Just two weeks removed from a deep football postseason run, the Sabetha Bluejay boys traded helmets for hardwood and didn’t miss a beat. With only two returning varsity players — junior Micah Lang and senior Reid Mitchell — third-year Head Coach Josh Wertenberger rolled out a brand-new lineup on Friday, Dec. 5, in Marysville. If there were any questions about chemistry or rust, the Jays answered them quickly.

Marysville came out blazing, pushing tempo and firing threes to jump ahead 9-2 as Sabetha worked to settle in. However, the Lang-to-Frazee connection sparked the turnaround. Lang found junior Jack Frazee with a slick bounce pass. Then, Frazee followed it with an offensive-rebound putback and a monster block that sent the ball into the stands. Junior Gavin Wedel calmly drained two free throws to tie things, 9-9. Senior big man Crayton Lanter powered in a tough putback to give Sabetha a 17-13 lead heading into the second quarter.

Then came the avalanche.

Sabetha opened the floodgates in the second frame, turning defense into buckets and showcasing the fast-paced new identity of Bluejay basketball. Lang was in full command — two steps ahead of the Bulldogs on nearly every possession. He found senior Charlie Lukert with a smooth no-look dime, knifed through the lane for a coast-to-coast finish, scored off a crafty stop-and-go move, went two for two at the free throw line, and capped the quarter with a picture-perfect Eurostep. Lang dropped 8 points in the second quarter alone.

The senior duo of Lukert and Mitchell kept the pressure on, including a sharp pick-and-roll that left Frazee wide-open at the rim. Lukert was everywhere — scoring 6 points, swatting a Bulldog shot into the cheerleaders’ corner and returning the favor to Lang with a transition assist.

“I liked how hard my teammates worked all four quarters, especially on rebounds,” Lukert said. “We were scrappy, getting loose balls, getting tips and just playing with lots of energy.”

By halftime, the Bluejays had sucked the air out of the gym and built a commanding 39-23 lead.

The third quarter brought more of the same. Seniors Mitchell and Lukert showed steady leadership, while junior starter Ian Deters found Lang on an inside feed for an easy bucket. Moments later, Lukert jumped in the passing lane and put on the jets for a breakaway layup. Then, Lang hit Deters on a baseline backdoor cut as the lead ballooned to 53-28 heading into the fourth.

Sabetha closed out in style. Frazee used his athleticism to beat his defender on the baseline for two, and Mitchell continued making winning plays on both ends — including a steal that led to a perfectly executed two-on-one with Lukert. In all, 11 Bluejays saw meaningful minutes and nine scored as Sabetha rolled to a 65-42 season-opening win.

“We had quite a few guys play their first varsity minutes, and they all contributed,” Coach Wertenberger said. “As the game went on, we adjusted to Marysville’s speed and limited their opportunities with our rebounding.”

The stat line told the story. Lang led the way with an efficient 21 points on nine-for-11 shooting, plus eight rebounds and three assists. Lukert added 16 points, three steals and two blocks. Frazee also made a major impact with 15 points on six-for-seven from the field. The Jays dominated the paint 48-16, won the boards 38-26, shot 83 percent from the free throw line, and put up 65 points without hitting a single three.

“We were pleased with our first-game effort,” Lukert said. “I just wanted to work as hard as I could on both ends and set the example for the younger guys.”

The Bluejays took on Effingham in their home opener against on Tuesday, Dec. 9. These results were not available at The Herald’s press time. The Jays will hit the road again on Friday, Dec. 12, to take on Rock Creek.