History-making season comes to end for Bulldogs

So close.
An unprecedented season of high school basketball for Gainesville Bulldog fans ended with a history-making trip to the state quarterfinals.
It’s safe to say the Bulldog teams were some of the best of the best in the state in Class 2. Both teams were district champs, and both teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
But the Crane Pirates were the teams that advanced, with the Crane boys facing Scott County Central in the final four Thursday (March 12) and the Lady Pirates facing Clopton on Thursday also.
For Gainesville, the phenomenal season ended Saturday at Drury University in Springfield, where the boys almost punched a ticket to the final four.
Leading most of the game, Gainesville was unable to hold on in the final minutes and watched as two chances to tie the game in the final seconds just wouldn’t fall. Gainesville lost 53-50.
The Gainesville boys finished the year 22-6 as District 10 champions, also picking up a sectional win over conference rival Hartville 66-50.
Thomas Ritter led Gainesville in scoring in the game against Crane with 15 points. Also scoring were Treydon Rackley with 12 points, Cody Neal with 5 points and Brady Jenkins with 2 points.
The Gainesville girls lost in the quarterfinals to Crane’s Lady Pirates, 62-29.
The Lady Bulldogs had lost only twice before — both times to state-ranked opponents in Crane and Skyline.
Madison Strong led Gainesville in scoring with 17 points, followed by Annie Noah with 4, Abby Britt with 4, Michia Jenkins with 2 and Scout Jeckstadt with 2.
The Lady Bulldogs finished the season at 27-3, unbeaten in the Summit Conference at 6-0 and ranked fourth in the state in Class 2A. They were the winners of three regular-season tournaments, as well as district champs and winners of the sectional contest against Plato, 70-63.
The success of both the girls’ and boys’ teams, seemingly in tandem, was the buzz in and around Gainesville all season long. Both teams won districts the same year for the first time in school history. They even captured the district plaques on the same night and by the same margin of victory — 18 points.
Hats off to the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs on a record-setting season!

<p>Community members help send off the Gainesville Bulldogs last week as they headed to Drury University to face Crane in the state quarterfinals basketball tournament. Both the boys and girls lost to Crane after a historic season.</p>