Yavneh defeated Lewisville Temple Christain 73-66 Monday evening. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 14-1. That is the best record to start a Yavneh season in school history.
Yavneh had almost forgotten what it was like to build a big lead, blow almost all of it, and hold on for the victory. It hadn’t been since late 2007 that the Bulldogs used this formula on a nightly basis. The seasons’ toughest stretch started with a game that reeked of just that once again. Seniors David Naxon and Erez Krengel combined for 46 points but it was Sophomore Josh Karnett’s only field goal attempt and a couple clutch Elan Kogutt buckets that put the game away when the world was caving in. Yavneh jumped out to a 17-6 lead early with hot first quarter shooting. They got into the foul bonus quite early in the opening half and grabbed a 21-8 lead after a quarter. The lead ballooned to 25-8 and then 34-14 in the second stanza as the Bulldogs could simply not miss. Krengel played his best basketball in over two years during that first half, scorching the nets with a nearly perfect 15 points. When his teammate Naxon threw down a ferocious jam to make the score 34-14, Shimi Wolk and the closers were starting to stretch. However, a 9-0 LTC run to end the half over the final 4:23 made the score just 34-23. The Watchmen had extreme success turning Yavneh over and used the run as a spark in the second half. An 11-4 run to start the third quarter (20-4 overall) made a blowout a game once again at 38-34. Twins Joel and Joshua Birkey started to take over from the outside, and Will Perry completely controlled the inside. LTC continuously used second and third opportunities to pound Yavneh and feed off the raucous crowd. Naxon responded with a big push, and with the help of Kogutt and fellow Senior Brad Alhadef, surged the Bulldogs back into a 56-46 lead after three quarters. Disaster was not quite averted. With Krengel saddled on the bench with 4 fouls, Yavneh had to buy time. Their 60-48 lead seemed big but the Watchmen responded yet again. A 10-0 binge was capped by another Perry tip-in and the score was 60-58. The building shaking, Yavneh Coach Chad Baruch elected to let his team play with no timeout. 20 seconds later, Baruch could be seen nodding his head in approval as Sophomore Josh Karnett’s three pointer found the bottom of the net. Karnett, the feisty guard who plays like he has been inside a Starbucks coffee shop rather than a locker room, made the big shot on his only attempt of the night. Although LTC fought back with their own three point play, Krengel found Kogutt on the next two possessions for a 67-61 lead. Krengel would “ice” the game with 6/8 free throws and allow the Bulldogs to duck out of the building with yet another victory. Naxon led all scorers with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and showed excellent composure in a game where he got no love from the referees. It wont be the last time he will have trouble hearing the whistle this season undoubtedly. Krengel and Kogutt followed with 21 and 14 points, while four players finished in double figures for LTC.
Yavneh (14-1) dodged one bullet but this is just the start of the January labyrinth. The next stop will be Keene, Texas for a meeting with Chisholm Trail on Thursday. Traditionally, the Bulldogs do not fare well after extended bus trips but this team is starting to prove that they are not your average post Itzy/Gavi Yavneh team. In just over a week, Yavneh will travel to The Oakridge School to take on a powerhouse program with the hottest prospect on the planet in Chris Babb. A win Thursday night would give Yavneh the road confidence to be able to pull off an upset of that magnitude in a hostile environment.
The Kennel Report is written by Zack Pollack