Before Century and Carroll County basketball fans in general turn their attention to another installment of the Liberty-Century rivalry Friday, they were treated to the latest chapter of the Wunder-ful rivalry Tuesday night as Century hosted Manchester Valley.
The Mavericks, coached by Chris Wunder, younger brother of Century coach George Wunder, came away with a 61-53 victory over the Knights behind 29 points from Colton Enderle.
“I was pleased with our effort,” Wunder said. “We were able to take away some of the things we knew going in they wanted to do.”
Each coach brought a distinct philosophy, game plan and one of the county’s most lethal scorers into the matchup. In the first half, those stars delivered as Enderle traded baskets with Century’s Nate Brown.
“He can handle everything that’s thrown at him,” Chris Wunder said of Enderle. “We know he carries a lot of weight on his shoulders every game.”
While Enderle and Brown led the scoring, several role players made timely contributions. Nate McLaughlin and Braden Davis knocked down shots for the Knights, while Trevor Hottenstein and Jaxon Strohman provided key minutes for the Mavericks, and more importantly, easing the burden on Enderle.
“I know if there’s that much focus on me, someone is open,” Enderle said. “There’s confidence in knowing I have such a great team around me.”
The game shifted when Brown picked up his second foul with 6:30 left in the second quarter. Century’s seven-point lead quickly disappeared as the Mavericks took control behind some intense defensive pressure and aggressiveness on the boards.
Hottenstein and Enderle sparked the run, with Lane Saunders and Michael Hoy joining in as Manchester Valley disrupted Century’s offensive rhythm.
“I’m 100% proud when you have multiple guys who can defend, crash the boards and bring energy,” Wunder said. “It makes it hard for them to score and creates opportunities for us offensively.”
Even once Brown rejoined the lineup, missed free throws and empty possessions plagued the Knights. Century briefly regained the lead in the second half but held it for less than a minute.
Enderle sealed the game, getting quality looks possession after possession against every defender Century threw at him. From the sideline, Wunder urged his senior guard to maintain the aggressiveness that separates him from the county’s best.
After a called play resulted in a missed, contested layup, Wunder pulled Enderle aside and told him to take the shot with confidence.
Two possessions later, Wunder called the play again. This time, Enderle buried a 3-pointer from the wing over an outstretched defender, flashing a grin toward his coach.
“Credit really goes to my teammates and coaches,” Enderle said. “When I’m hitting shots, it just feels great.”
The win sent a message to anyone who may have overlooked the Mavericks or written them off after some early-season struggles. Manchester Valley continues to find its footing, playing a brand of basketball that could have it peaking at the right time.
“We finally put it together,” Wunder said. “We hit shots, scored inside and played a complete game defensively. We knew this is what we were capable of.”
Have a news tip? Contact Timothy Dashiell at tdashiell@baltsun.com, and x.com/dashielltimothy.
Manchester Valley 61, Century 53
MV- Colton Enderle 29, Lane Saunders 9, Trevor Hottenstein 8, Michael Hoy 7, Jaxson Strohman 5, Owen Miller 3
C- Braden Davis 14, Nate Brown 11, Brayden Zmarzly 10, Carter Simmen 10, Gavyn Hadwin 5, Nate McLaughlin 3