Class 1A-II boys tournament preview
At United Wireless Arena, Dodge City
Thursday’s quarterfinals
3 P.M.: WHEATLAND-GRINNELL VS. CENTRAL CHRISTIAN
No. 7 Wheatland-Grinnell (14-9) — Wheatland-Grinnell won a double-overtime game over No. 2-ranked Northern Valley to qualify for the second time in the last three years. Wheatland-Grinnell is 11-1 when it scores at least 55 points, while 2-8 when it scores under. Wheatland-Grinnell is led by senior guard Jorge Esparza (16.7 points) and 6-3 junior Chandler Ostmeyer (14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds).
No. 2 Central Christian (19-4) — Central Christian has qualified for the state tournament for the fifth straight season, but it has only won one game at state during that span. Central Christian is 17-0 when it has held its opponent under 50 points, as it’s allowing 45 points on average. Central Christian is led by 6-2 junior scoring dynamo Nate Heneha (24.4 points, 7.1 rebounds).
4:45 P.M.: OTIS-BISON VS. HARTFORD
No. 6 Otis-Bison (16-7) — Otis-Bison returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2012, when it reached the championship game as the No. 5 seed. Maitland Wiltse, a 6-4 sophomore, leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points. After a 10-0 start, Otis-Bison lost seven of its final 11 games and did not have to beat a winning team in its sub-state to qualify.
No. 3 Hartford (18-5) — Hartford has qualified for the state tournament for the fourth straight season, as it has won at least one game at the state tournament the last two seasons and played for the 1A II championship last season as a No. 5 seed. Hartford returns two of its best players from that team in seniors Danen Kistner (24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds) and Clayton Fowler (15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds).
6:30 P.M.: AXTELL VS. CALDWELL
No. 8 Axtell (6-17) — This will be the third state appearance at the state tournament for Axtell in the last five seasons, as it won the 1A-II championship in 2013. Axtell returned 2 percent of its scoring from last season, but qualified by beating two teams with a combined seven wins this season. While Axtell has lost 17 games this season, it has actually compiled a 4-1 record against 1A-II competition. Freshman guard Quinn Buessing leads the team in scoring with 11.2 points, while senior Burke Deters adds 9.3 points and 8.6 rebounds.
No. 1 Caldwell (21-2) — After finishing third in 1A-II in 2015, Caldwell returns to the state tournament for the second time in the last three years. Caldwell is holding opponents to 39.9 points this season and has won every time (19-0) when it has scored at least 40 points. Caldwell is led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Colten Ward (14.9), Dilyn Volvka (13.6), and Jalen Risley (13.3).
8:15: WALLACE COUNTY VS. ASHLAND
No. 5 Wallace County (17-6) — Wallace County has qualified for the state tournament in four of the past five seasons and has won at least one game at the state tournament each time, including winning the 1A II championship in 2015. Senior guard Grady Hammer (13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists) is the team’s top player.
No. 4 Ashland (18-6) — Ashland returns to the state tournament for the third time in the last six years and for the first time since 2015. Ashland is currently on a nine-game winning streak, while it has won 14 of 16 games this season when it scores more than 50 points. Luke Reimer, a 6-2 sophomore, averages 19.8 points and 7.7 rebounds, while 6-3 junior Michael White (11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds) is another double-digit scorer.
Friday’s semifinals
Otis-Bison-Hartford winner vs. Wheatland-Grinnell-Central Christian winner, 4:45 p.m.
Wallace County-Ashland winner vs. Caldwell-Axtell winner, 8:15
Saturday’s finals
Third-place game, 2 p.m.
Championship, 6:15
Taylor Eldridge’s pick
Hartford over Caldwell
This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Class 1A-II boys tournament preview."