcats scored to go up three, then missed a couple free throws to give Orofino a chance in the waning seconds. Schneider found a lane to the bucket and scored at the rim the cut it to a one-point game with about five seconds to go, but the Wildcats wisely let the ball sit without inbounding for the remaining time rather than inbounding and allowing the Maniacs to foul and stop the clock, thus time expired-- leaving Orofino with a heartbreaking 55-54 loss.
For their exceptional efforts, Bonner, Curtis and Barlow have received certificates good for a personal pizza and a medium soft drink of their choice from our good friends at the Pizza Factory Orofino! Go Maniacs!