By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EMPORIA -- It had been nearly eight months since Hayden's boys basketball team had played a game.
But the way the Wildcats ended last season, with a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament, seemed to have a carryover effect when Hayden lined up Thursday to open the 2022-2023 season against Wichita Trinity in the Paul Terry Classic.
Hayden junior Mister Cameron (4) takes the ball to the basket against Wichita Trinity in Thursday's 82-45 romp in the opening round of the Paul Terry Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden boys coach Dwayne Paul gives instructions to his team during Thursday's 82-45 season-opening romp past Wichita Trinity. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"It's one of those things where I think the way we ended last year has kind of propelled us into this year,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Paul said. "This summer wasn't about winning or losing. It was about skill development, a lot of shooting, a lot of ball-handling. We worked on playing the right way.
"We move the ball, we attack and you saw that (tonight). This has been four or five months in the making'''
Hayden jumped out to a 17-8 first-quarter lead against Trinity and put the game by halftime, taking a 42-25 advantage to the locker room.
The Wildcats continued to add to their advantage in the second half, outscoring the Knights by a 37-20 margin, and forced a running clock early in the fourth quarter.
Veteran Joe Otting, a 6-foot-5 senior, led Hayden with 11 points but was just part of a balanced attack for the Wildcats, who had 12 players crack the scoring column out of the 13 players who saw action.
Freshman Ayden McGibboney joined Otting in double figures with 10 points in his high school debut while senior Jake Muller and sophomore Jacob Dister added nine points apiece and senior Dylan Foster and junior Dominic Ridley had eight points each.
The Wildcat burned the nets for 12 3-pointers on the night, led by Dister with three treys, while junior Cooper Colbach, Foster, senior Gabriel Gonzalez and Ridley all hit a pair of 3s.
Paul was pleased with the depth the Wildcats were able to show Thursday against Trinity.
"I feel comfortable with those guys coming off the bench,'' he said.
Hayden will be back in action at 8:15 p.m. Friday in the second round of the tournament against host Emporia.
HAYDEN BOYS 82, WICHITA TRINITY 45
Wichita Trinity 8 17 4 16-- 45
Hayden 17 28 13 24 -- 82
Wichita Trinity (0-1) -- Wertenbruger 3 3-4 9. Kriwiel 0 0-0 0, Shaffer 1 0-0 2, Garrison 0 1-3 1, Zimmerman 4 4-4 12, J. Draper 0 0-0 0, Wuthnow 4 2-2 11, Roberson 2 3-4 8, M. Draper 0 2-2 2. Totals 14 15-19 45.
Hayden (1-0) -- Padilla 3 0-0 6, Colbach 2 0-0 6, Muller 3 2-2 9, Cameron 2 0-2 4, Foster 3 0-0 8, McGibboney 5 0-0 10, Gonzalez 2 0-0 6, Mitchell 0 0-0 0, Ham 0 2-2 2, Dister 3 0-0 9, Charvat 1 1-1 3, Ridley 3 0-0 8, Otting 5 1-3 11. Totals 32 6-10 82.
3-point goals -- Hayden 12 (Dister 3, Colbach 2, Foster 2, Gonzalez 2, Ridley 2, Muller), Wichita Trinity 2 (Wuthnow, Roberson). Total fouls -- Wichita Trinity 17, Hayden 20. Fouled out – none.
