By Jacob Heid

Sports Writer

AMHERST – The Amherst boys’ basketball team sits in the middle of the pack of the CWC-East after a 71-26 victory over Iola-Scandinavia on Jan. 31.

The win is something to build on going into the final month of the regular season. 

One thing that stood out in the game was that the Falcons looked confident on defense.

Amherst played with a new 1-2-2 full-court press, taking advantage of different parts of the game vs. Iola-Scandinavia.  

“We are just trying to control the tempo of the game. If [teams] give you one here or give you one there, we’ll take it,” coach Phil Jagielo said. “It’s something we implemented a couple of games ago against Manawa and kind of really liked it. It gives our guys high energy too, and it keeps them engaged,”

That defensive energy helped the Falcons offensively in the win as well.  

Amherst’s guards run the show, efficiently getting up and down the floor for coach Jagielo.

That helps the players go through the offense smoothly and make plays.  

“We spend a lot of time on our fundamentals. We’ve been grooming these guys to be fundamentally sound since they were in seventh and eighth grade. We dedicate time to footwork all the time,” Jagielo explained. “Then you give good players a lot of space, and you are able to kinda sit back and enjoy the show.” 

Senior Tyler Soulsby is one of those players, finishing the game with three triples and 13 points.

Six-foot-two-inch senior Aidan Jastromski can play like a guard but is used more as a forward.

He had an efficient 7-12 night from the floor, collecting a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Falcons wrap up the week with a big game on the road at Menominee Indian on Friday, Feb. 3.