Staff writer
It has been a while since a Centre High School boys basketball team has played for a sub-state championship. This year’s team earned that right Friday by defeating Little River, 49-47, in a 1A Division I sub-state tournament at Burrton.
However, Saturday’s matchup with first-seed Pretty Prairie, with a record of 17-1, proved to be too much for the 12-8 Cougars. They suffered a 31-point loss, 72-41. However, they walked away with a sub-state runner-up plaque.
In the semifinal game against Little River, the Cougars got off to an 18-12 first-quarter lead but were outscored 13-7 in the second quarter, resulting in a 25-25 tie at halftime.
Toward the end of the third quarter, Little River took a 3-point lead, 32-29. However, a field goal and trey by Tyler Klenda and 2 free throws by Brian Burhoop gave Centre a 36-32 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Redskins caught up and went ahead again in the fourth quarter. The game was tied, 47-47, with 48 seconds remaining. Burhoop’s layup with 3.5 seconds on the clock resulted in a 2-point victory for Centre and the opportunity to play in the championship game.
As the team geared up for Saturday’s game, the five senior starters — Adam Matz, Klenda, Tanner Brunner, Burhoop, and Rustyn Kerbs — had hopes of going on to play again, but that was not to be.
An aggressive Pretty Prairie team exploded out of the gate, scoring a 3-pointer and two field goals before Centre got on the scoreboard with a free throw by Kerbs.
Centre fans were stunned as Pretty Prairie surged quickly to a 16-1 lead. The Bulldogs continued to take the ball strongly to the basket while successfully blocking Centre’s scoring attempts at the other end.
Field goals by Kerbs and Trevor Hageberg and 3-point treys by Burhoop and Klenda gave Centre 11 points by the end of the first quarter. Pretty Prairie scored 30 points.
Early in the second quarter, Kerbs experienced a nosebleed that delayed the game for several minutes while officials cleaned the floor.
The Cougars held their own in the quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs, 12-11, on 2 treys and 2 free throws by Burhoop, a field goal by Hageberg, and 2 free throws by Kordell Harding. Pretty Prairie led, 41-23, at halftime.
Burhoop scored 2 treys and 2 free throws and Adam Matz and Harding each made a bucket in the third quarter for a total of 12 points. The Bulldogs had 13 points and led, 54-35.
The fourth quarter was like a dagger to the heart as Pretty Prairie exploded for another 18 points compared with 6 by Centre.
With more than 4 minutes remaining and Centre trailing 64-37, Coach Gregg Wyatt put bench players James Wyatt, Kodey Johnson, Houston Svoboda, and Justin Deines into the game along with Harding. Shane Methvin had played earlier. Deines scored 4 points before the game ended.
Centre completed 13-of-56 shots from the field and 9-of-18 from the free-throw line.
Pretty Prairie’s Hunter Pittman scored 30 points. Burhoop was Centre’s leading scorer with 19 points including 5-of-11 3-pointers and 4-of-6 free throws. He also had 14 rebounds.
For the first time this season and probably for the first time ever in his high school basketball career, Brunner was held scoreless. The senior fouled out in the final quarter after accumulating 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 turnovers. Hageberg scored 6 points, Harding and Deines 4 each, Klenda 3, and Matz 2.
The Cougars finished the season with a record of 14-9. Coach Wyatt said they could have had a better record, but, overall, it was a “pretty good year.”
“We finished second in the league, third in the mid-season tourney, and were sub-state runner-up,” he said. “After starting the year 0-4, we went 14-5 the rest of the way, winning 12 of our last 15 games, with two losses being an overtime loss and a 1-point loss.”
He said the junior varsity also had a winning season, finishing 12-7.
“The kids worked hard each and every day and greatly improved throughout the season. Our seniors showed great leadership and have set a standard now that the underclassmen need to follow and match or improve upon.”
Wyatt said he already is looking forward to next season and setting goals for an even better year.