CENTRAL PLAINS 68, WILSON 45
CLAFLIN – The underdog Central Plains Oilers are one victory from a historic achievement after a dominating 68-45 victory over Wilson in the 1A Claflin basketball substate. The Oilers (3-18) entered postseason play with one win. Now, they’re one win away from the 1A Division 2 state tournament at Great Bend.
Oiler Peyton Ryan scored 35 points with 18 of 21 free throws. Hunter Klima (10) and Aiden Hekele (10) also scored in double figures.
“Once we got out of our league, we saw a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Oiler coach Bryce Steiner. “We talk about playing in a tough league with great basketball teams all the time. We’ve seen everything teams can throw at us. The guys know we can win a game. We’re gaining confidence.”
Ryan was backed up by Joseph Bunch and Evan Stratmann, who have eased the ballhandling stress on him. The key was Klima and Hekele.
“We’ve got guys playing their best basketball,” Steiner said.
Wilson 8 11 15 11 – 45
Oilers 18 14 19 17 – 68
WILSON (5-17)—Charvat 8 20-3 22, Thrasher 2 0-0 6, Crawford 2 1-2 5, Brokes 5 0-1 10, Heck 1 0-0 2, Totals 18 3-6 45.
OILERS (3-18)—Ryan 8 18-21 35, Hekele 3 3-6 10, Klima 4 2-3 10, Stratmann 2 0-1 6, Freis 2 0-0 4, Bunch 1 0-2 3, Totals 20 23-33 68.
3-pointers—W 6 (Charvat 4, Thrasher 2); CP 5 (Stratmann 2, Ryan 1, Hekele 1, Bunch 1).
CENTRE 49, OTIS-BISON 31
CLAFLIN – Centre’s Luke Hudson scored 16 points and Gentri Holub added 12 points in a 49-31 semifinal victory over Otis-Bison in the 1A Claflin basketball substate.
Otis-Bison’s Jake Hoopingarner scored nine points and Hayden Morrison scored eight points.
Otis-Bison 8 9 5 9 – 31
Centre 7 9 14 19 – 49
OTIS-BISON (3-19)—Hoopingarner 3 0-0 9, Roth 0 3-4 3, Polly 0 2-8 2, Juno 1 0-0 2, Butler 2 2-4 7, Morrison 3 0-2 8, Totals 9 7-18 31.
CENTRE (9-10)—Hudson 7 2-8 16, Holumb 6 0-3 12, Krch 4 2-4 10, Knepp 2 2-6 6, Stuchlik 1 0-o 3, Bina 1 0-0 2, Totals 21 6-21 49.
3-pointers—OB 6 (Hoopingarner 3, Morrison 2, Butler 1); C 1 (Stuchlik 1).
MACKSVILLE 70, ST. JOHN 47
BURRTON – Central Prairie League runner-up Macksville gained revenge with a dominating 70-47 semifinal victory over Stafford County rival St. John in Thursday’s 1A Burrton basketball substate. The Tigers beat the Mustangs 59-49 when they last met.
Macksville’s Rogelio Ibarra scored 21 points and workhorse Lance Lickiss added 19 points. Ryan Kuckelman (11) and Diego Esparza (10) also scored in double figures. Ibarra scored 18 first-half points and closed the half with back-to-back 3-pointers.
The Tigers were within 28-25 when Marco Ibarra and Quade Smith converted back-to-back baskets. Macksville put the game away with a shocking 32-3 scoring run for a 60-28 lead. Lickiss scored 11 points and Ibarra seven during that near-perfect stretch.
After back-to-back drives with contact drew no foul, St. John coach Danton Hilton had seen enough, drawing a technical foul for an educational chat with the referees. The Tigers (13-9) responded with a 10-0 scoring run with seven free throws and an Angel Ibarra 3-pointer. Preston Dunn scored 15 points and Elijah Delp ended with 10 points and several blocks in a solid senior finish.
St. John 8 17 11 11 – 47
Macksville 19 22 19 10 – 70
ST. JOHN (13-9)—Dunn 4-7 5-9 15, Delp 2-8 5-8 10, Angel Ibarra 2-2 0-0 6, Quade Smith 2-6 0-0 4, Hunter Smith 1-7 2-3 4, Aden Adame 1-1 0- 3, Marco Ibarra 1-5 0-0 3, Adrian Adame 0-4 2-2 2, Gillespie 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 13-42 14-22 47.
