COLDWATER — The Jefferson boys basketball team took a trip south Saturday night to face off with the Coldwater Cavaliers at “The Palace.”

The Wildcats were hoping to prove that two years ago wasn’t a fluke when they beat the Cavaliers late. They were able to accomplish that by outscoring the Cavaliers 58-54. Coldwater won the tip and fed the ball in to Eric Lefeld for a basket. He proved to be a powerhouse for the Cavaliers, tallying eight points in the first eighth minutes. Jefferson showed its skills as they fought hard through the quarter to get the lead 16-12. Senior Michael Wiltsie put four points on the board in the first quarter as Jefferson really worked the ball around the floor to get open shots. “This was a huge win after coming off a disappointing lose. I couldn’t be prouder of the players and coaches. We reviewed the scouting report well before,” stated Jefferson coach Marc Smith. Coldwater came out after the short break looking to get a lead but the Wildcats came out looking to keep their lead and possibly increase it. As Jefferson entered the quarter with a 4-point lead, they would end the quarter with a 4-point lead as both teams tallied 12 points in the second. Junior Matt Gerdeman (10 markers) came out battling the post position to get four points plus two foul shots. Joe Thomas was the big player for the Cavaliers in the period as he totaled five points, hitting a three and working inside for a bucket. Jefferson outrebounded the Cavaliers on the offensive end by three times in the first half to enable them some key second shots. The Wildcats went to the locker room with a 28-24 lead and a little stress off their backs but with a second half to go and play hard in. “Our guards played the best they have played all year. We competed with them on the glass and we just need to play to our capabilities every game,” noted Smith. The defenses seemed to have stepped up their games just a tad as the teams only scored nine (Delphos) and 10 points in the third quarter, with the teams taking the same number of shots as they scored. Coldwater started to have a couple of players in some foul trouble and on the bench, which in turn gave the Wildcats a little bit of an edge on both sides of the ball. Matt Antalis (11 points) showed off his moves as he was able to put four points on the board from the post. Jefferson did not lose its lead, although they were outscored in the third period, to take a 37-34 advantage into the fourth. “Our guys hit some big shots. We need to start bringing consistency to our play and try to figure out why we play better on Saturday then on Friday. It was good to see us capitalize on some of their mistakes,” continued Smith. The final period saw a scoring increase for both teams as there were a total of 41 points put on the scoreboard. Sophomore Jordan Jettinghoff (16 counters, 5 boards, 4 assists) played a key part in getting the Wildcats their 4-point lead back as he drained two 3-pointers and five foul shots. Coldwater was forced to foul every chance they had with two minutes remaining trying to get the ball enough; the Wildcats picked up their defense again to hold the Cavaliers off. “It was also good to show that two years ago wasn’t a fluke. Lefeld is a good ballplayer and a force to reckon with but our guys wouldn’t be denied,” finished Smith. The Wildcats stand at 5-4 and head back to their home court to face off with the Spencerville Bearcats on The Stage Friday. The Cavaliers drop to 4-3 and will face the New Knoxville Rangers Friday. In JV action, the Cavaliers prevailed 48-40. Coldwater was led by Justin Feltz with 13 while Jefferson was lead by Jordan Guillen with 12.