High school league champions: Kapaun tops Heights to earn share of City League title

Maybe it was his subconscious informing the decision after his father had been harping to him to use a shot fake in a game.

Max Keller isn’t sure why he decided to pump fake when he had the ball in his hands in the final seconds of overtime in the de facto City League championship game against Heights on Thursday. After reviewing film, Kapaun Mt. Carmel boys basketball coaches determined it was the only ball fake used by the Crusaders in the entire game.

Better later than never, as Keller’s pump fake led to a Heights defender flying up in the air and allowed the senior to wiggle around for the game-winning basket in the paint with 1.4 seconds left to lift the Crusaders to a dramatic 50-48 overtime victory and earn a share of their second straight City League title.

“My dad has been telling me for like my whole life, ‘That’s how you get open shots, use the ball fake,’” Keller said. “To hit that shot was just crazy. Absolutely surreal. It didn’t feel real.”

The regular-season finale between the two state championship-caliber teams coached by Kansas high school legends was the most anticipated game in the city and Thursday’s game arguably exceeded the hype. The fourth quarter and overtime period alone featured eight lead changes and four ties.

Even though his team came up short, falling to 18-2 on the season, Heights coach Joe Auer couldn’t help but appreciate what he considered a classic City League battle. After the Falcons won the first meeting by 15 points, the two teams shared the GWAL title with 15-1 records.

“You can’t play any harder or compete any harder than the way both teams went at each other,” Auer said. “As a long-time representative of the City League, I was very proud of the intense level that both teams played at. We both have a lot of respect for one another and we both played our hearts out. We knew coming in that we were guaranteed a share of the City League title, but we didn’t want to share it.”

Heights star junior T.J. Williams scored a game-high 19 points, while Amalachi Wilkins added 15 points and four blocks and Marcus Zeigler finished with five assists. Kapaun standout center Will Anciaux scored 11 points, as did Corbin Johnson.

But it was Keller who proved to be the unlikely hero, as he came off the bench to score just two baskets in the game — the game-tying 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime, then the game-winner with 1.4 seconds in the extra period.

With Kapaun trailing 42-39 in the final 30 seconds, Kapaun coach Steve Eck designed a play to use Johnson as a decoy to set a pin-down screen for Keller, who had not scored in the game, to come off and try to find enough space to launch the game-tying 3-pointer.

“When he was leaving the timeout, (Keller) asked me, ‘Should I shoot the three if I get it?’” Eck said. “I told him, ‘Max, you’re a 40% shooter and we’re down three. Yes, shoot the ball. The odds are in your favor.’”

Eck said that while Keller comes off the bench for Kapaun, he is plenty capable and would be a starter for almost any other team. Afterward, Keller said Eck’s confidence in him was empowering in the moment.

“It’s my senior year and it’s the perfect chance for me to step up,” Keller said. “I can’t thank coach Eck enough for believing in me and trusting me to make not one, but both of those shots. I still can’t believe it happened. I’m so glad that it did, though.”

Heights was on the cusp of pulling away in regulation when Wilkins finished a transition layup while being fouled for a 41-37 lead with 59 seconds left, but he missed his free throw — a troubling theme for Heights. The Falcons missed 3 of 4 free throws in the final minute, which left the opportunity open for Kapaun to rally.

The overtime period was a back-and-forth thriller, as Williams put Heights ahead 47-45 on a three-point play, only for Anciaux to answer right back with a three-point play of his own to put the Crusaders back in front, 48-47, with 1:33 left. Heights split a pair of free throws to tie the game with 1:04 left, but Kapaun rebounded the miss and held the ball to set up Keller’s final look.

Heights had one final chance with 1.4 seconds remaining and the length of the floor to go. Auer substituted D.J. Dingle, the football team’s quarterback in the fall, to throw the pass and he found Williams on a heave. Williams caught the ball just outside the arc, turned around and fired what would have been a game-winner but the shot was just long and bounced off the back rim.

“We couldn’t ask for a better contest going into the postseason,” Auer said. “We actually gained confidence even though we came up a bucket short in overtime. We know we are capable of competing with anybody in the state and this game definitely reinforced that. We’re a confidence bunch and it’s not like our kids needed to be reminded of how good they can play.”

Heights (18-2) will be the No. 2 overall seed in the Class 6A West bracket and host its own sub-state pod next week, while Kapaun (19-1) secured the No. 1 overall seed in the Class 5A West bracket and will also host its own sub-state.

For Eck, it continued his run of City League dominance. He has won at least a share of the City League title in both years since returning to the high school game at Kapaun and combined with his last decade at South, all of which ended in league titles, Eck has won at least a share of the City League championship in the last 12 seasons he has coached in the city.

“I still think Heights is going to win state again,” Eck said. “That was a great battle between two very good teams.”

Wichita-area high school basketball league champions

Boys

City League: Heights and Kapaun Mt. Carmel (15-1)

AV-CTL Div. 1: Hutchinson (11-1)

AV-CTL Div. 2: Andover and Andover Central (11-1)

AV-CTL Div. 3: McPherson (10-0)

AV-CTL Div. 4: Collegiate (9-1)

Central Plains League: Independent (8-1)

Central Kansas League: Hesston (9-0)

Girls

City League: Bishop Carroll (15-1)

AV-CTL Div. 1: Derby (12-0)

AV-CTL Div. 2: Andover (11-1)

AV-CTL Div. 3: McPherson (10-0)

AV-CTL Div. 4: Andale and Wellington (9-1)

Central Plains League: Cheney and Garden Plain (8-1)

Central Kansas League: Hillsboro (9-0)

City League basketball standings

Boys

Girls

AV-CTL Div. 1 basketball standings

Boys

Girls

AV-CTL Div. 2 basketball standings

Boys

Girls

AV-CTL Div. 3 basketball standings

Boys

Girls

AV-CTL Div. 4 basketball standings

Boys

Girls

Central Plains League basketball standings

Boys

Girls

Central Kansas League basketball standings

Boys

Girls

Kansas high school basketball game scores (Feb. 23, 24)

Boys

City League

East 56, Southeast 46

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 50, Heights 48 (OT)

South 65, Bishop Carroll 56

West 70, North 71

AV-CTL Div. 1

Campus 66, Salina Central 61

Hutchinson 58, Newton 39

Maize 51, Derby 48

Maize South 88, Salina South 47

AV-CTL Div. 2

Andover 65, Valley Center 33

Andover Central 61, Eisenhower 44

Arkansas City 72, Goddard 55

AV-CTL Div. 3

Augusta 52, Winfield 35

Buhler 49, Circle 45

McPherson 66, Mulvane 32

AV-CTL Div. 4

Andale 51, Wellington 45

Collegiate 67, Clearwater 34

Rose Hill 68, El Dorado 46

Girls

City League

Bishop Carroll 58, South 55 (OT)

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 46, Heights 39

Southeast 55, East 51

AV-CTL Div. 1

Derby 59, Maize 29

Hutchinson 35, Newton 20

Maize South 62, Salina South 33

Salina Central 61, Campus 15

AV-CTL Div. 2

Andover 43, Valley Center 25

Andover Central 65, Eisenhower 37

Goddard 36, Arkansas City 24

AV-CTL Div. 3

Circle 42, Buhler 37

McPherson 55, Mulvane 25

Winfield 51, Augusta 36

AV-CTL Div. 4

Andale 58, Wellington 37

Clearwater 47, Collegiate 29

Rose Hill 33, El Dorado 27

This story was originally published February 25, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.