DODGE CITY – Class 2A Central Plains stunned Class 6A Shawnee Mission South 54-38 to advance to Saturday’s championship game of the Dodge City Tournament of Champions. The Oilers (10-1) outscored South 30-16 in the second half.
Point guard Michael Ryan led the Oilers with 23 points and superb ballhandling against pressure. Layne Bieberle added 17 points. Ryan controlled the game’s tempo and the Oilers handled South’s pressure defense.
Central Plains has beaten Class 6A Dodge City, Class 6A Junction City and 6A Shawnee Mission South, which featured six players taller than 6-foot-4.
“These guys are not intimidated,” said Central Plains coach Brett Rolfs. “We knew we were a good club with good chemistry. We outplayed them in the fundamentals of the game.”
Central Plains meets Class 6A Derby in the championship game to be televised on Cox 22. A smaller-class team last won the Dodge City TOC in 1987 when Class 3A Holcomb won the title.
CENTRAL PLAINS 54,
SM SOUTH 38
SM South 14 8 4 12 – 38
Central Plains 10 14 8 22 – 54
SM South—Hill 13, Anei Anei 10, Harness 6, Anderson 6, Mankin 2.
Central Plains—Ryan 23; Bieberle 17. Warnken 5, Crites 4, Lamatsch 4.