Ball hits 1,000, Elks down Gladiators

BOYNE CITY — Preston Ball finished his junior season at Elk Rapids needing 102 points to hit 1,000 for his career.

The four-year varsity starter wasn’t concerned. Ball isn’t a personal stats player as much as a player who wants to win. As the virus threatened to wipe out his senior year of basketball, there was lots of talk around him about what a shame it would if he didn’t have a chance to reach the milestone. In a conference contest at Boyne City on Wednesday, Feb. 17 the Elks were playing to avenge their lone loss of the season to the Ramblers the week before at home. Ball needed 13 points for 1,000. He scored three points to start the game on a bucket and free throw and then fell flat, heading to the locker room with just three points.

“I knew how many points I needed heading into Boyne,” said Ball. “Friends and teammates would tell me how close I was getting. I hadn’t felt any pressure at all, but at the Boyne game, it felt different. Not really any pressure, but something was different.”

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