Kansas high school state basketball game scores: Here’s which teams won championships
It’s rare for two concurrent dynasties to be in the same league, but the Central Kansas League has done just that with the Hillsboro and Hesston boys.
It was only fitting that the rivals were the team to hand the other its only loss of the season, as Hillsboro completed its back-to-back sweep in Class 2A with a 60-32 win over St. Marys at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan and Hesston finished off its back-to-back titles in Class 3A with a 51-41 victory over Royal Valley in Hutchinson.
After surviving a game of stall-ball by Lyndon in the semifinals, which pushed the game to double overtime with a final score of 37-28, Hillsboro looked more than pleased to play its typical, up-and-down, efficient style in Saturday’s championship game.
Brekyn Ratzlaff scored a game-high 20 points for Hillsboro, while Matthew Potucek added 17, Frank Wichert chipped in nine and Grant Ratzlaff had eight. It was the fifth state title at Hillsboro under coach Darrel Knoll, who also won titles in 1991, 1995 and 1998 before winning the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, Hesston was making its own fireworks in Hutchinson. The Swathers recovered from a slow start to pound Royal Valley, 23-5, over the final 10 minutes of the first half. From there, the cushion had been established and it was large enough for Hesston to hold on for another title.
Brayden Schilling led Hesston with 13 points, while Casyn Richardson added 12 and Jake Proctor scored 11.
The surprise of the day may have come from the Andale boys, even in a 64-57 loss to Bishop Miege in the 4A state championship game in Salina. After Miege won its first two games by a combined 42 points, it seemed destined to roll over the competition for yet another state title.
Andale had other plans, rallying from an early nine-point deficit to open up a 37-34 lead late in the third quarter. The game was even tied at 50 entering the final three minutes, but Miege would pull away down the stretch.
Still, the Indians (18-7) impressed playing in their first state title game in 25 years. Andale was led by 12 points from seniors Jackson Potucek and Nathan Nemechek, while junior Wyatt Spexarth added 10.
In the 4A boys third-place game, McPherson won a defensive battle, 37-33, over Topeka Hayden to end a 15-10 season on a win. Seth Madron led the Bullpups with 12 points and eight rebounds, as McPherson picked up another state trophy after entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed.
In the 5A boys third-place game, Maize did not have the same fortune. The Eagles could not keep up with a motivated St. James Academy team looking for its highest finish in program history, which it secured with a 81-62 win over Maize. The loss concluded a 19-6 season for the defending champions led by Kyle Grill, Jaden Gustafson and Avery Johnson, a highly-recruited quarterback who plans on enrolling in college early next year, making Saturday his final high school basketball game.
Area girls teams finish off seasons on late day of state tournament
The shots never fell for the Derby girls basketball team in the Class 6A state championship game against Washburn Rural.
The Panthers shot 21.4% from the field, which never allowed them to make a run in what eventually became a 40-23 win for Washburn Rural at Koch Arena in Wichita. It was a season-low in points for the team.
Derby made a strong push out of halftime to trim Washburn Rural’s lead to 15-14, but the Junior Blues dominated the game from there, ripping off a 14-3 run the rest of the quarter to pull away.
The Panthers were led by a team-high 11 points from Addy Brown, while Maryn Archer and Naomi White each scored four points for Derby (23-2).
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Up in Emporia, it wasn’t the state championship the Andover Central girls wanted, but ending a 19-6 season on a win was a high note for the Jaguars after a 48-46 win over Lansing in the 5A third-place game.
Andover Central’s lone loss of the state tournament was to eventual champion St. Thomas Aquinas, which won yet another state title with an average margin of victory of 17 points at the state tournament. Creighton signee Brittany Harshaw led Andover Central with a game-high 16 points against Lansing, while Maddie Amekporfor added 15 points for the Jaguars.
The dream run for Garden Plain to the 2A state championship game ended just short in a 47-38 loss to top-seeded and undefeated Sterling at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. The seventh-seeded Owls knocked off two teams seeded higher than them, including beating previously-unbeaten St. Mary’s Colgan in the first round, to reach the title game.
After Celia Puetz banked in the game-winner to send Garden Plain to the title game, the junior helped the Owls rally early in the third quarter to trim Sterling’s lead to two. But that was as close as Garden Plain would come, as Sterling kept the Owls at bay for the rest of the game.
Puetz once again led Garden Plain, which finished with a 19-7 record, in the title game with eight points, while Madelyn Rolfs and Brooke Hammond each scored six.
In the 2A girls third-place game, Smith Center topped Berean Academy 44-37 with Tayton Smith (12 points) and Lillie Veer (11 points) leading the way. After entering the state tournament with a one-loss record, Berean Academy (23-3) lost to eventual state champion Sterling and Smith Center each by seven points.
Other area girls teams could relate to that.
Wellington carried a dream undefeated season into the 4A semifinals, only to run up against the buzz saw of Bishop Miege, which won its three games by an average of 35 points to capture yet another state title. Meanwhile, the Crusaders (23-2) had to settle for a fourth-place finish after losing 68-61 to Wamego on Saturday with Airalyn Frame scoring a game-high 29 points with 12 rebounds in her final high school game.
