LAMAR, Mo. — Top-seeded Thomas Jefferson built a double-digit cushion by the intermission and staved off second-seeded McAuley in the second half on the way to a 55-43 win to clinch the Class 1 District 7 title.
The district championship is the first such win for the Cavaliers under coach Chris Myers.
“It means more for the kids than it does for me,” Coach Myers said with a smile. “I am not trying to discount the fact that I’m not enjoying this because I absolutely am. But, I didn’t make a shot or make a pass. I didn’t do anything. These kids have been busting their butts since day one for three years now. I am just happy they were able to come together and get one.”
Despite the tough loss, first-year McAuley coach Tony Witt couldn’t have been more proud of his team and the season they had, as the Warriors made a return trip to the district finals for the first time since 2017.
“We kept telling them to trust the process,” Witt said. “So many kids nowadays want to start and have the end result. It looked pretty bleak in January for a little bit. They trusted the process, kept grinding every day and turned it around.
“With these seniors, being the fourth guy in four years, June was a little different. It took awhile for them to buy in. When they started to buy in, you saw the results. … They started to see improvement in practice, see things in game and saw it on film. They finally started to believe they could get here. We just ran into some really good competition.”
The Warriors graduate seniors Matthew Dohmen, Thomas Black, Daniel Wagner, Cade Englert and Joe Lupicki.
“For them to stick it out for four years with some of the trials and tribulations they’ve had, it says a lot about their character,” Witt said. “Without them, this year would have been completely different. I can’t thank them enough.”
GAME ACTION
A back-and-forth opening period saw the Cavaliers holding a four-point lead going into the second after closing the first eight minutes with a 3-pointer from Drew Goodhope and an inside score from Dhruv Gheewala to make the score 17-13.
Thomas Jefferson used a 9-3 run to start the second frame to build a 10-point lead, 26-16, with 4:51 to play in the first half. Gheewala started the run with a runout before earning a steal for another score in transition. Following a three-point play by McAuley’s Wagner, who converted a runner while drawing contact, Thomas Jefferson’s Noah Hamlett sank a 3-ball before Caden Myers earned a steal for a fast-break score to close the run with a double-digit advantage.
McAuley pushed back, scoring the next points to trim the lead back to two possessions, 26-22, with 3:35 on the clock. Wagner had an offensive board and putback before Black followed with his own offensive rebound and putback to go along with a reverse layup the next trip down the floor.
In what turned out to be a theme for the rest of the game, the Cavaliers had an answer for the Warriors’ momentum swings. Thomas Jefferson closed the first half on a 9-2 surge to take a 35-24 lead into halftime.
“I thought we played really well in the second quarter to extend that lead out to 11,” Coach Myers said. “From that point on, and even in the second quarter, it seemed like every time they went on a run we had an answer for it. We weren’t able to pull away, but we never folded under their runs.
“We felt like if we could get a lead, we would be able to control the tempo and the outcome of the game. In that regard, the boys did a good job of getting the lead and then a good job of holding onto it.”
The third quarter played out much as the first, with each team trading scores before consecutive scores from Wagner and Black brought McAuley within six, 42-36, with 68 seconds left in the quarter. Myers added one free throw and Goodhope knocked down three charities inside the final minute to restore TJ’s 10-point lead heading into the final quarter, 46-36.
A 3-pointer from Dohmen followed by a steal and fast-break bucket by Wagner cut the lead to 48-41 with 6:10 left in regulation.
“We knew they were going to come out swinging in the second half,” Coach Myers said. “Coach Witt has done a fantastic job with that program. They are a good, scrappy basketball team and there is no quit in them. … I thought we played well down the stretch to finish it out.”
The Cavaliers answered right back with a free throw from Goodhope, an offensive rebound on the missed charity and two more makes from the stripe by Caden Myers to send the lead back to 10 near the four-minute mark.
“You can’t (fall behind) against a good team,” Witt said about trying to rally back in the second half. “We were pushing there in the second quarter, trying to make some things happen, and we committed some silly turnovers. They made us pay. That is a sign of a very good, well-coached team. They took advantage of our mistakes.”
Gheewala came up with a steal and runout with the quarter in the waning stages to essentially put the final touches on the win.
PLAYING THROUGH PAIN
Caden Myers, a top contributor for the Cavaliers and the son of Coach Myers, missed Thomas Jefferson’s district semifinals game against Rich Hill after suffering a knee injury in the season finale against Verona. After practicing on Thursday, Myers suited up for TJ and finished the game with 10 points.
“As a coach, I’m proud of any player willing to strap it up and do what they can to help the team,” Coach Myers said. “As a dad, it has a little bit more to it. You are proud of your kid and proud of your player. I thought he did a great job for us tonight. I was very proud of him.”
SCORING LEADERS
Goodhope led Thomas Jefferson with a game-high 19 points, while Gheewala closed with 14. To go along with Myers’ 10 points, Hamlett and Jay Ball added five each.
Wagner led McAuley with 17 points, while Black finished with eight points. Dohmen had seven, while Joe Staton had six.
ALL-DISTRICT TEAM
Thomas Jefferson’s Gheewala and Myers were named to the all-district team. The McAuley representatives on the all-district selections were Wagner and Black.
UP NEXT
Thomas Jefferson will take on the Miami Eagles in the sectional round of the state tournament. The matchup is set for 6 p.m. on March 2. The site is still to be determined.
