Isaiah Zelasney gets coached one last time by his cousin, Jason. PCN photos by Rick Holtz-
Isaiah puts in a shot at GICC. PCN photos by Rick Holtz
GRAND ISLAND – What a way to go out.
Isaiah Zelasney completed his summer farewell tour last week, taking part in a pair of all-star games. On Thursday he competed in Columbus for the 42nd annual Central Community College All-Star basketball game and then on Friday he was at Grand Island Central Catholic for the Tom Dinsdale Automotive / Striv Sports All-Star Game. This comes after getting one more chance to play on his home court for the Crossroads vs. Goldenrod Conference All-Star game, held May 26 in Osceola.
In all three all-star games he was joined on the sideline by his cousin, Osceola coach Jason Zelasney.
“It means a lot,” Jason said. “You don’t get very many opportunities to do something like this. It’s kind of like we are on a farewell tour together right now.”
Isaiah agreed. “It is always a blessing to tie up the shoes one more time,” Isaiah said. “To have him by my side just makes it better.”
Isaiah finished with 23 points on Thursday in a 72-64 loss in Columbus. The game went backand-fourth and had multiple ties and lead changes throughout the contest.
Friday was a different story. The all-star game in Grand Island brought players together from all classes. Fans had a chance to see Class A and Class D2 players on the court at the same time. There was even a 4-point shot for shooters with long-range accuracy.
“It’s fun to play with guys you do not normally play with,” Isaiah said. “It’s just guys going out and having a blast.”
Warm up lines turned into a slam dunk contest. At halftime players would see who could hit a long-range shot while sitting on the bench.
Isaiah was contributing in all facets of the games. He was scoring, getting assists, rebounding and getting steals on defense. It was exactly the type of game Bulldog fans are used to seeing from Isaiah.
“Basketball will be one of the things I miss the most,” Isaiah said. “Just running up and down the court.”
Isaiah scored a game-high 23 points to help lead his team to a 111-98 win. He was named Player of the Game for his performance.
Isaiah leaves Osceola as the all-time leader with 1,744 career points. He is also the all-time steals leader with 242 career steals. He will leave in the fall for Northwest Missouri State and will be a member of the Bearcat track team.
