Moundridge coach Dustan Kanitz joked during the Hillsboro Trojan Classic that the Wildcats’ migration to that midseason tournament may have landed his team in the middle of a Class 3A state championship.
 
And indeed, the two-time defending 2A champions found themselves among a field of traditional 3A heavy hitters last week after finding a new tournament home following the discontinuation of the Canton-Galva Invitational.
 
But Moundridge, No. 1 in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association’s 2A rankings, has been up to most challenges in recent times, and it certainly didn’t blink over the weekend. After passing an overtime test from Holcomb in Friday’s semifinals, the Wildcats edged Hesston 35-31 on Saturday in a battle of unbeatens to win the Hillsboro title.
 
“The bracket came out a little bit early and you could start seeing the records and things,” said Kanitz, who oversaw one of three unbeaten teams in the field at seeding time. “Then as we got closer I thought, ‘My goodness, this is going to be a pretty loaded deal.’ We were really excited about the competition here for sure.”

 
After defeating Riley County 56-26 in its tournament opener and holding off Holcomb 46-45 to reach the title game, Moundridge earned its first meeting in nearly 20 years with Hesston, its neighbor 6 miles to the south. Both programs feature recent championship pedigree, with Hesston, now No. 6 in the 3A rankings, claiming three consecutive 3A titles from 2021-23.
 
The renewal was a defensive slugfest, as both teams finished with 11 field goals.  Moundridge overcame a 7-0 deficit and led 13-11 at halftime.
 
The seesaw battle featured lead changes in each of the final three quarters, with Kaizer Kanitz and Heath Churchill converting steals into baskets that gave Moundridge a 26-23 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
 
The Wildcats made just one field goal in the final quarter, but it was a 3-pointer by Henry Hecox that gave them the lead for good with 3:12 to play.
 
Senior Bear Moddelmog, one of three Moundridge players who scored 11 points in the semifinal win over Holcomb, matched that total against Hesston to lead the Wildcats to the title.
 
Moundridge won its first game after the tournament, a 49-41 victory over Garden Plain on Tuesday, to improve to 13-0. After rallying past Sterling in the fourth quarter earlier this month and nailbiters on back-to-back nights in the Hillsboro tournament, the Wildcats have a wealth of experience in close games.
 
“I think I get more nervous about the games than our guys,” Kanitz said. “It’s just been one of those things going through it and getting a lot of trust in those veteran guys. They just compete so hard with a whatever-it-takes attitude to get things done.”
 

 DERBY OUTLASTS PIPER TO WIN DODGE CITY TOC
 
Derby’s season of successful suspense continued to produce favorable outcomes at the Dodge City Tournament of Champions.
 
One of three unbeatens entering the tournament, the Panthers, No. 3 in Class 6A, emerged as the last one standing after holding off 5A No. 2 Piper 81-75 in double overtime on Saturday. Reserves Cale Clingan and Avant Riley each scored 21 points in the final as Derby joined its 2014-15 team as TOC winners.
 
Wichita Heights and Junction City also came into the tournament undefeated. Piper, whose one previous loss came by one point to Topeka West in mid-December, edged Heights 56-54 to reach the final.
 
“Whoever came out on top of that thing was going to have a lot to be proud of,” said Derby coach Brett Flory, whose team extended its winning streak to 12 games Tuesday with a 69-54 road victory over Hutchinson in Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division I play.
 
After winning four of its first seven games by four points or less this season, Derby got its first taste of overtime in the TOC championship. A Panther lineup featuring five senior starters showed its mettle once again.
 
Clingan, who added eight rebounds to go with his team-high point total, came off the bench to hit a key shot.
 
“The story of that game was the back-and-forth nature,” Flory said. “Each team answered the other team’s runs time and time again. Cale’s last 3 gave us the lead for good in the clutch.”
 
Riley also had a big game in the tourney opener, scoring a team-high 19 points in a 71-50 victory over host Dodge. That earned the Panthers a semifinal showdown with Junction City, which Derby will face again next week in a weather-related make-up game.
 
Brayden Smith scored 16 points and added six assists to lead the Panthers past Junction City 67-57.
 
Derby had two all-tournament selections in Jack Ulwelling and Jaxson Malvo. Ulwelling was named the tournament’s most inspirational player.
 
If Derby can post another win on the road Monday against Junction City, it will match its best start since the 2005-06 team started the season 13-0.
 
“To be the team leaving (Dodge City) with a zero still in the loss column is a testament to our kids’ hard work, unselfishness and fearlessness in clutch situations,” Flory said.
 

ELL-SALINE WINS FIRST ELI J. WALTER BOYS INVITATIONAL
 
With no tournament title to defend after the Canton-Galva Invitational disbanded, Ell-Saline found motivation in trying to win Berean Academy’s inaugural Eli J. Walter boys tournament.
 
The Cardinals did it, and kept their undefeated season going as well.
 
Led by Kas Kramer’s 22 points, 2A No. 3 Ell-Saline pulled away from Elyria Christian 58-41 on Friday to win the championship and crossed the midway point of the regular season unscathed. The Cardinals added a 72-32 victory over Marion on Tuesday to improve to 12-0.
 
“We knew it would be a battle with Elyria Christian and would take all four quarters to get taken care of,” Ell-Saline coach Marty Wendel said. “The first three quarters were a battle back and forth, but we were able to take over in the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor to pull away.”
 
Garrison Zerger and Trey Williams each added 11 points in the title game to give the Cardinals a midseason tournament title for the second straight year. Ell-Saline knocked off eventual 2A champion last January for the Canton-Galva crown.
 
Adding another championship trophy was no easy task. Ell-Saline fended off Bennington 47-44 in the semifinals as Reese Krone, an all-tournament team selection along with Kramer, led the way with 16 points.
 
The Cardinals featured a different leading scorer in each game, as Brogan Rowley’s 18 points paced them in a 59-42 first-round victory over Republic County.
 
While the final margin of the title game was comfortable, Ell-Saline had to work to get there. That was a lasting memory for Wendel.
 
“This group showed a lot of toughness and resilience throughout the entire game and really embraced the challenge in front of them,” he said. “This is a high-quality tournament with teams that have either been ranked during the season or are currently ranked, so to end up winning it just continues to build our confidence.”
 

CUNNINGHAM BREAKS MEDICINE LODGE’S GRIP ON 54 CLASSIC CROWN
 
It wasn’t easy, but reigning Class 1A Division II champion Cunningham stayed unbeaten by ending Medicine Lodge’s two-year run as 54 Classic champions.
 
Senior Will Wegerer scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, as the tournament hosts outscored Medicine Lodge 25-12 down the stretch for a 69-58 victory. Wegerer’s classmates, Nate Sterneker and Luke Albers, added 18 and 14 points respectively as the Wildcats avenged a 66-34 loss to the Indians in last year’s title game before regrouping to win the state title.
 
Medicine Lodge positioned itself for a three-peat by outscoring Cunningham 16-9 in the third quarter to take a 46-44 lead. But six Wildcats contributed to the 25-point fourth-quarter barrage, helping Cunningham, No. 1 in 1A Division II, post its 12^th victory.
 
Cunningham, which improved to 13-0 on Monday with an 82-56 win over Attica, had little trouble reaching the championship. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a 63-28 victory over Kinsley, then belted South Barber 75-44 in the semifinals.
 
Medicine Lodge, which got 26 points from senior Ke’Veon Ruiz in the championship game, got there with a 48-45 victory over Norwich.
 

 DEFENSE DOMINATES IN HAVEN’S RUN TO RUPP INVITATIONAL TITLE
 
Perhaps stinging a bit from its first loss of the season to Andale, Haven took it out on a trio of opponents at Halstead’s Adolph Rupp Invitational, toppling previously unbeaten Cheney 46-33 to claim the championship trophy.
 
Haven, led by tournament MVP Dalton Bontrager, yielded 31, 47 and 33 points to collect its ninth Rupp title and third since 2020.
 
“Our guys played with a tremendous amount of toughness in all three tournament games,” Haven coach Lonnie Paramore said. “They really locked in on the defensive end and created some easy offense with our defense.”
 
Haven, which improved to 12-1 on Tuesday with a 62-34 victory over Nickerson, opened the Rupp Invitational by clamping down on Liberal for a 66-31 win. All-tournament selection Nash Wray scored a team-high 17 points, and Bontrager and Blake Richey each added 14.
 
Haven’s offense was thoroughly part of an 81-47 semifinal victory over Winfield. Nash Wray scored 25 points and Bontrager added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Instead of an opportunity to avenge its 57-53 home loss to Andale on Jan. 17, the Wildcats, No. 3 in Class 3A, drew Cheney, which defeated Andale 52-43 in the semis. Haven held Cheney to a season-low point total and got 12 points and six rebounds from Bontrager, a senior forward.

