Wichita Heights takes City League boys basketball lead, ends losing streak vs. Kapaun
A state championship, a City League championship — you name the title and Marcus Zeigler has won it as a four-year starter on the Wichita Heights boys basketball team.
The only thing Zeigler seemingly hasn’t been able to do? Beat Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
For the last three years, the Falcons and the Crusaders have battled for City League supremacy, and all six times, Kapaun has found a way to come out on top. In fact, five of those six wins over Heights have come by four points or less.
After three years of heartbreak, Zeigler, the team’s all-state senior point guard, helped guide the Falcons to a breakthrough 51-36 road win over Kapaun in the first of two meetings this season in a series that will likely determine the City League championship once again.
Heights (8-1), No. 3 in Class 6A, picked up its first win in the rivalry series since 2019 to complete the first round of the City League schedule undefeated, while Kapaun (9-1), ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, suffered its first loss of the season.
“Kapaun was the perfect test for us halfway through the season,” Heights coach Joe Auer said. “They’re a team that made us cut and pass on time and two-hand rebound and finish strong at the rim. They make you do everything well. I thought Marcus helped up with that. You don’t become a team captain and four-year starter by accident.”
While Zeigler is the calming veteran presence for the Falcons on the court, 6-foot-5 junior wing T.J. Williams is the dynamic force that makes the defending Class 6A champions so dangerous.
But on Tuesday, Williams had been bottled up in the first half, held without a point by Kapaun’s stingy defense. With Heights clinging to a 21-17 lead, Zeigler, the team captain, stood up in the locker room and vowed the game would turn around for Williams in the second half.
“I give the credit to Marcus. He was the one who really challenged T.J. at halftime,” Auer said. “He told him, ‘Stay with us and we’ll get you the ball.’ And he reminded him that the reason the other players were scoring was because T.J. was drawing two defenders.
“When you have guys who have been part of state championship success, they’re pretty mature and they understand there are many ways to win a game.”
Sure enough, right out of halftime Zeigler passed ahead to Williams on a fastbreak for a layup and foul. A minute later, Zeigler again found Williams in transition for a bucket. A four-point halftime advantage was stretched to 31-18 before Kapaun had to call for timeout to regroup.
Williams, a promising recruit in the class of 2024, scored all 16 of his team-high points in the second half, while adding 14 rebounds, five assists and a block in a complete performance. Zeigler added eight points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Up against a talented center in Kapaun 6-foot-6 senior Will Anciaux, Heights managed to limit his impact by the stout defense played inside by senior Jordan Okon.
The Crusaders managed to close to within 37-31 in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, but Zeigler followed with two free throws and Williams found Qyree Holt in the corner for a three to extend the lead back to double-digits, 42-32, within the next minute. Kapaun never threatened again.
Auer was particularly pleased with his team’s rebounding effort, as his assistants tracked that the Falcons grabbed 85% of available defensive rebounds against Kapaun with a team effort put forth by Williams, Zeigler, Okon, Holt, Amalachi Wilkins (five blocks), Jordan Alford and Chase Robinson.
“Those were two of the best defensive teams in the state of Kansas and baskets were hard to come by,” Auer said. “We knew it was going to be a low-scoring game and we made some plays on defense that allowed us to finally get some transition buckets in the second half. It was a great team effort and a heck of a City League battle.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
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