By Rick Peterson
TopSports.news
Highland Park's boys entered Friday night's Class 5A sub-state final against Bonner Springs as a heavy favorite.
Highland Park juniors Ja'Corey Robinson (right) and Mikey Williams hoist the sub-state championship trophy after Friday night's 80-48 win over Bonner Springs. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Highland Park celebrates Friday's 80-48 Class 5A sub-state win over Bonner Springs, qualifying for state for the third straight season. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
And the Scots played that role to the hilt, rolling to their third straight state tournament berth with an 80-48 win over the Braves at Topeka West as junior Ja'Corey Robinson led the way with a monster 35-point, 12-rebound performance.
"We've been really preaching that we want to play the way we want to play in state before we get there,'' Highland Park coach Mike Williams said. "We want to come out and we want to exert our will and there's things that we want to take away from (opponents).
"We did a really, really good job on prep and scout and it helps when our guys hit shots and believe and they play together.''
With Friday's rout 21-1 Highland Park is set to make the familiar trek to Emporia's White Auditorium, where the Scots will open their state bid with a first-round game on Wednesday.
Bonner Springs (13-9), which had dropped a 90-33 decision to Hi Park in the Scots' season-opener, hit some 3-pointers early to lead 5-4, 7-6 and 10-9 but Highland Park ended the first quarter with a 12-0 run to take a 21-10 lead and was off to the races.
Highland Park led by as many as 23 points in the second quarter and took a commanding 48-28 advantage to the locker room at halftime.
The Scots led 66-42 at the start of the fourth quarter and forced a running clock with 3:20 remaining.
Highland Park coach Mike Williams has led the Scots to three straight Class 5A state tournament berths and four out of the last five years. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
"We've kind of been in some nailbiters over the recent years in these sub-state championship games so to kind of be in control at halftime and maintain that is a good feeling,'' Mike Williams said.
Junior Ja'Corey Robinson slams home one of his six dunks in Friday's 80-48 Class 5A sub-state win over Bonner Springs. [Photo by Kyle Manthe/Special to TSN]
Bonner Springs had absolutely no answer for Robinson, the Scots' 6-foot-4 standout, who was the most dominant player on the court all night.
Unofficially, Robinson connected on 16 of 17 shots from the floor while registering six dunks.
"We have a lot of shooters and everybody was hitting 3s and spreading out the floor and getting the paint open for me to finish around the rim,'' Robinson said. "I like having fun with my teammates and we're just trying to get to the next level.
"We've been to state every year that I've been here and we've got to win this one this time.''
Senior Bryson Thrasher, who had 10 points off the bench with three 3-pointers, was the only other Highland Park player to crack double figures but Jamon Wilson and Tamir Anderson (three 3s) both added nine points apiece and Mikey Williams had eight.
Sophomore Jason Jones II had 20 points and senior Kalen Streit 14 for Bonner, but no other player had more than five for the Braves.
HIGHLAND PARK BOYS 80, BONNER SPRINGS 48
Bonner Springs 10 18 14 6 -- 48
Highland Park 21 27 18 14 -- 80
Bonner Springs (13-9) -- Streit 5-10 1-2 14, Price 0-1 0-0 0, Wilson 2-4 0-0 5, Jones II 9-14 0-0 20, Rolfe 1-3 0-1 2, Wendt 0-0 0-0 0, Morrison 1-3 1-2 3, Doss 0-1 0-0 0, Nez 0-2 2-2 2, J. Taylor 0-2 0-2 0, D. Taylor 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 19-53 4-9 48.
Highland Park (21-1) -- Taylor 2-6 0-2 4, Wilson 4-6 0-1 9, Williams 3-10 1-2 8, Robinson 16-17 3-8 35, Anderson 3-9 0-0 9, Thrasher 3-6 1-2 10, Bradley 0-0 0-0 0, Cameron 1-3 1-1 3, Kingcannon 0-0 0-0 0, Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0, Kelley 1-1 0-0 2, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-58 6-14 80.
3-point goals -- Bonner Springs 6 (Streit 3, Jones II 2, Wilson), Highland Park 8 (Thrasher 3, Anderson 3, Wilson, Williams). Total fouls -- Bonner Springs 14, Highland Park 18. Fouled out -- none. Technical foul -- none.
