By John Mesh
The 2024-25 season came to an end for the Hutchinson High School girls basketball team with a 56-17 loss to Hays High in the Kansas Class 5A West sub-state #1 tournament championship game Friday night at the Hays gymnasium.
The Salthawk girls, which defeated Andover Central 62-37 in the 5A West sub-state #1 semifinals, finished the season with a 15-7 record.
The Salthawks will lose three seniors to graduation: Grace Posch, Kaia Smith and Lily Rodriguez. Posch and Rodriguez played four years of varsity basketball. Posch started all four seasons.
Smith, a 6-foot-1 forward who averaged 14 points a game, led Hutchinson against Hays with 7 points.
Posch, who will play basketball at Seward County Community College next year, scored 3 points in the loss to Hays and finished her career with 971 points.
Clara Ontjes scored 3 points for the Salthawks. Kohlbie Craft added 2 and Ava Krone contributed 2.
Kalen Hilst, in two seasons as Hutchinson, has a 28-16 record.
Hays improved to 22-0 and advanced to the Kansas Class 5A state tournament Wednesday through next Saturday at Emporia’s White Auditorium.
Miolly Martin led Hays High with 16 points, Jenna Schmeidler scored 15, Zoe Winter 11 and Katie Linenberger 10.
It will be the Hays High girls’ first trip to the state tournament since the 1996 season.
Hays led 8-4 after one quarter, 27-6 at halftime and 49-13 at the end of the third quarter. Because Hays led by more than 30 points, the fourth quarter was played with a running clock. Hays outscored Hutchinson 7-4 in the fourth quarter.
Season sends for Central Christian girls with loss to Lebo
The season came to an end for the Hutchinson Central Christian Cougar girls basketball team with a 52-22 loss to the Lebo Wolves In the Class 1A DII girls McPherson-Elyria Christian sub-state #2 finals at the McPherson Central Christian College gymnasium.
The Hutchinson Central Christian girls finished the season with a 18-5 record. The Cougars’ 12-game winning streak was snapped. This is the second straight season Lebo has defeated Central Christian in the sub-state finals. Last year’s game was at Lebo.
Lebo will take a 20-2 record to the Kansas Class 1A Division II state tournament Wednesday through Saturday at the Colby Event Center.
Lebo led 14-9 after one quarter, 29-12 at halftime and 44-17 at the end of the third quarter. Lebo, making its fourth straight trip to state and 11th overall, outscored the Cougars 8-5 in the fourth quarter.
Avery Duft led the Cougars with 6 points. Belle Barnett, the lone Central Christian senior, scored 5 points.
Sage Hadley led the Wolves with 20 points and Allison Conrady scored 16 points.
The Cougar girls defeated Melvern-Marais des Cygnes Valley 59-47 Feb. 28 in the sub-state semifinals at the Central Christian gymnasium.
Jessa Losew had 21 points,11 rebounds, 5 deflections and 3 steals for the Cougars in the victory over MCDV.
Barnett had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. Ava Newcome had 11 points and 2 steals. Avery Kauffman had 10 points, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
Lebo will be joined at the 1A Division II state tournament by South Haven (19-1), which defeated Hartford 32-31 in the championship game of the Elyria Christian-McPherson Class 1A DII sub-state #1.
CCHS boys to play Sharon Springs in sub-state title game Saturday
The Hutchinson Central Christian High School Cougar boys (10-10) will play Sharon Springs (12-8) in the Class 1A Division II sub-state #1 championship at 5 p.m. Saturday at Dighton.
The Cougars posted a 63-47 upset victory over No. 1-seed Weskan in the Dighton sub-state #1 semifinals Monday night at Goodland’s Max Jones Fieldhouse.
Sharon Springs defeated Western Plains 64-34 in the other Dighton sub-state #1 semifinal game Monday at Ransom.
Brady Froese led the Central Christian Cougar boys with 21 points. Jayden Linscheid scored 13 points and Cal Barnett 12. Linscheid grabbed 12 rebounds.
Piercen Huff and Luke Eigski scored 6 points apiece, Ryland Kooiman 4 and Hunter Franz 1.
Halstead girls advance to Class 3A state tournament
In the Class 3A girls Halstead sub-state finals, Halstead (20-1) defeated Marysville 42-20 to advance to the Kansas Class 3A state tournament Wednesday through next Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Halstead will take a 21-1 record to the state tournament. Marysville finished thew season with an 11-12 record.
The Halstead girls trailed 6-5 at the end of the first quarter but led at halftime 15-13.
The Dragons outscored Marysville 17-1 in the third quarter to take a 32-14 lead.
Halstead outscored Marysville 8-6 in the fourth quarter.
Halstead advanced to the Class 3A state tournament for the first time in five years under head coach Derek Schutte.
The Dragon girls have had a lot of success already this year with their first ever state volleyball championship earlier this year. They were guided by Derek’s wife, Diana Schutte.
Sterling boys to play Stanton County Saturday in Class 2A sub-state finals at Sublette
The Sterling High School boys basketball team advanced to the Kansas Class 2A sub-state finals with a 70-45 win over Medicine Lodge Thursday night at the Sterling gymnasium.
The Sterling boys (18-3) play Stanton County (16-5) in the 2A sub-state #1 finals at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sublette High School gymnasium.
Stanton County defeated Sylvan-Lucas Unified 70-44 in the other sub-state semifinal game Thursday.
The winner advances to the Kansas Class 2A state boys tournament Wednesday through next Saturday at Manhattan.
Blake Smith (24) and Boston Ekart (21) combined for 45 of Sterling’s 70 points. Wyatt Newberry added 8 points. Ekart also grabbed 8 rebounds.
Jack Schreiner led Medicine Lodge with 13 points, Keveon Ruiz scored 10 and Mavrik Inslee 9.
Addi Lutz’ clutch hits rally HutchCC softball team past Grizzlies
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Freshman designated player Addi Lutz came up big not just once, but twice on Thursday, to lead the Hutchinson Community College softball team to a wild come-from behind walk-off victory over No. 14 Butler in a KJCCC doubleheader at Fun Valley.
The Dragons rallied from four runs down entering their final at-bat in Game 1, forced extra innings and Lutz roped a walk-off single into center field to score Gabby Stauffer for a 7-6 victory in nine innings over the Grizzlies. Butler came back to take Game 2 10-2 in six innings.
The Blue Dragons improved to 9-5 overall and are 5-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. Butler suffered its first loss of the season and is now 7-1 overall and 1-1 in the KJCCC.
Hutchinson will play host to Labette in a make-up doubleheader at 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday at Fun Valley.
Dragon baseball team erupts for 23 runs in Game 2 against Dodge City
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Catcher Eli Duncan had two home runs and six RBIs to ignite a Hutchinson Community College offense that struggled in Thursday’s Jayhawk West opener on Thursday at Cavalier Field in Dodge City.
Duncan’s performance led the No. 21-ranked Blue Dragons in Game 2 to a 23-11 victory over the Conquistadors. Dodge City won the opener 8-2 earlier Thursday.
Hutchinson’s 23-run explosion in Game 2 tied for the highest single-game output in the Brock Nehls’ era and it tied for the eighth-most runs scored in single-game history.
The last time the Dragons scored at least 23 runs last May 10, 2024, against Labette in the opening round of the Region 6 tournament at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Blue Dragons are now 14-3 overall and 1-1 in league play. Dodge City is 12-4 overall and 1-1 in the league.
Games 3 and 4 of this opening KJCCC series will be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field.