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By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

A father coaching his son can be complicated. It can also produce some unforgettable moments. Tuesday night’s meeting between rivals Silver Lake and Rossville ended with one of those moments.

Senior Jakoby McDonnell celebrates his game-winning basket in Rossville's 51-50 win over Silver Lake Tuesday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]  

Rossville coach Brandon McDonnell shared a special Senior Night memory with his son, Jakoby, in Tuesday's 51-50 win over rival Silver Lake. [File photo/TSN]

Trailing by one point with 8.7 seconds remaining, Rossville coach Brandon McDonnell called a play to produce a shot for the win. The play broke down due to the roar in the crazed Rossville gymnasium. The coach could do nothing but watch helplessly as his son Jakoby improvised. The senior decided it was up to him to win the game.

“At that point, with just (a few) seconds left, you just got to go down the court and get to the basket, either make it or get fouled,” Jakoby McDonnell said. “I knew once I saw a little bit of space, I was going to get downhill and try to get fouled or get the basket.”

The senior stands just 5-foot-6, but he drove into the teeth of the Silver Lake defense, bounced off the chest of an Eagle defender, and banked a jumper through the rim as the buzzer sounded.

“I’ve been smaller my whole life and I’ve been playing against bigger people,” Jakoby McDonnell said. “So, the only way for me to make something happen…is to go downhill, get a little bit of contact and score or get to the free throw line. It’s just something I’ve always done.”

The shot by McDonnell the player gave McDonnell the coach one of the biggest wins in his four seasons as head coach of the Bulldawgs. And it came just shortly after the McDonnells participated in Rossville’s Senior Night ceremony.

“It was definitely a special moment for me because he’s coached me my entire life and especially on Senior Night and still playing for him,” Jakoby McDonnell said. “Just getting him that (win) with this rivalry, it was just great for both of us.”

“As a dad, you know, he hits that shot and the only thing I could think about is, holy hell, man that was awesome,” Brandon McDonnell said.

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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

With both teams needing a win and each ranked seventh in their respective classes by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, Hayden hosted Manhattan Tuesday in a huge Centennial League matchup.

 Sophomore Hailey Schmidtlein led the way with 20 points in Hayden's 66-61 win over Manhattan Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

In a game that went down to the wire Wildcats were able to outlast the Indians for a 66-61 win.

Hayden jumped out to a fast start behind sophomore Sophia Wichman, who has earned a start in the last two games due to illness and has stepped up in a big way.

“It's definitely boosted my confidence a whole lot because just playing with Hailey (Schmidtlein) and Blakely (Walter) together, we work so well together,'' Wichman said. "I feel like when us three are in the game together, we just know each other really well, and it builds my confidence because I know I have them to help me.”

Wichman scored the first five points of the game before Manhattan senior Delaney Larson found the basket.

Walter then knocked down a 3-pointer to give Hayden an early 8-2 lead. Manhattan struggled offensively in the first quarter as the Wildcats surged ahead 24-12 by the end of the period.

“We played last week and kind of just played halfcourt basketball, and we really felt like this team's better when we push the tempo,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said. “So we really tried to push the tempo and create space early in possessions, and we did that.

"(Lauren) Borjon hitting some big threes helped us spread them out even more.”

Wichman opened the second quarter with another basket, but Manhattan began to chip away at the lead.

Schmidtlein attacked the rim and got to the free throw line, converting four straight as Hayden built a 33-18 advantage. The Indians responded with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 33-27.

Schmidtlein answered with two more free throws, and after the teams traded baskets down the stretch, Hayden carried a 42-35 lead into halftime.

Manhattan came out of the locker room energized, scoring two quick baskets to trim the lead to 42-39.

Hayden struggled offensively in the third quarter as the Indians continued to close the gap. With Hayden leading 46-45 and 3:18 remaining in the third, seniors Kat Ball and Delaney Larson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Manhattan its first lead of the game at 51-46.

The surge forced Reynoldson to call a timeout.

