‘No better feeling’: Cheney father-daughter combo wins another state basketball title
Most parents dream their children grow up and become state champions.
Rod Scheer not only saw that dream come true for both of his daughters, but he had the chance to be their coach in the process.
A little more than a decade after hugging his older daughter, Payton, in a championship hug after the Cheney girls basketball team won the state title in 2010, the proud father was able to do the same with his youngest, Kylee, after the Cardinals completed an undefeated season on Saturday with a 60-54 win over Sabetha in the Kansas Class 3A championship game at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
“I sometimes probably think of it more as a coach when I should probably enjoy it more as a dad,” Rod Scheer said. “But I’m extremely proud of what she did this year on and off the floor with her leadership. It was a great memory with (oldest) Payton and now it’s a great memory with Kylee.”
Kylee was just 7 years old when she saw her older sister help Cheney win its first state title in program history. She was basically the team manager back then, coming along to all of the road trips, watching how hard those girls worked and striving to some day be just like her older sister.
Back in 2010 when Cheney won state, the sisters took a picture together on the court with Kylee in Payton’s arms wrapped in a bear hug. Eleven years later, on the same exact day, the sisters recreated the same picture.
“I grew up watching all of those girls and I wanted to have that same level of success and I wanted the same thing,” Kylee Scheer said. “To have that memory with my sister is something really special to me.”
Like she has been all season, Scheer was special once again for Cheney in the title game. She scored a game-high 25 points on 7-of-16 shooting and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line to go along with five rebounds and four steals.
But Cheney was able to complete the first undefeated season in program history because it was much more than just one scorer.
Brynn McCormick has been a reliable scorer all season for Cheney, while senior Lexi Cline (seven assists) has been vital to the Cardinals’ success as the team’s point guard. Campbell Hague (nine points) and Brooklyn Wewe have both risen to the occasion for Cheney, while Lacy Luehrs, Korri Lies (nine points), Lead Durr and Olivia Albers all excelled in their roles.
“We had so many girls step up along the way,” Rod Scheer said. “These kids just refused to lose, whether it was someone hitting a big shot, getting a rebound, or playing great defense. It was amazing how they just continued to find a way to win.”
Cheney built a 29-20 halftime lead and was able to hold off a strong close from Sabetha with timely free-throw shooting.
The championship meant even more to Cline, who shattered her clavicle early in the season and was originally told it was likely a season-ending injury. But with diligent rehabilitation work, Cline was cleared in time to return for the postseason and gave Cheney a veteran presence on the court that it needed to win.
“I was literally heartbroken when they told me how long I would be out for,” Cline said. “But then I ended up being able to come back and I was a little nervous, but I got back out there I felt stronger than ever.
“There’s no better way to end the season. It was really special to be able to do it together undefeated. There’s no better feeling.”
Andover Central girls fall just short of perfection
The 45-game winning streak for the Andover Central girls came to a heartbreaking end in the Class 5A championship game, where St. Thomas Aquinas won 52-44 at White Auditorium in Emporia.
Poor shooting doomed the Jaguars, as they shot just 24% from the field in the first half and fell in a 30-14 halftime hole. Andover Central rallied in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to single-digits, but time ran out on its comeback.
Creighton commit Brittany Harshaw led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ellie Stearns added 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, Bailey Wilborn had five points and four rebounds, Jaden Newfarmer had five points and Maddie Amekporfor scored four points with two blocks and three steals.
Aquinas won its fifth straight state championship and seventh since 2011. The Saints won the rebounding battle 40-27, as Beatrice Culliton led Aquinas with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
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