By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
An up and down season for Coach Josh Arey and the Peebles Indians came to a disappointing end in the Division III sectional tournament on February 19 as the Tribe made the long haul to Nelsonville-York High School to battle the Buckeyes. The Indians fell victim to something that had plagued them since Day One, the lack of offensive firepower.
At Nelsonville, the Indians were right in the game, trailing by just one at the half, 24-23, but then shot blanks in a scoreless third quarter. Fortunately for the Tribe, they held the Bucks to just four.
Trailing now 28-23 to begin the final period, the Indians just couldn’t get over the hump, being outscored 16-11 as the home team advanced in tournament play with the 44-34 victory.
In their season finale the Indians were led in scoring by 13 points from senior Gage Grooms with junior Carson Reed adding 8 and junior Garrett Shiveley chipping in 6. It was a strange season for the Peebles squad, They opened the campaign with four straight wins, then dropped three in a row, suffered through a later five-game losing streak, then won three of four late in the season. Overall, the Indians finished the 2023-24 season at 9-14.
The good news for the loyal Peebles fans is that this year’s squad was a young one, as they lose just three seniors-Gage Grooms, Cauner Boatman and Hayden Countryman. The combination of returning varsity players and those moving up form a successful JV squad should keep hopes bright in Indian land.
