HHS boys advance to state
Hillsboro boys use second half to bury third-ranked Hesston, 58-44
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
With March Madness just getting underway, a convincing 58-44 Trojan win over the Swathers in the Hillsboro sub-state title game once again makes Hesston observers for the state tournament.
For the third straight year, the 20-3 Trojans have a bid at a fourth 3A state crown.
Swather fans have to be sick of seeing Hillsboro in their sub-state slot.
Three out of the last four years, Hesston has been ousted by the Trojans.
This game was every bit the dogfight expected when the two biggest bulls of the MCAA locked horns.
By the end of the first quarter, the Trojans were clinging for dear life to a 13-10 lead after Daniel Deckert scored seven of his nine points.
"I just kept telling the guys every time-out we've got to play to win," Trojan coach Darrel Knoll said. "They're a really good team and they play great defense. We knew we were going to have to battle the entire game."
The Trojans got tagged with a technical foul at the 4:45 mark in the second quarter, briefly giving the Swathers (20-3) a 19-17 lead.
But 6'8" Toby Berg rose to the occasion, hauling in some huge rebounds and blocking what could have been two pivotal shots for Hesston.
"I made sure to work hard offensively to get good position for baskets," Berg said. "I tried my best on defense. I could have played a little better but I crashed the boards on both ends. We've gotten way better as a team since our game in December. This was probably the best game we've played all year and it showed."
Berg scored the final basket of the first half to tie the game at 24.
"We didn't do a very good job of taking care of the boards the second quarter," said Knoll. "I thought that was the real difference in their comeback. I just felt we were fortunate to be tied at half-time."
Scoring just eight points through the first half, Hillsboro's starting five got hot.
With just two points at half-time, Tyler Peachey caught fire, burning the Swathers for 12 of his team-high 14 points the second half.
"Coach said to us at half-time to come out and play hard," Peachey said. "We did that, we came out, set some screens for each other and luckily, I was the one to get open. My teammates kept finding me and that was a good job by them."
Peachey scored the first five of Hillsboro's 16 third-quarter points to put the Swathers in a hole.
"We matched their intensity level throughout the whole game and came out the second half and stuck it to them," said Peachey.
With a last flicker of light from a pair of threes from Kendall Drier and Luke Simmerling, Hesston trimmed the game to three possessions. It wasn't enough and Hesston's light was extinguished.
Facing a three-possession game trailing 45-38, Hesston's predicaments worsened after a technical on its bench.
Caleb Marsh and the once-missing Eric Weinbrenner hit a combined four straight free throws with 3:45 to go to secure Hillsboro's third straight trip to Hutchinson.
Hillsboro's bench played a key factor in the win with sophomore Lucas Hamm scoring a season-high seven points.
"We did some nice things in the first half," Knoll said, "but in the second half I thought we did it more consistently. I thought this was a great team effort."
The Trojans faced the Frontenac Raiders Wednesday in the quarter-final game of the Class 3A state tournament.
Results of first round coverage were not available at the time of publication.
