EDWARDSBURG — On senior night at Edwardsburg, Mac Gaideski, Colby Sidenbender, Luke Hudak, Zach Strycker and Conner Nelson took the court for the Eddies and helped lead the team to a 50-37 victory over down the road neighbors Niles.

“It’s a unique group of kids that’s played together for a long time,” said head coach Steve Wright. “They’ve grown up together. They’ve played baseball, football and soccer. They are multi-sport athletes.”

Wright added that the seniors know the importance of leadership and what it means to be an Eddie.

“Tonight was a big night for them,” he said. “We wanted to play well for them and come out on top and get some momentum headed into the next couple of weeks.”

The first quarter was a closely contested as Edwardsburg managed just a three-point lead over the Vikings. Sidenbender, a three-year varsity player and two-year varsity captain, had a pair of 3-pointers for the Eddies, while Gaideski added five points and Stryker a basket.

The teams remained close throughout the second quarter as the Eddies entered the locker room with a 21-19 lead over the Vikings.

The pace of the games changed in the third quarter.

“Niles played hard, they played physical, and they hit some tough shots in the first half,” Wright said. “We missed some shots and just said, ‘We have to keep doing what we do.’ Keep defending and rebounding, and our shots will fall.”

Edwardsburg expected Niles to be a tough opponent.

“We thought it would be a grind,” Wright said. “Both teams are close in proximity to each other, so we know we are going to get each other’s best game. We just continue to do what we do.”

In the third quarter, the Eddies scored 16 points compared to the Vikings‘ eight points. Sidenbender had a pair of steals to help Edwardsburg score additional baskets.

“He is a pretty special kid,” Wright said. “Words can’t describe what he’s meant to this program. The example he sets on and off the floor. His work ethic in the off-season, his work ethic in the season.”

Wright described Sidenbender as a positive teammate.

“He comes from a coaching family; his dad is a coach [at Brandywine], and he really looks at the game in kind of an analytical way,” Wright said. “He not only puts an incredible amount of work in it, but he thinks the game.”

Sidenbender will attend Bethel College next year and will play baseball for the Pilots.

Before preparing to take on Niles, Sidenbender went into the game aware of the rivalry but not ready to say goodbye to his home court just yet.

“I mean it was an important game, playing Niles. They are really close to us, so it’s a rivalry,” he said. “We host districts, so it just felt like another game, knowing we have more games to play here, so it was easier that way.”

In the fourth quarter, Edwardsburg outscored Niles 13-10. Mari Nichols led Niles with 14 points. Sidenbender ended the night with 15 points. In the Eddies’ victory, seniors scored 44 of the team’s total 50 points.

This Thursday, the Eddies girls and boys basketball teams will travel to Vicksburg. The first game tips off at 5:45 p.m. with the boys contest set to start at 7:15 p.m.

Wright said his team knows who they are and has its identity in check moving forward.

“We are always on edge. That’s just natural,” he said. “As long as we continue that identity, we feel like we can be in games and compete. I feel like any time we step on the floor, it could be a chance for us to win, but also, we’ve got to play well. We’ve been able to get that identity, and that’s so important.”

Niles returns to SMAC West Division play as its hosts St. Joseph Friday night. The first game start at 5:45 p.m. and the second game at 7 p.m.