The Hutchinson Central Christian Cougar boys basketball team won the Class 1A II Dighton sub-state #1 with a 45-31 victory over Wallace County-Sharon Springs Saturday. Central Christian will play a first-round game at the Class 1A Division II state tournament Thursday at the Colby Event Center. (Photo courtesy of Central Christian athletic director Tony Urwiller via Sports in Kansas).
By John Mesh
The Buhler High School girls basketball team is headed to the Kansas Class 4A state tournament next week in Salina.
Other area teams punching state basketball tournament tickets Saturday were Hutchinson Central Christian boys, Class 1A Division II; Inman girls, Class 2A; Sterling boys, Class 2A; and Little River boys, Class 1A Division I.
The Halstead girls (Class 3A) and Little River girls (Class 1A Division I) punched their tickets to state on Friday by winning sub-state titles.
The Haven boys (Class 3A) lost to Cheney Saturday night in the sub-state finals at Halstead.
The Kansas state high school basketball tournament sites are Class 6A, Wichita State University Koch Arena; Class 5A, Emporia White Auditorium; Class 4A, Class 3A, Hutchinson Sports Arena; Salina Tony’s Pizza Events Center; Class 2A, Kansas State University-Manhattan Bramlage Coliseum; Class 1A DI, Dodge City United Wireless Arena; Class1A DII, Colby Event Center.
Buhler girls 35, Towanda-Circle 30
The Buhler High School Crusader girls defeated Towanda-Circle 35-30 In the Class 4A West sub-state #2 championship Saturday night at the Jim Baker Fieldhouse in Buhler.
The Buhler girls will take an 18-4 record to the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina next week. It’s the first state tournament berth for the Crusader girls since the 2020 season.
The Circle Thunderbirds finished the season with a 10-12 record. Buhler defeated Circle three times this season.
The 35 points was the second-lowest total scored by Buhler since a 43-33 loss to Hutchinson on Dec. 13.
Buhler led 10-6 after one quarter and 17-14 at halftime.
The Thunderbirds outscored the Crusaders 7-4 in the third quarter to tie the score at 21-21. Buhler had one field goal in the quarter. Buhler outscored Circle 14-9 in the fourth quarter.
Natalya Krafels led Buhler with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Charley Baxter scored 9 points. Gracie Oard had 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.
Emma Johnson led Circle with 12 points.
Hutchinson Central Christian boys 45, Wallace County 31
The Hutchinson Central Christian Cougar boys have traveled more than 1,000 miles en route to a sub-state title and will add another 470.
The Cougars won the Class 1A II Dighton sub-state #1 with a 45-31 victory over Wallace County-Sharon Springs Saturday.
The CCHS boys are headed to the Kansas Class 1A Division II state tournament Wednesday through Saturday at the Colby Event Center. The Cougars will play a first-round game on Thursday.
The Cougar boys will take an 11-10 to the state tournament. Wallace County-Sharon Springs finished the season with a 12-9 record.
Central Christian, the No. 9 seed in Class 1A Division II, pulled off three straight upsets. The Cougars beat No. 8 Otis Bison, No. 1 Weskan and No. 5 Sharon Springs-Wallace County.
This will be the Central Christian Cougar boys team’s sixth state appearance and first since 2017.
Cheney boys 46, Haven 39
The Cheney Cardinal boys defeated Haven 46-39 in the Kansas Class 3A Halstead sub-state #1.
Cheney led 15-9 after one quarter, 27-16 at halftime and 37-25 after three quarters.
Haven cut Cheney’s lead to 42-39 with 1:20 left in the game, but the Cardinals scored the final 4 points of the game.
Senior Dalton Bontrager scored 23 of Haven’s 39 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Nash Wray scored 8 points, Gatlin Rinehart 5, Blake Richey 2 and Detrick Nisly 1. Rinehart dished off 6 assists and Maguire Jacques had 3 steals.
Quincy Thomas led Cheney with 14 points. Marcus Peinter scored 8 points, Jase Robertson 8, Cameron Eastman 7 and Josh Burdick 7. Thomas grabbed 6 rebounds. Burdick had 3 steals. Robertson had 3 assists.
The Cheney boys will take a 20-1 record to the Kansas state tournament Wednesday through Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Haven boys finished the season with a 19-4 record.
Inman girls 61, Bennington 44
In the Class 2A girls sub-state #2 championship game, the Inman girls defeated Bennington 61-44.
Inman improved to 19-3. Bennington finished the season with a 19-4 record.
The Inman girls led Bennington 30-24 at halftime.
Sterling boys 86, Stanton County 53
The Sterling High School Black Bears took down Stanton County 86-53 Saturday afternoon in the Kansas Class 2A boys Sublette sub-state #1 championship.
The Black Bears (19-3) will advance to the 2A state tournament Wednesday through Saturday at Kansas State University’s Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
This is the fifth time in the past six years the Black Bears have made it to the state tournament.
Stanton County finished the season with a 15-7 record.
Little River boys 59, Oxford 53
The Little River High School boys basketball team will join the Little River girls team at the Kansas Class 1A Division I state tournament in Dodge City.
The Little River boys defeated Oxford 59-53 Saturday in the Class 1A Division I Canton-Galva sub-state #2 championship game.
Little River will take a 15-6 record to state. Oxford, the No. 2 seed in Class 1A Division I, finished the season with a 17-4 record.
The Little River girls defeated Madison 71-57 Friday night in the Canton-Galva sub-state #1 championship game.
Halstead’s Davis, Considine named to KWCA Shrine Duals West roster
Halstead High School seniors Kahlyn Davis and Clayton Considine will compete in the 2025 KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals Saturday, March 29, at Newman University in Wichita.
The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association made the announcement Saturday morning.
Davis posted a 28-6 record and placed second in the Kansas 4-1A girls state tournament.
Considine, who won more than 150 matches for the Dragons during his career, qualified for the 4A boys state tournament and posted a 31-8 record.
No. 21 HutchCC baseball 3-1 against Dodge City
The No. 21 Hutchinson Community College baseball team went 3-1 against the Dodge City Conquistadors in doubleheaders on Thursday (at Dodge City) and Saturday (at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson).
The Blue Dragons lost the first game Thursday to the Conqs 8-2 and won the second game 23-9. Both were seven-inning games,
On Saturday, Hutchinson won the first game 5-2 in nine innings and the second game 11-1 in seven innings.
The Blue Dragons improved to 16-3 overall and 3-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
Hutchinson hosts a single game against Cowley College at 2 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Blue Dragons play 1 p.m. doubleheaders Thursday (home) and Saturday (Great Bend) against Barton Community College.
Hutchinson CC softball team hosts Labette Sunday
The Hutchinson Blue Dragon softball team hosts a 2 p.m. doubleheader Sunday at Fun Valley against Labette Community College.
The Blue Dragons split a doubleheader against Butler Community College Thursday at Fun Valley. Hutchinson won the first game 7-6 in nine innings and lost the second game 10-2 in six innings.
HutchCC hosts a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday against Seward County Community College and plays a 2 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Colby Community College.
The Blue Dragon softball team is 9-5 overall (5-1 KJCCC).
Way to go Cougs and Crusaders!