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BOYS DISTRICT HOOPS: College Heights boys claim 2nd straight district championship, advance to sectional round

By:
Jason Peake

 

VERONA, Mo. — After last year’s historic postseason run, the College Heights Christian boys basketball team was left wanting more.

That extra motivation showed on Saturday. 

Ignited by a second-quarter surge, and with a stellar overall performance, top-seeded College Heights Christian rolled to a 71-57 win over third-seeded Verona in the championship game of the Class 2 District 12 tournament inside a packed Verona High School gymnasium.

“That’s a great win,” College Heights coach Eric Johnson said. “We played well. You just never know when you play on someone else’s court in a district championship game. They came out hot, but we were able to match them basket for basket. And when they cooled off, we kept going. I’m proud of our kids. They came ready to play. They stepped up.

“It helped us that we were in this game last year,” added Johnson, who recently surpassed 650 coaching victories. “It’s a great feeling. Our seniors experienced it last year and they wanted that feeling again. The goal is to win in the next round too. We’ll enjoy this tonight and then get ready for the next one.” 

After capturing a second straight district championship, College Heights advances to the sectional round of the state tournament, where they’ll meet Blue Eye at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday at Carthage High School.

“This feels really great,” College Heights senior guard Miller Long said. “We were expecting to win this all year. I wouldn’t want my senior year to end any other way. It’s great to put in the hard work and see it pay off. We know we can go farther this year.”

Members of the College Heights Christian Cougars celebrate after Saturday’s 71-57 win over Verona in the district championship game. College Heights is in the sectional round for the second straight year.

College Heights made its first-ever state appearance last year, falling to Crane in the sectional round. This year, the Cougars hope to go one step further.

“Last year’s experience is going to help us tremendously,” Long said. “Last year, we didn’t know what to expect going into sectionals. This year we know what to expect and I think we’re going to do great.” 

Ranked fifth in Class 2 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, College Heights hiked its record to 23-4. 

Senior Ethan Meeks scored 22 points to lead the Cougars, as the 6-7 forward recorded 11 hoops in the paint. 

Long added 18 points with two 3-pointers and junior forward Curtis Davenport had 16 points. Senior point guard Ethan Adel contributed nine points while running the show. 

Verona ends the season with a 17-11 record.

Sophomore Jacob Stellwagen scored 22 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Wildcats, while senior Jaiden Carrasquillo and freshman Jessy Gamel added 13 points apiece. Verona made 10 treys in the game. 

 

GAME RECAP

As far as a key to victory, the Cougars used good ball movement to get high-percentage shots in close. The taller Cougars imposed their will inside. Besides three treys, College Heights recorded nearly every other basket in the lane. 

“That was our game plan,” Johnson said of getting the ball inside. “We were able to hurt them inside. We knew that was where our advantage was.”

College Heights led 24-18 at the end of a back and forth first quarter that featured 10 lead changes.  

The Cougars took control in the second period, outscoring the hosts 21-11.

Everything was clicking for the Cougars, who closed the first half on a 16-2 run for a 45-29 halftime advantage. Meeks scored 10 in the second period.

The Wildcats stayed within striking distance by making three treys in the third quarter. 

Nevertheless, late hoops from Meeks and Long gave CHC a comfy 59-40 lead heading into the final frame.

The Cougars would never relinquish their lead in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats trimmed their deficit to 12 before the visitors responded with six of the next eight points. 

Johnson noted a tough regular-season schedule has the Cougars battle-tested for the postseason. 

“It was probably the toughest schedule College Heights has ever had,” Johnson said. “That was on purpose. We wanted to play good teams and that pays off at this time of year.”

The College Heights Christian Cougars pose with the district championship plaque on Saturday in Verona. Photo by Jason Peake.

 

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