Johnson County Central’s boys basketball team put together an impressive stretch of play over the holiday break, capturing the championship title at the Weeping Water Holiday Tournament before running into a tough test against top-seeded Ashland-Greenwood.
The Thunderbirds opened tournament action on December 29 with a dominant 71-39 win over Parkview Christian. JCC set the tone early, jumping out to a 13-2 first-quarter lead and extending that advantage to 30-12 by halftime. Although Parkview Christian mounted a brief rally in the third quarter, scoring 18 points, the Thunderbirds answered with 22 of their own to take a commanding 52-30 lead into the final period. JCC maintained control down the stretch, outscoring the Patriots 19-9 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Jack Waring led the scoring effort with 19 points, while Regan Thies added 16 and Wes Swanson chipped in 14. AJ Rautenbach paced the Thunderbirds on the boards with seven rebounds, while Thies led defensively with three steals. Waring and Rautenbach also provided leadership in ball movement, dishing out five and four assists respectively.
