-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Hunter Horn of St. Edmond shoots around Clarion-Goldfield on Friday

The St. Edmond boys showed their youth here Friday night at times for both the good and the bad.

In the end, though, the Gaels prevailed in their season debut, holding off Clarion-Goldfield/Dows inside the SEHS gym, 52-50.

Sophomores Hunter Horn and Jack McElroy scored the final four points of the game with Horn also recording a steal that helped seal the win.

Horn finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and two steals while McElroy added 13 points and six rebounds for St. Edmond (1-0 overall, 1-0 in North Central Conference).

“I thought we did a good job of finishing the game,” SEHS head coach Adolph Kochendorfer said. “We didn’t fold when they came back and that was good to see. It’s tough to remember sometimes that we are still a pretty young team that is learning how to play and win games.

“But these kids are coachable and take what we are telling them and go out there and do it. They listen and they want to get better.”

For the Cowboys (0-1, 0-1), freshman Chaz Lane scored 13 points with JD Morrical, Carson Nesheim and Caden Hankins each adding seven. Clarion-Goldfield/Dows erased an 11-point deficit, taking the lead late in the third for the first time.

“Credit them for battling back and getting after us,” Kochendorfer said. “We rushed things there in the second half and didn’t settle in like we did early on. We’ll learn and we’ll continue to work hard.”

St. Edmond raced out to a 10-4 lead and pushed its advantage to 11 in the second as Horn scored nine in the opening half. Andrew Clavey, a junior, added five points in the first quarter.

JT Laufersweiler, one of three returning starters and one of three seniors, had all seven of his points in the third. He also had six rebounds with classmate Sam Mericle adding eight points, three rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.

The Cowboys were able to rally back thanks to the 3-point shooting of Wyatt DeCoster, Nesheim and Lane, as they knocked down three triples. All eight C-G/D players who saw the court scored.

Up next for the Gaels will be another home game, as they host Southeast Valley on Tuesday night. Clarion-Goldfield/Dows welcomes in Iowa Falls-Alden next Friday.

ST. EDMOND 52, CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS 50

St. Edmond — Sam Mericle 3 2-2 9, Grant Galles 1 0-0 2, Jack McElroy 5 1-2 13, JT Laufersweiler 3 1-1 7, Hunter Horn 5 6-11 16, Andrew Clavey 2 0-0 5, Ty Mericle 0 0-0 0, Elias Kolacia 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 11-17 52.

Clarion-Goldfield/Dows — JD Morrical 3 1-3 7, Wyatt DeCoster 1 2-2 5, Carson Nesheim 3 0-0 7, Chaz Lane 6 0-0 13, Caden Hankins 3 1-1 7, Bryce Lindaman 1 0-0 2, Huxley Lingenfelter 3 0-0 6, Landen Kakacek 1 0-0 3. Totals: 21 4-6 50.

Quarter scores: St. Edmond led 20-11, 26-21, 43-39. Three-point goals: St. Edmond 3 (McElroy 2, Clavey 1), Clarion-Goldfield/Dows 4 (DeCoster 1, Nesheim 1, Lane 1, Kakacek 1). Total rebounds: St. Edmond 31, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows 28. Steals: St. Edmond 5, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows 3. Blocked shots: St. Edmond 8, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows 0. Personal fouls: St. Edmond 14, Clarion-Goldfield/Dows 20.