YATES CENTER —Yates Center High’s Wildcats continued their late-season surge Monday.
Yates Center jumped out quickly and never looked back in a 61-30 win over Pleasanton.
The win moves the Wildcats to 10-6 on the season with one game left before Class 2A substate action begins.
Yates Center, which has won five in a row and seven of its last eight, travels to Humboldt on Thursday.
Against Pleasanton, YC led 15-9 after one quarter and 41-23 at the break.
The Wildcat defense ensured there would be no Pleasanton comeback. The Blu-Jays scored five in the third quarter and two in the fourth.
Taven Smoot paced the victors with 12 points, followed by Cash Cummings with nine and Sean Hurst with eight. Blake Audiss, Preston Hurst, Carter Burton and Jack King all registered six points each. Mark Bacca scored four; Jayston Rice and Cam DeWitt each scored two.
YATES CENTER’S girls were not as successful, falling 32-28. The Wildcats connected on only a single field goal in the third quarter and two in the fourth.
“The girls played great defense,” Yates Center girls coach Abbie Collins said. “We just went cold offensively in the second half.”
The Wildcats (6-11) trailed 5-4 after one quarter before pulling ahead, 18-13, at the break. The Blu-Jays closed the gap to 20-19 after three, and closed the game on a 13-8 run to seal the win.
Morgan Collins scored 12 to lead Yates Center. Liberty Cavender added six, while Addison Solander and Molly Proper both had four. Madilyn Proper scored two.
