BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
CENTRAL PLAINS 56, TRIBUNE GREELEY COUNTY 50 — Central Plains' Aiden Hekele scored 18 points and Brodie Crites and Peyton Dody chipped in 14 apiece as the Oilers outlasted 3-time state champion Tribune Greeley County 56-50 in Saturday's 1A Division 1 basketball substate championship. The Jackrabbits won the 2022 and 2023 Division 2 state basketball titles.
Hekele scored 13 first-half points to spark a 24-21 halftime lead. Dody scored 10 second-half points and Crites added nine second-half points when Hekele battled foul trouble. The Oilers outscored the Jackrabbits 9-0 for a 35-24 lead.
Crites defended Lincoln Shafer and Camden Stiles guarded Braxton Mangan in a triangle-and-two defense on the Jackrabbits' best two scorers. Yanez led Greeley County with 14 points with Mangan (13) and Shafer (12) scoring in double figures.
The Oilers shifted out of its preferred zone matchup defense after Braxton Mangan made a trio of 3-pointers.
"Mangan made some 3-pointers, so we adjusted to a triangle-and-2 we'd talked about," Central Plains coach Michael Ryan said. "That's the first time we'd run that defense. That's what we had in mind if either of those guys started scoring."
Point guard Crites and post player Hekele combined for 32 points.
"It's a nice luxury to have an experienced point guard and inside player to lead your team," Ryan said.
The Oilers overcame an off night from the perimeter.
"We didn't play to the best of our ability, but sometimes the ball doesn't in," Ryan said. "If you've got good shooters, you still want your guys to shoot with confidence. We made sure we got the ball shot possible, earned a layup or get fouled late in the game."
Hekele is the only Oiler to play in the state basketball tournament.
"Outside of Aiden Hekele, it's the first time for these players to compete in the state basketball tournament," Ryan said. "Our guys deserve it for how well they've prepared."
The Oilers rallied from a pair of losses to Macksville (48-42) and St. John (38-32).
"After we lost a couple of games, it was the best thing that could've happened," he said. "The guys buckled down and put in the work. They paid attention to our details to our scouting report."
Greeley County 12 9 10 19 — 50
Central Plains 12 12 12 14 — 56
GREELEY COUNTY (13-8) (FG 3 FT TP)—Yanez 6 2-4 14, Mangan (4) 1-2 13, Shafer 4 (1) 3-4 12, Myers 2 (1) 0-0 5, Grubb (1) 0-0 3, Martinez (1) 0-0 3, Totals 50
CENTRAL PLAINS (17-4) (FG 3 FT TP)—Hekele 8 (1) 1-2 18, Crites 4 6-8 14, Stiles 0 2-2 2, Peyton Dody 4 4-6 12, Daniels 3 0-2 6; Totals 56
OILER ROSTER—1—Brodie Crites, 10; 2—Aiden Hekele, 12; 3—Ethan Grubb, 12; 5—Broc Klima, 10; 10—Camden Stiles, 10; 11—Scott Lamatsch, 9; 12—Peyton Dody, 11; 13—Rylan Siemsen, 11; 31—Callun Rogers, 11; 33—Ben Pflughoeft, 10; 42—Logan Stroede, 12; 55—Landon Daniels, 11
OILERS STATE (11-3)
2025—Oilers 54, Frankfort 22; Olpe 44, Oilers 34; 3RD—Oilers vs. South Gray/South Central
2019—Oilers 55, Macksville 30; Oilers 59, Caldwell 41; 1ST—Oilers 40, St. John 28
2018—Oilers 58, Inman 42; Oilers 58, Salina Sacred Heart 36; 1ST—Oilers 47, Pittsburg Colgan 34
2015—Oilers 67, Jackson Heights 42; Oilers 69, Olpe 44; 1ST—St. John 49, Oilers 45
2016—Oilers 77, Lawrence Seabury 56; Salina Sacred Heart 62, Oilers 52; 3RD—Oilers 56, Hill City 25
CLAFLIN STATE (6-12)
2007—Olpe 60, Claflin 44
2006—Claflin 61, Lebo 54; Claflin 70, Brewster 55; 1ST—Macksville 55, Claflin 45
2000—Macksville 67, Claflin 64
1993—Frankfort 72, Claflin 64
1992—Pike Valley 67, Claflin 57
1986—Northern Valley 80, Claflin 55
1985—Highland 60, Claflin 56
1984—Pretty Prairie 59, Claflin 42
1983—Oswego 47, Claflin 45
1980—Garden Plain 79, Claflin 53
1977—Claflin 60, Hutchinson Trinity 58; Lebanon 60, Claflin 58; 3RD—Claflin 68, Mankato 50
1956—Claflin 62, Oswego 52; Claflin 56, Pretty Prairie 48; 1ST—Inman 67, Claflin 66
QUIVIRA HEIGHTS STATE (4-5)
1999—Lebo 69, Quivira Heights 47
1995—Brewster 64, Quivira Heights 67
1989—Spearville 88, Quivira Heights 60
1983—Quivira Heights 55, Inman 50; Thayer 64, Quivira Heights 43; 3RD—Quivira Heights 45, Brewster 40
1917—Bushton 28, Potter 6; Bushton 30, Macksville 8; 1ST—Winfield 23, Bushton 21
1A DIV. 1 BOYS
COLBY A—CHAMPIONSHIP—Central Plains 56, Greeley County 50; SEMIFINALS—Central Plains 43, Ellis 23; Greeley County 51, La Crosse 49; FIRST ROUND—Ellis 70, Rawlins County 33; La Crosse 84, Osborne 12
COLBY B—3-8—Downs Lakeside 4-6 vs. Quinter 15-6; SEMIFINALS—Lakeside 68, Ness City 54; Quinter 50, Oberlin 48; FIRST ROUND—Ness City 61, Stockton 35; Oberlin 61, St. Francis 33