“I told them great teams aren't just going to sit back -- they punch back hard, and now we’ve got to counter with everything we have,” Reynoldson said.

“He just said we need to stick together, that we're going to win this game, but we have to get the rebounds because they got so many offensive and defensive rebounds,'' Wichman said.

"We just needed to box out, and whoever was going to fight the hardest was going to win this game. We were all just like, ‘We got this -- we need to fight hard.’ We were encouraging each other.”

Manhattan carried the lead into the fourth quarter, but Hayden refused to back down.

The Indians went ice-cold from the field while the Wildcats opened the final period on a 13-0 run.

Manhattan didn’t score until the 1:55 mark of the fourth quarter.

“It just says a lot,” Wichman said. “It shows that our coach has so much faith in us that we can apply ourselves. I think us working together and knowing we can win as a team -- and encouraging each other -- made the difference.”

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By JUSTIN BURKHARDT

TopSports.news

Hayden's boys basketball team extended its winning streak to three games Tuesday night at the Bueltel Activity Center, taking a 68-53 Centennial League decision over Manhattan.

Connor Hanika led all scorers with 22 points in Hayden's 68-53 Centennial League win over Manhattan Tuesday night. [File photo/TSN]

Manhattan came out strong, scoring the first seven points of the game, before Hayden junior Mason Becker finally got the Wildcats on the board with a jumper.

But the Indians answered with an and-one finish to take a 10-4 lead. That’s when Hayden found its rhythm.

Senior Connor Hanika poured in eight straight points to tie the game, and the teams traded baskets throughout the remainder of the first quarter as Manhattan held a narrow 18-17 advantage at the end of one.

Hayden fed Hanika early in the second quarter and he scored the opening basket to give the Wildcats the lead in a period that featured seven lead changes.

After Manhattan briefly regained the edge, Hanika attacked the rim, drew a foul, and knocked down both free throws to make it 21-20 Wildcats.

The Indians answered again, but junior Carter Compton connected on one of his three 3-pointers on the night to give Hayden a 24-22 lead.

With the game tied 24-24, the gym fell silent as Hanika drove to the basket and was fouled hard, suffering a cut above his eye that forced him out of the game.

Kade Mitchell hit the ensuing free throw and Hayden needed others to step up. They did just that.

Jace Wolff scored five straight points to give the Wildcats a 30-26 advantage. Everett Tourtillott followed with seven consecutive points of his own, helping Hayden surge to a 39-29 halftime lead after outscoring Manhattan 22-11 in the second quarter.

Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony praised his team’s response without its leading scorer on the floor.

“Very big, very big,'' Anthony said. "We have a next-man-up mentality, you know? And I'm just glad they answered that call. As much as we need and appreciate Connor, there's going to be some times where he has to be not in the game for whatever reasons.

"We don't expect any slippage. We expect our guys to come up and do what they did tonight. Proud of them.”

Anthony also highlighted Wolff and Tourtillott’s contributions.

“If you've been watching them, they've been showing that's what they do -- that they're ready to provide real good minutes -- and they did,'' Anthony said. "They've been playing solid and listening. I'm very proud of them.

"Very big, not only for them, but for the program.”

Hanika returned in the third quarter with a bandage above his eye, and Hayden wasted no time extending the lead. Compton drilled a 3-pointer, Hanika attacked the rim, and the Wildcats began to pull away.

Compton added another basket, followed by another from Hanika to make it 46-34.

Becker and Compton then hit back-to-back 3-pointers as Hayden stretched the lead to 54-36.

The Wildcats carried a 54-40 advantage into the fourth quarter while Manhattan struggled to find offense.

The Indians attempted to rally in the final period, but each basket was answered by Hayden as the Wildcats secured the 15-point victory.

Hanika led all scorers with 22 points.

“The guys are getting comfortable and trusting the plans and the things that we draw up,” Anthony said. “They're getting comfortable, relaxing, starting to realize their potential, and starting to believe that they can compete and do some things.

"That's why I believe you're seeing a change in some of the outcomes of these games.”

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