Meet the 9 Wichita area high school basketball 2020 midseason tournament champions
From one corner of Kansas to another, the Wichita area brought home trophies.
There were nine to be exact as high school boys basketball teams won their midseason tournaments. Here is a recap of the champions:
Dodge City - Tournament of Champions
Haysville Campus 64, Bishop Miege 59 (OT)
The Tournament of Champions has been around for 77 years. 2020 marked Campus’ first trip to Dodge City for the midseason tournament.
And the Colts won it over Bishop Miege, 64-59 in overtime.
Campus’ Thomas King was the tournament’s second leading scorer. He was No. 2 in productivity, and he hit the most field goals. But it was about Shawn Warrior in the championship game as he went for 16 points and 10 rebounds against 6-foot-7, 5-star recruit Mark Mitchell.
“I told the guys going into the overtime, ‘Where else would you rather be on a Saturday night than at the Tournament of Champions fighting for a championship?’ “ Campus coach Chris Davis told Southwind Broadcasting.
McPherson Invitational Tournament
Bishop Carroll 44, Lawrence Free State 39
Two years after stunning Kansas by even being there, Bishop Carroll got redemption in McPherson.
The Golden Eagles stayed perfect on the season with a 44-39 slugfest victory over Lawrence Free State to win the McPherson Invitational Tournament. In 2018, when Carroll eventually won state, the Eagles reached the MIT title game before falling to the hosts.
Carroll’s senior leader Tanner Mans was held to two points in the title game, but it didn’t matter as juniors Enrique Lankford and Alex Littlejohn, who finished with a double-double, combined for 25 points.
“They’re dialed in,” coach Mike Domnick told Mid Kansas Radio. “I think we’re good. Of course, basketball is a fickle thing.”
Salina Invitational Tournament
Andover 63, Salina South 43
Against all doubts, Andover keep chugging.
The Trojans are one of only two undefeated teams left in Class 5A after cruising to the title at the Salina Invitational Tournament. Andover beat Salina South 63-43 to win it.
Andover has beaten McPherson on the road, Andale, Kapaun, Eisenhower on the road, Andover Central and Derby on the road this season. Those teams range from perennial state title contenders to defending champions.
2020 marks Andover’s first SIT championship since 2013 as junior Jack Johnson was named MVP.
Valley Center - January Jam
Wichita Southeast 71, Shawnee Mission East 59
It has been a confusing season for Southeast, but the defending City League champions have found some momentum.
The Golden Buffaloes started the season 1-4, like Bishop Carroll did in its state championship season two years ago. But also as Carroll did that season, Southeast reached its midseason tournament championship game when it was perhaps picked not to.
The Buffaloes did one better than reach the title game. They won it, beating Shawnee Mission East 71-59 in the January Jam. All-Metro selection Jackie Johnson was the tournament’s leading scorer with 93 points in three games.
Southeast is only 5-5 even after the tournament championship, but the Buffaloes have lost only two games to Class 6A competiton this season. Those were the first two games of the season.
Chanute - Ralph Miller Classic
Andover Central 56, Shawnee Mission South 48
The champions might be back.
Andover Central got off to a slow start coming off its football state championship game appearance. With a lot of players overlapping in sports, it took time for the defending Class 5A champions to get going, but they have.
The Jaguars won the Ralph Miller Classic for the third straight year with a 56-48 win over Shawnee Mission South, who finished fourth in Class 6A last season. And they did it on the same day Top 5 and All-Metro selection Xavier Bell verbally pledged to Drexel.
Andover Central is 6-5 this season, even after winning three straight to clinch the midseason tournament title, but coach Jesse Herrmann will hope a win over a state title contender like SM South is enough to gain some momentum into the second half of the season.
Spring Hill Invitational
Goddard Eisenhower 56, Olathe South 46
In fewer than 10 days, Eisenhower’s Jordan Vincent reached the 1,000-point milestone and led his team to a midseason tourament championship.
Jan. 17, Vincent hit 1,000 points in his career in a home win over Maize. Saturday, he was the Tigers’ leading scorer as Eisenhower beat Olathe South 56-46 in Spring Hill.
With the win, Eisenhower bumps up to the No. 3 seed in Class 5A West behind undefeated teams Bishop Carroll and AVCTL II rival Andover.
Eisenhower hit 100 points in an easy win over KC East Christian Academy in the opening round before knocking out Gardner-Edgerton in the semifinal round.
Baldwin Invitational Tournament
Augusta 54, Kansas City J.C. Harmon 46
After a questionable streak of play, Augusta is back.
The Orioles lost two games in January after starting 4-0. Both were on the road against strong teams in Andale and McPherson, but as last year’s Class 4A runners-up, the Orioles wanted more. They got in in Baldwin as they beat J.C. Harmon 54-46.
Augusta went through two undefeated teams in Harmon (6A) and Bishop Seabury (2A) to win the title.
Harmon lost only three regular season games last season and reached the state tournament. Seabury lost only four and reached state, too.
Augusta has now won seven of its past eight tournament games.
Halstead - Adolph Rupp Tournament
Haven 51, Cheney 45
It is an unfortunate streak for Cheney.
In each of the past four Adolph Rupp Tournaments, Cheney has reached the championship game and lost as the Cardinals dropped out to top-seeded Haven 51-49.
Haven and Cheney entered Saturday night with one combined loss between them - Cheney’s overtime road loss to Berean Academy, and the game reflected their 20 combined wins.
Haven’s Zane Jacuqes hit the dagger three-pointer in the left corner to give the Wildcats the win as they stay undefeated and claim their first midseason tournament championship since 2016.
Chaparral - Roadrunner Classic
Clearwater 64, Belle Plaine 62
It has been quite a year for Clearwater athletics.
The football team finished 7-3 with a postseason win over one-loss Hesston, and the Indians have won a boys basketball midseason tournament. Clearwater beat Belle Plaine 64-62 in Chaparral at the Roadrunner Classic.
Tanner Cash, who quarterbacked Clearwater this season, hit the go-ahead bucket with 6.5 seconds to go after Drake Beatty nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game with about 30 seconds left.
With the midseasont tournament title and three wins, Clearwater improves to 8-3 and the No. 2 seed in Class 4A West behind last year’s runner-up Augusta. The Indians finished with seven wins all last season.
This story was originally published January 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM.