CLASS 3A BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT CAPSULES
 

 
COLBY
 
Coach: Parker McKee
 
Record: 20-3
 
Sub-state results: beat Southwestern Heights, 72-42; beat Holcomb, 60-55; beat Goodland, 50-37
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Hesston (22-1), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Hunter Vaughn, sr., G; Shane Puckett, sr., F; Guy Tubbs, so., F; Ben Busse, sr., G.
 
Worth noting: Eagles back at state for the first time since 2020. … Program has seven top-four state finishes in its history, winning titles in 1970 and 1990 and taking second in 1969 and 2003. … McKee has made four state trips as a head coach in his career. … Eagles won the Goodland Top-Side Tipoff Classic to start the season. … One of three losses came to 4A qualifier Hugoton, which led to a runner-up finish for the Eagles in the Great West Activities Conference. … Only other losses came to Beloit and Hays at the Colby Orange and Black Classic at midseason after an 11-0 start to the season. … Vaughn averages 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. … Tubbs adds 13 points and 7.5 rebound per game. … Busse is at 10 points and 3.5 assists and Puckett chips in 9 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest.


 

 
 
Coach: Matt Myer
 
Record: 23-0
 
Sub-state results: beat Baxter Springs, 54-30; beat Girard, 59-28; beat Columbus, 50-35
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Wellsville (18-5), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Tyler Little, sr., F; Hadley Price, sr., G; Maverick Harmon, sr., G; Malachi Wesley, sr., F; Ty Hall, sr., F; Jack Perry, so., G.
 
Worth noting: Trip to state is fourth straight for Bulldogs, who finished second to Hesston in 2021 and lost in double-overtime of 2022 quarterfinals to TMP-Marian. … Bulldogs won the CNC League title for the fourth straight season and undefeated season is the first for the program. … Senior class is a combined 87-10 in their career. … Little averages 19 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game to lead the Bulldogs. … Only three of Bulldogs’ wins have been by single digits with the closest game a six-point win over Riverton.
 

 
 
HESSTON
 
Coach: Garrett Roth
 
Record: 22-1
 
Sub-state results: beat Nickerson, 86-39; beat Kingman, 68-44; beat Haven, 47-41
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Colby (20-3), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Jake Proctor, sr., PG; Micah Dahlsten, sr., G; Lane Magill, sr., F; Jackson Fry, jr., G; Adrian Hernandez, jr., F; Reed Friesen, so., F.
 
Worth noting: Swathers are two-time defending Class 3A state champions, beating Royal Valley 51-41 in last year’s state championship game and topping Galena 45-36 for title in 2021. … Roth in first year as head coach replacing Greg Raleigh. … State titles were fourth and fifth for program, which also won crowns in 1983, 1985 and 2014). … Lone loss came to fellow 3A qualifier Southeast of Saline in season opener and Hesston has won 22 straight. … Swathers were undefeated Central Kansas League champions and handed league rival Haven its only two losses of the season, the latter coming in the sub-state finals. … Proctor is lone returning starter off last year’s title team and is averaging 21.5 points, 4.1 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals per game this season. … No other player averages double figures but five are between 4.8 and 7.3 points per game with Dahlsten averaging 7.3 per game. … Friesen averages 5 rebounds a game and Fry has 4 steals per game.

 

 
 
MARYSVILLE
 
Coach: Scott Brown
 
Record: 21-2
 
Sub-state results: beat Hiawatha, 62-39; beat Atchison County, 53-19; beat Nemaha Central, 53-35
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Wichita Collegiate (20-3), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Jack Lauer, sr., G; Will Otott, so., G; Peyton Smith, sr., F; Rhett Williams, sr., F; Rook Williams, sr., F; Sander Zutterman, sr., G; Deavon Tommer, sr., F; Thomas Behrens, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: Bulldogs returning to state for the first time since 2018 when they qualified in Class 4A and lost to Hayden in the quarterfinals. … Marysville won Class 3A state title in 2017 and previously were state champs in 1966 and 2003. … Brown also coached Fowler to top-three state finishes in 2012 and 2013 before coming to Marysville. … Bulldogs were undefeated North Central Kansas League champions and have posted best regular-season record since 1989-90. … Lone losses came to 4A qualifier Atchison and previously unbeaten Sabetha. … Lauer leads team in scoring at 15 points per game while Rhett Williams averages 10.4 per game. … Otott averages 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

 

 
 
PERRY-LECOMPTON
 
Coach: Matt Simmons
 
Record: 19-4
 
Sub-state results: beat Jefferson West, 67-36; beat Silver Lake, 34-28; beat Olathe Heritage Christian, 73-66 OT
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Southeast of Saline (22-1), 6 p.m.
 
Key players: Kamryn Kaniper, sr., G/F; Gunnar Ball, sr., F; Kael Gorski, sr., F; Eli Dean, so., G.
 
Worth noting: Kaws returning to state for the first time since taking third in 2019. … Kaws went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019 and trip is 10^th overall for program. … Top state finish for the program was a runner-up finish in 1980. … Perry was Big Seven League runner-up to Sabetha with two of four losses coming to Bluejays. … Other two losses came to 3A qualifier Wellsville and Holton. … Kaniper was impact transfer from Silver Lake, leading Kaws in scoring at 18 points per game. … He went over 1,000 career points in the sub-state championship game and Ball is 52 points from hitting that milestone as well. … Ball averages 16.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. … Gorski adds 7.2 points per game and Dean 5 per game. … Kaniper and Gorski each average 4.4 rebounds per game. … Simmons in second year as head coach.

 

 
 
SOUTHEAST OF SALINE
 
Coach: Bryson Flax
 
Record: 22-1
 
Sub-state results: beat Phillipsburg, 77-48; beat Russell, 65-38; beat Beloit, 56-42
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Perry-Lecompton (19-4), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Eli Sawyers, sr., F; Nakari Morrical-Palmer, sr., F; Luke Gebhardt, sr., G; Drake Augustine, sr., G; Kayson Lilley, sr., G.
 
Worth noting: Trojans returned every player from last year’s team that finished third at the 3A state tournament. … Trojans also took third in 2016 an 2017 and are making ninth trip to state in program history. … Only loss came to 4A qualifier Hugoton in finals of Sterling Invitational and Trojans handed two-time defending champion Hesston its only loss of the season in the season opener. … Trojans have won 44 games in the past two seasons, the most in a two-year span for the program. … This year’s win total ties the most in program history. … Flax is a Southeast alum who is the winningest coach in program history. … Swayers averages 15.5 points per game and became the fourth 1,000-point scorer in program history this season. … Morrical-Palmer averages 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2 steals per game and is the all-time assists leader at Southeast. … Gebhardt averages 8.3 points, Lilley 7.5 points and Augustine 6.7 points per game with Augustine and Gebhardt also over 2.5 assists and 2 steals per game. … Sawyers also adds 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals a game. … Trojans won second straight undefeated North Central Activities Association title. … All but one of Southeast’s 22 wins are by double-digits.

 

 
 
WELLSVILLE
 
Coach: Rick O’Neil
 
Record: 18-5
 
Sub-state results: beat Osawatomie, 86-31; beat Burlington, 56-51; beat Anderson County, 40-25
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Galena (23-0), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Dezmond Winton, jr., G; Willie Dorsey, jr., G; Dylan McCarty, sr., F; Roman Schroeder, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: After missing out on state trip last year, Eagles are back this season. … Trip in 2021 ended with quarterfinal loss to Galena. … Wellsville won state titles in 1987 and 1994. … Eagles were co-champions of Pioneer League with Burlington. … Three of five losses came to 4A programs, including one to 4A state qualifier Baldwin. … Eagles have won 11 straight since being 7-5 at midseason. … Dorsey averages 15.5 points to lead three Eagles in double figures. … Winton adds 12 points and McCarty adds 11.9 points per game. … McCarty is leading rebounder at 7.9 boards per game and Schroeder adds 5.9 per game. … Winton also averages 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game.
 

 
 
WICHITA COLLEGIATE
 
Coach: Mitch Fiegel
 
Record: 19-3
 
Sub-state results: beat Eureka, 78-19; beat Fredonia, 88-37; beat Humboldt, 64-32
 
Quarterfinal game: vs. Marysville (21-2), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Quinten Fair, sr.; Jaden Parker, fr., Sebastian Hines Turner, fr.; AJ Batiste, fr.; James Shackleford, jr.
 
Worth noting: A fixture at state for much of Fiegel’s tenure, Collegiate returns after two-year absence. … The Spartans have six state championships under Fiegel, the last coming in 2016 in Class 4A Division II. … Spartans won three 3A state titles in four-year span from 2007-10 and other titles came in 3A in 1993 and 1996. … Collegiate was Ark Valley Chisholm Trail IV League champions, the sixth league title in the last 12 seasons. … Only losses this year have come to 4A state qualifiers McPherson and Wellington and 5A Great Bend. … Fiegel is 574-220 in his 34 seasons.