Nickerson faced a similar predicament in the 3A state tournament in Hutchinson, as the Panthers entered with a 22-1 record but left with a fourth-place finish after a close loss to Hugoton in the semifinals and then a 53-51 heartbreaker to Silver Lake on Saturday. Ava Jones was arguably the top player in the tournament, finishing her final game of the season with 26 points and 19 rebounds.
Pretty Prairie girls win program’s first state title
It came down to the final shot, but the Pretty Prairie girls basketball team survived for a 37-35 victory over Centralia to win the Class 1A Div. I championship at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
It was a close game throughout, featuring 15 lead changes, but Pretty Prairie emerged victorious for the first state championship in program history to conclude a 25-1 season.
Pretty Prairie led by as many as six points in the third quarter, but Centralia roared back to take a 35-34 lead with 2:23 remaining in the fourth quarter. Senior sub Abigail White delivered what would become the game-winning three with 1:20 left, as Pretty Prairie had to hold its breath for a nervous final moment when Centralia’s Oen Deters had a potential game-winning shot hit off the rim at the buzzer.
Pretty Prairie was led by senior McKenna Vogl, who flirted with a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks. The Bulldogs had one of the top defenses in the state, led by a senior class featuring Vogl, White, Aubrey Young, Jorah Harbaugh and Grace Webster.
In the 1A Div. II girls third-place game, Hanover pulled away from a two-point game at halftime to win 47-27 over Hutchinson Central Christian. Central Christian (21-5) was led by Anna Lambert with 12 points and Kaylee Kauffman with 11 points.
KSHSAA state basketball tournament scores
Boys
Class 6A
1st: Wichita Heights 61, Blue Valley Northwest 54
3rd: Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51
Class 5A
1st: Topeka Seaman 66, De Soto 47
3rd: St. James Academy 81, Maize 62
Class 4A
1st: Bishop Miege 64, Andale 57
3rd: McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33
Class 3A
1st: Hesston 51, Royal Valley 41
3rd: Southeast-Saline 57, Thomas More Prep 44
Class 2A
1st: Hillsboro 60, St. Marys 32
3rd: Lyndon 66, Valley Falls 50
Class 1A Division 1
1st: Olpe 66, South Gray 42
3rd: Macksville 66, Solomon 54
Class 1A Division 2
1st: Greeley County 56, Hanover 55
3rd: Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79 (OT)
Girls
Class 6A
1st: Washburn Rural 40, Derby 23
3rd: Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46 (3 OT)
Class 5A
1st: St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38
3rd: Andover Central 48, Lansing 46
Class 4A
1st: Bishop Miege 71, Eudora 45
3rd: Wamego 68, Wellington 61
Class 3A
1st: Goodland 48, Hugoton 47
3rd: Silver Lake 53, Nickerson 51
Class 2A
1st: Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38
3rd: Smith Center 44, Berean Academy 37
Class 1A Division 1
1st: Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35
3rd: Burlingame 55, Hodgeman County 45
Class 1A Division 2
1st: Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38
3rd: Hanover 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 27
Kansas high school state basketball team finishes
Boys
Class 6A
1st: Wichita Heights (23-2)
2nd: Blue Valley Northwest (21-4)
3rd: Lawrence Free State (23-2)
4th: Olathe West (15-10)
Class 5A
1st: Topeka Seaman (18-7)
2nd: De Soto (20-5)
3rd: St. James Academy (17-8)
4th: Maize (19-6)
Class 4A
1st: Bishop Miege (19-6)
2nd: Andale (18-7)
3rd: McPherson (15-10)
4th: Topeka Hayden (10-15)
Class 3A
1st: Hesston (25-1)
2nd: Royal Valley (24-2)
3rd: Southeast-Saline (22-4)
4th: Thomas More Prep (20-6)
Class 2A
1st: Hillsboro (25-1)
2nd: St. Marys (22-4)
3rd: Lyndon (23-3)
4th: Valley Falls (24-2)
Class 1A Division 1
1st: Olpe (25-1)
2nd: South Gray (23-3)
3rd: Macksville (23-3)
4th: Solomon (17-9)
Class 1A Division 2
1st: Greeley County (24-2)
2nd: Hanover (24-2)
3rd: Northern Valley (23-3)
4th: Bucklin (20-7)
Girls
Class 6A
1st: Washburn Rural (23-2)
2nd: Derby (23-2)
3rd: Blue Valley (21-4)
4th: Olathe North (23-2)
Class 5A
1st: St. Thomas Aquinas (23-2)
2nd: Salina Central (24-1)
3rd: Andover Central (19-6)
4th: Lansing (20-5)
Class 4A
1st: Bishop Miege (23-2)
2nd: Eudora (23-2)
3rd: Wamego (22-3)
4th: Wellington (23-2)
Class 3A
1st: Goodland (24-2)
2nd: Hugoton (23-3)
3rd: Silver Lake (24-2)
4th: Nickerson (23-3)
Class 2A
1st: Sterling (26-0)
2nd: Garden Plain (19-7)
3rd: Smith Center (21-5)
4th: Berean Academy (23-3)
Class 1A Division 1
1st: Pretty Prairie (25-1)
2nd: Centralia (25-1)
3rd: Burlingame (22-3)
4th: Hodgeman County (24-2)
Class 1A Division 2
1st: Central Plains (25-1)
2nd: Golden Plains (24-1)
3rd: Hanover (21-5)
4th: Hutchinson Central Christian (21-5)
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 8:00 PM.
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