The start couldn’t have gone much worse for the Newman boys basketball team against Byron in Friday night’s Forreston Holiday Tournament championship.

But the finish was sweet as it was dramatic for the Comets.

Newman improved to 10-0 after beating the Tigers 68-65 in overtime to win their first Forreston tournament title since 2018.

Byron’s sharp-shooting Cason Newton had one last heave at the buzzer, but it hit off the side of the rim for the three-time defending tournament champions.

“To beat them here, it felt great,” Newman’s Garret Matznick said. “We’re having a great start to the season.”

Matznick hit two free throws to tie the game in regulation and hit three more in overtime, scoring five of Newman’s eight points during the extra four minutes. He finished with 14 points in the win.

“We’re a second-half team right now,” Matznick said. “We need to work on that, getting ready pregame to be able to go in the first quarter and not having to come back like that.”

Early on, it looked like Byron might run away with a fourth straight tournament title as Newman struggled with turnovers. Newton was on fire with 16 points to help give the Tigers a 25-12 lead after the first quarter.

But the slow-starting Comets responded.

Newman outscored Byron 19-10 in the second quarter and the game was tight from that point forward. The Tigers still remained in front until midway through the fourth quarter.

Byron dominated the offensive glass, but it missed opportunities to win going into overtime. Byron also took a timeout with one second left, just before a shot inside was good. Caden Considine’s ensuing look at the buzzer just missed.

Before that, Matznick’s two free throws tied it at 58 in the final minute.

“If you’ve got a point guard that can make free throws late, you can win games,” Newman coach Ray Sharp said. “Garret sometimes doesn’t get a lot of credit because he’ll have more assists than points some nights. But he runs the whole team. We can’t hardly ever take him out.”

It took a team effort as every point mattered for Newman in the comeback. Asher Ernst finished with 14 points, including a steal and transition layup to cut into Byron’s lead late.

Tyson Williams had good minutes off the bench and scored six points in the third quarter. George Jungerman scored 11 points and Evan Bushman (12 points) hit a 3-pointer in overtime. John Rowzee added eight points.

“I thought we fought back and that’s what I was most proud of,” Sharp said. “I didn’t think we panicked at all. We kind of clawed back, clawed back took the lead and then gave it away again.

“But at the end of the game, I thought we executed. We had some guys make some big plays individually.”

Newman overcame 16 turnovers and some lost possessions due to some traveling calls.

Byron was also down a player in JJ Edmonson, but still showed they are a strong team.

Weston Auker scored 14 points and Landon Smith had 10. Newton was held to nine points in the second half.

“They’re a really good team, and they play really hard,” Sharp said. “It’s a really good start, 10-0. We’ve done everything we could.”

On a balanced team with senior leadership, the Comets have big goals this season. Friday night’s instant classic checked an early-season goal for Newman.

“This just gives us more motivation to work harder,” Bushman said, “and get better every day.”

Forreston Holiday all-tournament team

First team

• Cason Newton, Byron
• Garret Matznick, Newman
• George Jungerman, Newman
• Austin Stuckey, Dakota
• Myles Smith, Winnebago

Second team

• Caden Considine, Byron
• Asher Ernst, Newman
• Cason Mayer, Dakota
• Connor Politsch, Forreston
• Benny Olalde, Oregon
• Lane Kempel, Pearl City

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Newman’s Garret Matznick makes a pass against Byron Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in the Forreston Holiday Tournament title game. (Alex T. Paschal)