One undefeated 6A team remains in Wichita area after rivals battle to final seconds
.JPG "Campus’ Sterling Chapman")
After the game ended, a fan’s Apple Watch showed a notification that the noise inside the Campus High School gym hit 112 decibels Tuesday night.
“That ain’t Koch Arena or Allen Fieldhouse, but that’s pretty damn good for the old barn,” Campus boys basketball coach Chris Davis said.
These days, there is one reason the Colts’ gym gets that loud, and Tuesday might have been its biggest opportunity this decade. Campus beat undefeated league rival Derby 56-53 to remain unbeaten themselves and become the only flawless Class 6A team left in the Wichita area.
But the game might not have finished that way if not for a buzzer-beating three-pointer before halftime.
Campus senior guard Steele Chapman grabbed a pass with about three seconds left. He sprinted down the floor, and with two defenders in front of him, he hoisted a runner.
Derby didn’t hit a bucket for five minutes at one point in the first half. Still, the Panthers worked their way back to a three-point lead with less than a minute left after a three-point play from senior Nick Bonner. But Campus’ buzzer-beater sanitized all the momentum they worked to build.
“We needed a game like that; we haven’t been tested like that this year, and I told the guys this is a heavyweight prize fight,” Davis said. “... The lights have not shined brighter than our lights inside of us this year.
“I’m having the time of my life.”
1996 was Campus’ most recent trip to a boys basketball state tournament. No one on the roster was born.
In the past decade, the Colts have had one winning season, and that came last year when they finished 18-5 and one win away from a state tournament appearance. Instead, they lost to Wichita Southeast on the road.
Part of the reason Campus had to play that game at Southeast was because of a 46-45 home loss to Maize, the eventual AVCTL I champion. It was the Colts’ only home loss of the season. Davis said the team’s goal now is to play two home playoff games, not one.
With that, Campus hasn’t had too many high points at home in the past decade. Last year, the Colts beat Dodge City by 29 in the first round of the postseason, and they beat Derby by 10. But Derby finished last season 7-15.
The 2019-20 Derby team is much improved. The Panthers entered Tuesday night 6-0 as the No. 2 team in Class 6A West and No. 3 in 6A in the weekly coaches rankings. Derby coach Brett Flory said despite the rankings and standings, he didn’t know how good his team was until playing their league rivals.
“It was a great high school basketball game,” Flory said. “Bounce or two here, play or two there, and that’s the difference. As it turned out, that play Steele made right before halftime was huge when you toss that one in. They’re really good, but I am proud of our guys.”
.JPG "_MG_5001 (2).JPG")
Derby was excellent at getting Campus out of what it does best: transition offense. The Colts are one of the fastest teams in Kansas, but Derby’s defense was quick to get back and defend. Davis said his team couldn’t find a flow.
Longer possessions meant more energy spent, and that led to Campus’ top scorer leaving the game early in the second half. Junior guard Sterling Chapman felt cramps in his leg, and grimaced as he came off the floor.
When he went out, senior Shawn Warrior stepped up and ran the offense. He finished with 12 points. But Chapman wasn’t done. He shortly returned to the floor and served as the floor general for the rest of the game.
“I really just had to fight through it,” Chapman said. “It’s a mental thing, and I felt like I got over it.”
That mental toughness has started to flow throughout the Campus basketball program over the past few years. Last season, Campus beat Derby for the first time since 2004. Now, the Colts have won three straight and will aim for a fourth in a row Feb. 21 on the road.
Chapman said these are the glory days of Campus basketball, and he is happy to be along for the ride.
“It just makes me want to grind harder,” he said. “Makes me want to stay in the gym and keep it going.”
.JPG "_MG_5157 (2).JPG")
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 11:32 PM.