Red Riders Ignite Their Performance: A Perfect Storm of Teamwork and Skill

UP THE FLOOR — Weir High’s Jonathan Horstman brings the ball up after a steal against Madonna. – Andrew Grimm

WEIRTON — Anthony Santangelo saw his team play its best game yet on Wednesday night. The Weir High Red Riders put together four solid quarters, achieving a season-high score of 85 points against city rivals Madonna, winning 85-50 at the Dube Dome.

“That’s what we want to see at our best,” Santangelo said. “We’ve faced some tough teams recently, but our guys gave 110% tonight. We need to keep this attitude.”

The Red Riders scored 23 points in the first quarter and 25 in the second. They managed over 18 points in each quarter and put six players into double figures for the first time this season. This was a significant recovery after a rough loss to Linsly the previous night.

“We didn’t back down after a tough game yesterday,” Santangelo noted. “We played hard against a rival, and I’m really proud of the effort.”

This performance was a great confidence boost. After facing teams like Steubenville and Quaker Valley, the win was essential as they head into another challenging game against Harrison Central.

Ryant Lyons shined, sinking three of the team’s eight 3-pointers and leading the game with 17 points. Anthony Jefferson also scored 17 points, Justin Kaczmarek contributed 15 off the bench, and Syncere Stevenson added 10. Damir Mowder had 12 points, and Jonathan Horstman scored 10.

Madonna struggled against the Red Riders’ pressure. Although trailing by just seven points after the first quarter, the Dons fell behind by 24 points at halftime. They couldn’t recover from that deficit.

“It kind of got away from us,” said Madonna coach Matt Arlia. “We prepared, but we weren’t ready for the pressure. This loss is on us as coaches. We need to do a better job of preparing the team.”

The Dons will seek redemption in the city championship matchup scheduled for next month. “We’ll have another chance against them for the trophy. When we play Weir High, it’s always a big deal. The community loves these games,” Arlia added.

Koleton Grishkevich led Madonna with 13 points, while Andre Crossland chipped in 11.

UP NEXT

Weir High: Faces Harrison Central on Friday night.

Madonna: Travels to Morgantown Trinity on Friday night.

Final Score: Weir High 85, Madonna 50

Weir High’s scoring: 23-25-18-19 – 85

Madonna’s scoring: 16-8-13-13 – 50

Teams’ Scoring Breakdown:

Weir High (3-6): Mowder 12, Horstman 10, Jefferson 17, Lyons 17, Kaczmarek 15, Stevenson 10.

Madonna (2-6): Grishkevich 13, Crossland 11, Miller 11.

3-Point Goals: Weir High 8 (Lyons 3, Kaczmarek 2, Stevenson 2, Jefferson 1); Madonna 3 (Grishkevich 2, Miller 1).