YODER – Defeating every opponent it squared off against at the 2023 Dogger Basketball Classic, the Southeast High School Cyclones basketball team posted a clean 4-0 sweep at the home event it co-hosted with Lingle-Fort Laramie.

The action opened with Southeast beating Encampment, 61-52, on December 15. Boosted by the victory, the Cyclones went on to score a resounding 53-41 win against the Kaycee Buckaroos.

Early Saturday morning, Southeast annihilated Hulett, 51-18. 

The tournament culminated for Southeast with a decisive 56-30 victory against 1A Southeast Quadrant rival the Rock River Longhorns, boding well for the Cyclones as the regular season approaches.

“The weekend went pretty well with us going 4-0,” head coach Craig Leithead said. “We found some things that we need to work on and realized some things we are pretty good at. (Senior) Ayden Desmond led the team in most games and was a good leader. We will be looking at our identity as a team a little harder after the holidays and working on taking care of the ball better.”

Rock River

The Cyclones overwhelmed Rock River, 19-8, in an epic first quarter.

Junior Ayden Shimic caused a turnover on Rock River’s first possession. He went on to score the first jumper for Southeast.

Desmond netted a close-range shot and sophomore TJ Moats made a pair of layups. Desmond found an opening in the Longhorn’s perimeter to score.

Desmond snatched a steal, scored a jumper and blocked an attempted shot by Rock River. 

Taking possession, senior Cole Sauer tossed in a deep 3-pointer, placing Southeast ahead, 17-6.

Defensive pressure by Sauer forced a turnover, setting Desmond up to score a close-range shot to end the first quarter.

Maintaining their momentum into the second quarter, the Cyclones outmaneuvered the Longhorns, 11-3. Junior Andrew Sarber commenced scoring for the Cyclones. Fellow junior Kannon Tippetts grabbed a steal and Desmond netted a jumper. 

Tippets went on a 4-point run and Southeast widened its lead, 28-10. 

The Cyclones’ defense stepped up the pressure in the latter portion of the second quarter, with Sarber, Moats, Sauer, Ayden Shimic and sophomore Beaux Shimic each causing turnovers.

The halftime score favored Southeast, 30-11.

Showing no mercy in the second half, the Cyclones netted 16 points in the third quarter while holding the Longhorns to seven points. Moats led the Cyclones in scoring during the third quarter with four points. Beaux Shimic tossed in a 3-pointer late in the quarter, extending Southeast’s lead to more than 30 points, 45-14.

The Cyclones’ second string entered the fray in the fourth quarter with sophomore Spencer Booth contributing four points to the tally.

Desmond led the Cyclones in scoring against Rock River with 14 points. Ayden Shimic and Sarber both netted six points. Sauer, Beaux Shimic and Booth each added five points to the tally. Tippetts rounded out the scorebook with four points.