MACKSVILLE (19-2)—Rogelio Ibarra 7-19 3-4 21, Lickiss 9-15 0-2 19, Kuckelman 4-7 3-8 11, Esparza 4-9 1-2 10, Cleveland 0-1 0-0 0, Gomez 2-2 0-2 4, Barron 2-4 1-2 5, Alvaro Ibarra 0-1 0-0 0, Triana 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 28-60 8-20 70.
3-pointers—SJ 6-20 (A. Ibarra 2-2, Dunn 2-3, Aden Adame 1-1, M. Ibarra 1-3, Q. Smith 0-2, Gillespie 0-2, H. Smith 0-3, Adrian Adame 0-4); M 6-20 (R. Ibarra 4-14, Lickiss 1-1, Esaprza 1-2, A. Ibarra 0-1, Barron 0-2). Rebounds—M (Kuckelman 10). Assists—M (Barron 4). Steals—M (Barron 4).
LITTLE RIVER 51, GOESSEL 40
BURRTON – Little River's Lafferty scored 17 points to spark the Redskins past Goessel 51-40 in the 1A Stafford basketball substate. The Redskins play Macksville for a 1A state tournament berth.
Little River 13 14 11 13 – 51
Goessel 6 9 6 18 – 40
GOESSEL (15-7)–Wrest 7 2-6 17, Burkholder 1 1-2 3, Duerksen 2 2-4 6, Bose 1 0-2 2, Noah Schrag 1 2-2 4, Jacob Schrag 2 1-1 5, Tim Schrag 1 0-0 3, Totals 15 8-17 40.
LITTLE RIVER (16-6)–Lafferty 8 3-12 20, Mantz 1 6-8 9, Renken 3 0-0 7, Burrola 3 0-0 6, Bruce 2 0-0 4, Konen 1 3-4 5, Totals 18 12-24 51.
3-pointers–LR 3 (Mantz 1, Lafferty 1, Renken 1); G 2 (Tim Schrag 1, Wrest 1).
PAWNEE HEIGHTS 41, MCPHERSON ELYRIA 39
STAFFORD – Alec Carlson, the Pawnee Heights Magic Man, delivered the game-winning 3-point play with 5.7 seconds left as the Tigers shocked McPherson Elyria Christian 41-39 in the 1A Stafford basketball substate semifinals.
Elyria’s Landon Schneider converted a turnover into the go-ahead basket and a 39-38 lead. But Carlson raced up the court with the inbounds pass and converted a driving 3-point play. Tigers Carlson and Devin Hamby forced an turnover on Caleb Laney on Elyria’s final possession.
Last year’s runner-up Elyria defeated the Tigers 55-42 in the 1A Division 2 state semifinals.
The Tigers will play Stafford (14-8) for a state tournament berth. Stafford knocked off Cunningham 58-40.
Pawnee Heights 11 11 10 9 – 41
McPherson Elyria 5 25 2 7 – 39
PAWNEE HEIGHTS (11-10)—Alec Carlson 9 5-8 24, Dakota Ryan 4 1-1 9, Hands 3 0-0 6, Colglazier 1 0-1 2, Totals 17 6-10 41.
ELYRIA CHRISTIAN (13-7)—Romero 8 0-0 22, Wiggers 4 2-2 10, Laney 1 0-0 3, Huxman 1 0-0 2, Schneider 1 0-0 2, Totals 15 2-2 39.
3-pointers—PH 1 (Carlson 1); E 7 (Romero 6, Laney 1).
STAFFORD 58, CUNNINGHAM 40
STAFFORD – Stafford’s boys roared past Cunningham 58-40 in the 1A Stafford substate to move within one victory of the Trojans’ first basketball appearance in 75 years. The Trojans’ lone state appearance occurred in 1947.
Stafford’s Shawn Sheets (13), Colson Minks (11) and Tai Hildebrand (10) scored in double figures. Stafford (14-8) will meet Pawnee Heights (11-10) for a state berth Saturday.
Cunningham 9 3 17 11 – 40
Stafford 6 15 18 19 – 58
STAFFORD (14-8)—Sheets 6-8 0-0 13, Minks 4-10 1-2 11, Tai Hildebrand 3-5 2-4 10, Josh Hildebrand 3-5 2-2 8, Kerschenske 2-4 1-5 5, Rodriguez 1-3 3-4 5, Oleson 1-1 1-2 3, Dominguez 1-4 0-0 3, Totals 21-40 10-20 58.
3-pointers—S 6-17 (T. Hildebrand 2-3, Minks 2-8, Sheets 1-2, Dominguez 1-4). Rebounds—S 41 (J. Hildebrand 12). Assists—S 12 (Minks 5). Steals—S 2 (Minks 1, J. Hildebrand 1).
