The 2A fourth-ranked Centerville Bulldogs are a powerhouse program drawing interest statewide, which means that every time they step on the court they get their opponents’ best shot. On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Bulldogs traveled to Hagerstown to play the Tigers. Centerville is in its last year as a member of the Tri-Eastern Conference, and winning the outright league title is on its to-do list.
The Hagerstown Tigers, under Tyler Stotler, in his first year as their head coach, have two strong senior leaders in Jonny Howard and Isaac Schmitz, but it is overall a young team.
When Centerville head coach Brian Keiser sent his team out for the opening tip, it was a veteran squad with substantial experience at every position. The Tigers countered with a lineup that included three sophomores and the first substitution that entered the game for the Tigers was a freshman.
Both teams were intense on both ends of the floor for 32 minutes. Centerville built a quick 5-0 lead on a Jace Hollendonner three-pointer and two free throws from Shea Hollendonner. The Tigers settled in and battled back. When Jayke Troutwine scored at the end of the first quarter it cut the Tiger deficit to 13-10.
The Bulldogs forced the Tigers to play faster in the second quarter. The Hollendonners combined to score 11 points in the period to propel the Bulldogs to a 24-18 lead at halftime.
In the early minutes of the third quarter, the Bulldogs expanded their lead to double figures when Landyn Keiser scored on a rebound basket and Shea Hollendonner scored off a steal to give Centerville a 28-18 lead. At a critical juncture of the game, the Tigers responded with a three-pointer from Howard and four consecutive free throws from Troutwine to cut their deficit to three at 28-25.
The Bulldogs kept the Tigers at bay for the balance of the quarter. Landyn Keiser scored on a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 39-31 lead entering the fourth period. The teams played nearly even in the final period, with the Bulldogs eventually earning a 54-44 win.
Shea Hollendonner led the Bulldogs with 18 points and Jace Hollendonner scored 12 points. Troutwine led the Tigers and all game scorers with 20 points and Howard scored 13 points.
Coach Keiser complimented the Tigers. “We are happy to win,” Keiser said. “Kudos to Hagerstown; they are well coached and disciplined. I thought they had a little more energy than we did. Hagerstown played their hearts out, but our kids got the win and that is what counts. I think this game will help prepare us for our upcoming games. I have a feeling we may see them again this year, and if we do, we will be ready.”
Coach Stotler saw the game as the next step in the building process for his young team. “We had too many turnovers,” Stotler said. “You can’t do that against a team as good as Centerville because they convert turnovers into points. Centerville is a very good team, but we can be as well. We have barely scratched the surface on what we can be. Everything is new for our kids — new coach, new system — but they are going to give their best effort every night and they are going to play defense. We lost and we are not into moral victories, but I am proud of my kids. They know that they can be pretty good and they are working to get to that level.”
Centerville (5-0, 2-0 TEC) 13 11 15 15 54
Hagerstown (3-2, 1-1 TEC) 10 8 13 13 44
Centerville (54)
Keith Plyley Jr. 0, Landyn Keiser 9, Ethan Vecera 8, Shea Hollendonner 18, Bryson Brown 7, Jace Hollendonner 12, Kaden McCord 0
Hagerstown (44)
Graham Vinson 0, Troutwine 20, Schmitz 2, Lincoln Small 0, Kaden Hall 7, Ben Hokey 2, Howard 13
JV results: Centerville 64, Hagerstown 30
A version of this article appeared in the December 24 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.