Area squads ready for state

As can be expected, the road to a championship will be a steep one for three area basketball teams.
Humboldt High’s boys, Crest High’s boys and Southern Coffey County High’s girls will have to take on some of the most highly regarded teams in Kansas in order to advance through the upcoming state basketball tournament.
The Cubs, still abuzz over a pair of thrilling overtime wins to take the Class 3A substate title over the weekend, are undefeated at 23-0 and the top seed in their 3A state bracket.
But their opponents from Salina-Sacred Heart look to be formidable, even as the eighth (and bottom) seed of the bracket.
At 15-8, the Knights played one of the most punishing schedules in the state, having lost to fellow state qualifiers Beloit and Abilene in 3A, Republic County (2A) and to the likes of El Dorado in 4A and Salina Central in 5A.
Guard Tate Richards leads Sacred Heart at 11 points and 4 rebounds per game, Tony Chavez at 10  and 7 rebounds per contest.
Familiar faces will lead the Humboldt squad, led by the senior triumvirate of Noah Thornbrugh (16 points, 7 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game), Tanner McNutt (15 PPG) and Nathan Whitcomb (8.3 PPG)
Senior Trey Johnson, meanwhile, had a memorable weekend as another vital cog for Humboldt, having delivered the game-winning basket Saturday in Humboldt’s overtime win against Eureka and the buzzer-beating game-tying shot in a double overtime win Friday against Burlington.
Several other 3A powerhouses fill Humboldt’s bracket. Second seed Scott City (22-1) and third seed Nemaha Valley (22-1) also happen to be the defending champion and runner-up, respectively, in 3A. Scott City, in fact, is gunning for its third straight 3A title, having also won the football championship in November.
In addition, Beloit (21-2) and Silver Lake (20-2) will face off in the first round, with the winner taking on the winner of the Humboldt-Sacred Heart matchup.
Humboldt’s game tips off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The game will be aired on 105.5 FM.

IN CLASS 1A, Division II, the Southern Coffey County High girls (10-13) get the honor of taking on the top-ranked, undefeated and top seed Ingalls Bulldogs (23-0) in Hays.
Junior Rebecca Wyatt leads Ingalls with 13 points and 10 rebounds per game, having scored in double digits in every game but two. Freshman guard Kaisha Batman — aside from having the coolest name in the tournament — brings nearly 11 points and 2 steals per game.
Senior Sarah Webb leads the way for the LeRoy girls with nine points, eight rebounds and two assists per game. Breanna Isch adds seven points and seven rebounds a game. Martyna Hegwald and Kalyn Deal also combine for more than 10 points per game in supporting roles.
The game tips off at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University.
Several other powerhouses are in the bracket. If the Lady Titans get past Ingalls, they would face either Wilson (20-2) or Baileyville B&B (20-3). Norwich (22-1) and Golden Plains (20-2) are on the other side of the bracket.
Mike Sutcliffe of KINZ Radio said the station is working to secure sponsors in order to broadcast the Lady Titans game on 95.3 FM.
“We should know by this afternoon,” Sutcliffe said this morning.

CREST HIGH’S boys have perhaps the most intriguing matchup. The 17-6 Lancers are the fifth seed and will take on fourth-seeded Wallace County of Sharon Springs.
The Wildcats racked up a 16-5 record on the heels of its prolific offense, having topped 60 points in all but one of its games. Wallace County topped 80 points on five occasions, including a season-high 91 in a win over St. Francis Feb. 19.
A pair of standout seniors lead the Wildcats. Eli Kuhlman and Gavin Mote, both four-year starters, average 20 and 15 points, respectively. Junior Cayden Dailey delivers 13 points a contest.
Crest, of course, is led by its senior contingent, most prominently Kyle Hammond. Classmates Jordan Morton and Jesse Boone also offer up scoring and rebounding strength.
A win over Wallace County could put the Lancers on a collision course with undefeated Fowler, the top seed and the only unbeaten squad in Class 1A, Division II.
Others to watch for include second seed Central Christian out of Hutchinson and third-seeded White City.
The Crest game tips off at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, also at FHSU’s Gross Memorial Coliseum, and will be broadcast on 95.3.

ALL OF THE state basketball games can be watched online at kshsaa.playonsports.com.