BOYS HS BASKETBALL: Dalton secures two wins

Dalton’s Kyrie Gaut (PHOTO BY LISA McGINTY | LMc Photography)

By ARIEL STAHLER
Gazette & News sports writer

Dalton High School’s varsity boys basketball team earned big wins over Smithville and Waynedale to improve their overall record to 5-2 and a 5-0 WCAL record.

The Dawgs took down visiting Smithville, 81-42, Dec. 29 behind a 30-point performance from Jalen Wenger. He was especially strong from downtown as he drained five triples. This is Wenger’s fourth consecutive game with scoring 25 or more points in a game. Braylon Wenger added 13 points in the win. Liam Riggenbach contributed eight points. Ezra Miller scored six points and grabbed five boards while Jaden Schlabach had six points and four rebounds. Jaiden Malone finished with six points and five assists. Dillion Horst ended with four points and four rebounds. Jack Steiner and Kyrie Gaut both scored four points apiece.

Jalen Wenger had another strong game Jan. 2 as he guided Dalton to a 71-52 road win over Waynedale. He nailed seven shots from beyond the 3-point arc and finished with 37 points and six rebounds. This extended his streak to five consecutive 25+ point games. Braylon Wenger also played a big role in the win with 12 points. Steiner finished with nine points and four assists. Malone helped out with six points and five dimes. Miller contributed five points and Riggenbach pulled five boards.

“The kids played well against Waynedale,” said Dalton’s head coach Kaleb Reed. “We have been very efficient offensively over the last three games. Defensively, we played very well in three of the four quarters. The biggest area where we need to improve is in our rebounding. We are still giving up too many offensive rebounds, but that is definitely correctable. Overall, I think we are heading in a good direction.”