By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
Hayden's 67-57 win over Topeka High on Friday night was an "all hands on deck" clinic.
Class 4A No. 6-ranked Hayden breathed easier after snapping a brief three-game losing streak.
Hayden's Joe Otting (left), Mister Cameron and Dominik Ridley helped the Wildcats snap a three-game losing streak with a 67-57 win over Topeka High Friday at Hayden. [Photo by Isaac Deer/TSN]
However, winning a backyard brawl against a team right down the road from Hayden was challenging.
"I feel like the three games that we lost were all winnable at one point in the game," Hayden coach Dwayne Paul said. "I felt like in every game, we were right there. So today, to come in against a lot of our defensive principles in switching one through five, putting Joe (Otting) into soe tough matchups was good.
"Credit goes to Topeka High. They shoot the ball so well that you can't hedge off of their guys. They play with five guards at all times. So you have to be able to run them off of the line and make contested twos rather than penetrating and kicking threes. I thought, for the most part, we did a pretty good job of that."
With the officials calling it a tight game, every aggressive play in the paint and beyond was like walking on broken glass. Foul trouble was going to expose one team's weaknesses while it showed another team's strengths.
For Hayden, 10 players found their way into the scoring column. Leading the way was junior guard Jacob Padilla, who had a game-high 25 points, netting four 3-point shots and going seven of 10 from the charity stripe.
No team had a clear advantage early on. In the first quarter, neither team had significant leads.
The referees' whistles were the only sound louder than the Hayden student section. The hum of the gym was those whistles, as there were 12 (Topeka seven, Hayden five) total fouls before the end of the first quarter, not giving much flexibility for either team for the remainder of the half.
With Hayden's bruising big man, Otting, with two fouls, Paul decided to sit the Notre Dame football signee for the remainder of the half, which was a considerable loss.
In the second quarter, the teams played less aggressively because of the foul trouble each team faced.
But, as expected, Hayden and Topeka High had a tactical and strategic defensive outing in the quarter.
Padilla would create mismatches outside the perimeter, gaining attention with his quick step-back jump shot. The constant attention Padilla got opened up numerous opportunities for other Wildcats.
Opportunities for Jake Muller, Carter Charvat, Dominik Ridley and others helped Hayden sustain its lead.
Padilla did lead the Wildcats with scoring with seven going into the halftime break, but Hayden's lead was due to the contributions by the bench. Seven total Hayden players scored.
Out of the halftime break, Hayden opened up with an 11-0 run. Padilla nailed a pair of 3-pointers, Muller had one of his own, and Otting picked up a basket.
The return of Otting from the first-half foul trouble was a massive boost for the Wildcats. Immediately, Otting's 6-foot-5, 280-pound presence down in the paint made it challenging for Topeka High's lack of size.
"We have a saying that you don't have to score to impact the game,'" Paul said. "A lot of times, people get caught up in the numbers and the stats. Whether it's Joe, Jake Muller, Padilla or Mister Cameron, I have a lot of guys come in, and they control the game without scoring a bunch of points. When it comes to Joe, he's the most dominant player on the court.
"When he can only play a quarter and a half and not have a great game and still score 12 points and also be your biggest cheerleader when his team is playing well is big. That says a lot about your team, and you have a chance to be good."
Hayden would follow up its third quarter by putting up 27 points in the fourth. Eleven out of the 27 points came from the free throw line, with Topeka High trying to foul its way to possibly making a comeback.
Topeka High was able to cut the Hayden lead down to seven points a couple of times but was unable to prevail or make a run to take the lead.
For Topeka High, Mason Gomez led the team in scoring with 17 points. Isaiah Lyons earned 14 points, while Da'Mykel Hales had 11.
Besides Padilla's game-high 25 points, Otting scored 12 points and Muller had nine.
"Teams like this are fun to coach because no one cares who gets the credit as long as you get the win," Paul said.
HAYDEN BOYS 67, TOPEKA HIGH 57.
Topeka High 11 8 8 30 – 57
Hayden 15 11 14 27 – 67
Topeka High (1-8, 0-4) – Lyons 5 2-2 14, Thrasher 2 3-5 8, Hales 3 4-5 11, Norman 1 2-4 4, Gomez 6 3-4 17, Mosqueda 0 1-3 1, Groves 1 0-0 2. Totals – 18 15-23 57.
Hayden (4-4, 1-3) – Padilla 7 7-10 25, Muller 3 1-3 9, Ham 0 1-2 1, Otting 6 0-2 12, Cameron 1 0-4 2, Colbach 1 2-2 5, McGibboney 1 1-2 3, Deister 0 2-2 2, Charvat 1 1-2 3, Ridley 1 2-2 5. Totals – 21 17-31 67.
3-point goals – Hayden 8 (Padilla 4, Muller 2, Ridley, Colbach), Topeka High 6 (Lyons 2, Gomez 2, Thrasher, Hales). Total fouls – Hayden 18, Topeka High 25. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – Topeka High bench.
