By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
Just a year ago the Wildcats were in Class 3A and entered the postseason 5-13.
What a difference a year makes and the Wildcats, led by first-year coach Dwayne Anthony entered the postseason in Class 4A with a 13-8 record and ranked No. 7 in the last Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll.
Senior Jacob Deister (4) led Hayden with 15 points in Tuesday's 93-59 Class 4A sub-state win over Independence. [File photo/TSN]
Hayden would end up drawing the Bulldogs of Independence, who would enter the game with a 9-11 record and led by 5-foot-10 sophomore Javen Colbert. Javen's mom is from Topeka so he was able to play in front of a lot of friends and family and would score 14 points on the night.
"It was very special to be able to play in Topeka tonight because all my family is from here, and I am glad I was able to represent for them just wish the game would of gone a different way,'' Colbert said.
The Wildcats would get off to a 6-0 run to start the game and take off from there as they would stretch that into a 22-10 lead midway thru the first quarter and take a commanding 32-19 lead to end the first quarter.
The Wildcats would start the second quarter with a 12-0 run that would put them up 47-19 as the Wildcats would use their length and speed to go into halftime up 54-29.
The Wildcats would be led by senior Jacob Deister, who would have 13 of his game-high 15 points at halftime.
The Wildcats would roll from there and out-score the Dawgs 39-29 the rest of the game to take a 93-59 semifinal win.
Hayden would get double-digit nights from four athletes as Deister would lead the way with 15 points, followed by Mason Becker’s 14, Connor Hanika’s 13 and Cooper Zweisler with 11 points.
The Wildcats were hot from 3-point range all night as they would shoot 9-17 from outside the arc.
"We came out really hot and our press really got the momentum going for us,'' Hanika said. "We still have a few adjustments to make to get ready for Rock Creek, including watching lots of film before Friday.”
"I really applaud the boys' passion and attention to detail and our energy and effort,'' Anthony said. "We are really, really a strong team when they bring those things. Now we just need to get back to it and watch film on Rock Creek and get ready for Friday.
"I am blessed, I have a team full of leaders, not just Mason, Connor and Jacob, but the senior class alone, each and every one of them is solid individuals and it is the reason that these guys have experienced success so far.''
The Wildcats now turn their attention to the No. 2 team on the East side of sub-state in Rock Creek, which advanced with a 59-39 win over Tonganoxie.
The game will be Friday night at Rock Creek with a game time of 7p.m. The winner will punch their ticket to the Class 4A state tournament next week in Salina.
HAYDEN BOYS 93, INDEPENDENCE 59
Independence 19 10 7 23 — 59
Hayden 32 22 22 17 — 93
Independence (9-12) — Smith 5-12 2-4 15, Colbert 4-11 4-6 14, Lanning 2-7 2-2 7, Veile 1-2 3-6 5, Bunyard 2-3 0-0 4, Sprague 3-3 1-2 7, Small 2-2 0-0 6, Sanders 0-0 1-1 1. Totals 19-40 13-21 59.
Hayden (13-8) — Deister 7-12 0-0 15, Becker 5-8 1-2 14, Hanika 6-9 1-2 13, Mitchell 2-4 0-0 4, Kuta 2-3 0-2 4, Zweisler 4-7 1-1 11, Compton 3-6 2-2 10, Tourtillot 4-6 0-2 9, Banks 3-5 0-0 6, Heinen 2-4 1-1 5, Wolff 1-2 0-0 2, Power 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-67 6-12 93.
3-point goals — Indy 8 (Smith 3, Colbert 2, Small 2, Lanning) Hayden 9 (Becker 3, Zweisler 2, Compton 2, Tourtillot, Deister). Total Fouls — Indy 10, Hayden 18.
Highland Park girls roll to 59-11 5A sub-state win
No. 3 Class 5A East girls seed Highland Park opened its sub-state bid with a 59-11 home semifinal win over Meadowlark Conference rival Kansas City-Washington Tuesday night.
Highland Park put the game away with a 24-2 first quarter and led 42-5 at the half and 51-9 at the start of the fourth quarter, forcing a running clock.
Sophomore Pearmella Carter led Highland Park (17-4) with 21 points (8 of 9 from the field) and also grabbed 8 rebounds with 4 assists and 4 steals.
Highland Park will host perennial 5A state power St. Thomas Aquinas, a 63-9 winner over Pittsburg, in Friday's 7 p.m. sub-state final.
Defending 3A champ Silver Lake advances to girls sub-state final
Silver Lake, the defending Class 3A girls state champion, is one win away from making it back to state after Tuesday's 51-31 home semifinal win over St. Marys.
Silver Lake took control with an 18-4 first quarter and led 25-6 at the half.
Junior Kailyn Hanni powered Silver Lake with 22 points, backed by freshman Karys Deiter with 15 points.
Silver Lake will play a sub-state final Friday night at Hiawatha, facing Wellsville in a 6 p.m. contest. Wellsville advanced with a 39-33 win over Hiawatha.
Rossville boys to play for 2A sub-state title
Rossville's boys are one step away from the Class 2A state tournament after Tuesday's 64-51 road win at Horton.
The semifinal was close until the fourth quarter when the Bulldawgs closed with a 17-6 run over the final eight minutes.
Rossville led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, 27-23 at the half and 47-45 at the start of the fourth stanza.
Junior Jack Donovan led the Bulldawgs with 20 points, while Cameron Miller and Kameron Badura added 15 points apiece.
Rossville will play for the sub-state championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Valley Heights, facing top seed Maur Hill.
Lions take top seed Maur Hill down to the wire in 49-43 loss
Cair Paravel Latin's boys saw their season come to an end Tuesday night but the Lions pushed No. 1 seed Maur Hill down to the end, dropping a 49-43 road decision.
Cair Paravel led 18-12 at the end of the opening quarter before Maur Hill took a 22-21 halftime advantage.
Maur Hill took a 37-3 lead into the fourth quarter and was able to hold off the Lions for the win.
Caleb Cleverdon led CPLS with 11 points (three 3-pointers), backed by Jase Pavlik with 10 points, Ben Roeder with 9 points and Lucas Marichal with 8 points and a pair of 3s.
