“…we need to clean up a lot of things before we win…” — Eldred’s Chett Kelty”

ELDRED, NY — Years count.

On Friday, December 21, Eldred’s new boys’ varsity coach Jason Jennings took to the home court for the third game of his career at the Home of the Yellowjackets.

While on the opposite side of the floor, Rob Gravelle paced the hardwood in his 505th game as coach of the Spartans of S.S. Seward (3-5).

Both squads played a rather Raggedy Ann-style game of hoops, as they were hot, and then they were not.

In the first frame, Eldred (0-3) managed to outpace the Spartans 12-8, but in the second period Seward got back on track as they out gunned the home team 15-5, and followed up their scoring attack in the third frame by out pacing the Yellowjackets 21-13.

In the fourth period, both coaches emptied their respective benches as they sent in subs to pick up some valuable experience on the boards.

Each squad posted 8 points in the last frame to close out the game with a 52-38 league win for the Spartans.

Eldred’s top scorers: Dylan Jennings (15 points, all ‘three’s from outside the arch), Darrick Mapes (9) and Chett Kelty aced a ‘three’.

Seward: Matt Stam racked up a whopping 33 points (63% of his team’s total tally) and Daryll Walker (9).

Stats from the FTL: Eldred 4/11 (36%), Seward 9/20 (45%).

“I’m aging rapidly…this is how we’ve been playing all year,” said Gravelle on the “very inconsistent” way this squad has been performing of late.

“We look good for four minutes, and then we look young for four minutes…this is what it is, that’s how it’s going this year.”

Gravelle added that in seasons past, his team has been rich in seniors, but this year “we are very low on varsity experience,” noting the Spartans have five seniors in leadership roles.

Seward’s Matt Stam was the leader of the pack, as he put 33 points into the record book.

“We fought back and kept going…we played hard,” said the 18-year old senior shooting guard.

Goals for the season?

“We started off a little rough…just keep winning, keep playing hard and maybe get the Section IX title.”

Eldred’s new kid on the coaching block said he hopes to reverse the win-loss record to a point in time where the Yellowjackets, with a bit of luck and perseverance, can get into sectional competition.

Chett Kelty, a 17-year old senior and co-captain of the Yellowjackets hoopsters, takes to the floor as a shooting guard.

His hopes of making it to sectionals is buoyed by the fact that although they lost their last game to the Lions of Chapel Field, it was only by one point.

“We had them…we need to clean up some stupid errors…we need to clean up a lot of things before we can win,” said Kelty.