By JUSTIN BURKHARDT
TopSports.news
HOYT -- The Hayden Wildcat boys have been through it all this season. They won four of their first five games and then the new year hit and the Wildcats couldn’t win as injuries would hit them left and right and they would lose their next 12 games. Now the Wildcats are hot as they have won four of their last six games at the most crucial time of the season.
Hayden's boys basketball team celebrates Saturday's 71-67 double-overtime victory in the Class 3A sub-state championship game at Royal Valley. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
Hayden's boys basketball team poses for a picture after winning the Class 3A sub-state championship at Royal Valley. [Photo by Kyle Grunert/Special to TSN]
And on Saturday night the Wildcats would show top-seeded Sabetha how far they have progressed, punching their ticket to the Class 3A state tournament with a thrilling 71-67 double-overtime victory over the Bluejays.
The Wildcats would get out to a hot start, going up 17-9 in the first quarter and taking a 30-18 halftime lead.
But Sabetha came storming back to get behind 42-34 at the end of the third quarter and outscoring Hayden 13-5 in the fourth quarter to take a 3-point lead with seconds to go before Hayden senior guard Dom Ridley would hit a 3-pointer to tie things up at 47 and force overtime.
In the first overtime the Bluejays looked like they were going to pull off the victory but the Wildcats would not give up.
Sabetha had a two-point lead with seconds to go and Hayden needing a miracle to stay alive. The Wildcats got just that as another senior, Carter Charvat, would step up and make a huge play with a layup as time expired to force a second overtime.
The second overtime would be all Hayden as junior Jacob Diester would put his teammates on his back, scoring seven of his 13 points in the second OT and help the Wildcats close out the 71-67 win.
“Big players come up at big times,'' Ridley said. "Charvat hits the layup to force the second overtime and it was history after that.”
“Gosh it feels awesome,'' Hayden coach Trey Brown said. "These guys could have quit a long time ago, but we stayed on them and it's a credit to all these guys. They worked hard, never gave up, believed in each other and battled injuries and stuff and their hard work is paying off. I am extremely proud of them.”
The Wildcats got big scoring nights from Ridley and freshman Mason Becker with 16 points apiece and Diester's 13 points.
“I think you know those three stand out in this game (and) I think defensively we had a lot of guys step up when we needed them to -- Cooper Grace, James Kuta, Kade Mitchell,'' Brown said. "Just to speak on Jacob's 13 points in 13 minutes coming off the bench in overtime is a huge credit to that kid.
"He works extremely hard and at times this year his minutes haven't been what he wanted, but he has kept his head high and been a good teammate. It's one of those things where I texted him and told him to be ready because we are going to need you and I told the other coaches today that he is going to do big things for us. Dom and Mason hit huge shots for us and both of them were awesome. Mason is just a freshman but he looks like a senior out there. He is so poised and in the moment and Dom is a great leader. He is a bulldog. He wants those moments and wants those shots. It's a credit to him and all these guys.”
“I came out confident tonight,'' Becker said. "I knew I needed to come out hot and we played together as a team tonight and it definitely showed.”
The Wildcats have struggled to put four quarters together most of the season but have figured out how to finish in their recent hot streak.
“Putting together a game for 32 minutes plus and we showed that tonight, it's a thing where early on this season we would play a good half or three quarters, but couldn't finish and its a credit to these guys for how long they have worked and know it is showing,” Brown said.
“This trip is very special to me because it is my senior year and these are my final high school basketball games,” Ridley said on going back to state.
“It means a lot in my first year and I expect to go to state the next three years,” Becker said.
The 8-15 Wildcats will open the 3A state boys tournament at 2 p.m. Wednesday against No. 1 seed Beloit (22-1) in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
HAYDEN BOYS 71, SABETHA 67 (2 OT)
Hayden 17 13 12 5 11 13 – 71
Sabetha 9 9 16 13 11 9 – 67
Hayden (8-15) – Ridley 5-12 3-4 16, Becker 6-14 0-0 16, Charvat 4-8 1-1 9, Colboch 3-11 1-2 8, Hanika 1-1 0-0 2, Deister 5-5 3-4 13, Grace 2-3 0-0 4, Kuta 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 27-56 8-11 71.
Sabetha (19-4) – Baumann 7-14 2-3 17, Nate Menold 5-9 3-4 16, Ulrich 5-9 1-3 12, McAfee 4-6 3-6 11, Grimm 4-4 1-1 9, Wenger 1-4 0-0 2, Thomas 0-2 0-2 0, Tyler Menold 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-51 10-19 67.
3-point goals– Hayden 9 (Becker 4, Ridley 3,Colboch,Kuta), Sabetha 5 (Nate Menold 3, Bauman, Ulrich).
