EMPORIA — St. John-Hudson High School junior Zuriel Reyes wasn’t about to let his seniors go out without a Class 1A Division-I state title.
In the fourth quarter of the championship game against South Haven on Saturday night at White Auditorium in Emporia, Reyes scored 13 of his 20 points to lead the No. 1-seeded Tigers to a 70-50 win — and a state title.
“I’m going to enjoy it,” said St. John head coach Clint Kinnamon, who won his first state title as a coach in 2007. “The first one in ’07 was almost like relief. I’d been to the semis, but I hadn’t won. This one, these are the guys that we started off with when they were little.
“The Reyeses following us around. The Longs following us around. I’m proud of our guys. They deserve everything they get.”
Reyes sliced to the basket for two points to start the fourth quarter.
“We came out hard, but then we let up,” Reyes said. “Coach said all year, ‘State tournament teams never let up.’
“I wanted to send my seniors out with a bang. I’ve been playing with them since third-grade rec. They’ve been with me side-by-side. They’re my best friends. My effort was going to feed onto them.”
It sparked a 11-4 run for the 5-foot-10 junior. He went 7-for-13 from the field.
“He attacked great,” Clint Kinnamon said of Reyes. “Sometimes, he gets to where he just wants to shoot the 3. He did a nice job attacking. Got fouled a couple times. Got to the rim and scored. That’s how he’s going to have to play next year.”
Dean Wade, St. John’s 6-8 sophomore, dominated with 19 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. He went 11-for-14 from the free-throw line.
Seniors Spencer Nusser and Ethan Long added 10 points apiece.
“Amazing,” Nusser said. “It feels amazing. Can’t ask for a better way to finish my senior season. It was unexplainable, just a great feeling.”
With a 7-0 run, St. John was out to a 7-2 lead less than three minutes into the game.
Reyes hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to heat things up.
Wade made a pair of free throws, followed by Nusser banking in a layup to cap the run.
The Tigers traded baskets with the Cardinals, getting ahead 21-13 after eight minutes.
The Tigers continued to spread the ball around in the first half, getting eight points from Kade Kinnamon and Wade, while getting seven from Reyes and six from Long.
St. John led 36-23 at intermission.
NOTES — St. John’s boys finished runners-up in the 2008 Class 1A state tournament, the Tigers’ last state tournament appearance. ... The Tigers won state championships in 1974, 1982 and 2007. ... Clint Kinnamon has been to nine state tournaments with three separate schools (Three with Claflin girls, one with Arkansas City boys and five with St. John’s boys.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Class 1A Division-I State Tournament

BOYS

Saturday

At Emporia
White Auditorium

Championship

St. John-Hudson 70, South Haven 50
SOUTH HAVEN (18-7)
William Lowe 3-9 0-0 7, Lane Cully 0-0 0-0 0, Austin Showman 7-20 4-6 21, Bryce Byers 1-5 0-0 2, Hunter Ray 1-8 6-8 8, Justin Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Anthony Hawkins 4-6 0-0 8, Levi Schuster 0-0 2-2 2, James Moreland 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-51 12-16 50.
ST. JOHN (23-1)
Kade Kinnamon 3-7 2-2 10, Spencer Nusser 2-4 5-6 10, Ethan Long 4-7 0-0 8, Dean Wade 4-9 11-14 19, Zuriel Reyes 7-13 4-5 20, Trey Nelson 0-1 0-0 0, Omar Ramirez 1-6 1-2 3, Francisco Calleros 0-0 0-0 0, Josue Ramirez 0-0 0-0 0, Jesus Alvarez 0-0 0-0 0, Jacob Milton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 23-29 70.
South Haven                        13   10   14   13  —  50
St. John                               21   15   12   22  —  70
Three-point goals — South Haven 4-19 (Showman 3-12, Lowe 1-4, Ray 0-2, Byers 0-1); St. John 5-20 (Reyes 2-7, Kinnamon 2-6, Nusser 1-1, Long 0-2, Wade 0-1). Total fouls — South Haven 21, St. John 14. Fouled out — South Haven (Showman); St. John (None).

Class 1A Division-I State Tournament

Saturday

BOYS
Championship game — St. John-Hudson 70, South Haven 50
Third-place game — Centralia 78, Stockton 47

GIRLS
Championship game — Hoxie 68, Olpe 63
Third-place game — Bucklin 38, St. John 36