“We hope to use this tournament championship as a springboard to a very strong finish and a deep run in the playoffs,” Paramore said.
 

WELLINGTON ENDS 11-YEAR TITLE DROUGHT AT ROADRUNNER CLASSIC
 
Down seven points at halftime, Wellington chipped away and rallied past host Chaparral 58-48 on Saturday to win the Roadrunner Classic for the first time since 2014.
 
Grady Norris scored 14 points and Brody Weir added 13 points and nine rebounds in the finale as the Crusaders completed a tournament run that included a 78-66 victory over Circle and a 46-44 win over the Wichita Homeschool Warriors.
 
“This was a big week for our program and our school,” said Wellington coach Joe Newman, whose team won its seventh straight game Tuesday, defeating Rose Hill 64-59 to improve to 9-4. “To bring home the Roadrunner championship for the first time in 11 years against strong teams like Circle, Wichita Homeschool and Chaparral on its home court says a lot about the heart and determination of these guys.”
 
The Crusaders entered the holiday break at 2-4 after a 24-point loss to Andale. But they entered the tournament on the heels of three consecutive double-digit wins and kept the momentum going.
 
In the opening-round win over Circle, all-tournament selection Carter Burnett scored 22 points and Weir added 16 points and 15 rebounds. Wellington then advanced to the final with a 46-44 win over the Wichita Warriors, getting 17 points for Burnett and 13 from Dusty Bannister, who was also named to the all-tournament team.
 
Bannister added 11 points in the championship game for Wellington, which scored 44 of its 58 points in the second half after trailing 21-14 at halftime.
 

CENTRAL-BURDEN REPEATS AS SCBL TOURNAMENT CHAMP
 
After ending a 12-year South Central Border League tournament title drought last season, Central-Burden is on a mini-streak.
 
The Raiders got steady offense from James Braun and Ethan Boucher, and used solid defense throughout the tournament to claim their second consecutive SCBL tourney crown. Braun scored 23 points and Boucher added 13 in Central’s 52-39 victory over South Haven in Saturday’s title game in Arkansas City.
 
“We feel like we were solid on the defensive end the entire tournament,” said Central-Burden coach Ben Ponce, who guided the Raiders to their first state appearance since 1987 last March. “Our guys wanted to make sure that the teams we played could not get into their sets easily and to make sure we could contest most shots.”
 
Central, 10-2 and No. 8 in Class 1A Division I, stretched its winning streak to seven games. The Raiders opened the tournament with a 52-47 victory over Udall, then downed Cedar Vale/Dexter 43-34 in the semifinals.
 
Braun finished the tournament with 56 points, scoring 19 in the win over Udall and sharing team-high scoring honors with Boucher (14 points) in the semfinals. Boucher had a double-double in the opening round with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
“Offensively, we got out to good starts but then had some quarters we were lulled,” Ponce said. “But I felt like we executed when we needed to and were able to hit free throws at the end of games.”
 

HUMBOLDT HOLDS OFF ANDERSON COUNTY FOR WAR ON 54 TITLE
 
In a span of five days, Humboldt and its War on 54 championship-game opponent, Anderson County, split games by identical 57-53 scores.
 
The Cubs took the first meeting last Friday, snagging the hardware that went to the tournament champion in Iola. Tre Franklin’s 16 points and Colden Cook’s 15 points and 12 rebounds helped Humboldt earn its 11^th victory of the season.
 
“In the title game, we got off to a good start,” Humboldt coach Dave Taylor said. “Anderson County battled the whole game and it was a good team win for our program.”
 
After opening the tournament with a 70-21 victory over St. Paul, Humboldt prevailed in a pair of close games. Cook scored 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting in a 53-50 semifinal victory over host Iola in a game that was tied at 23 at halftime.
 
Good shooting vaulted the Cubs into the title game. Humboldt made 22 of 35 field goals for 63%.
 
Humboldt used a strong start in the title game to build a 37-25 lead at the break. It was a cushion the Cubs needed as Anderson County, which got 19 points from Noah Porter, chipped away in the second half.
 
Although Anderson County avenged the loss in overtime Tuesday, dropping Humboldt to 11-2, Taylor was hopeful the Cubs’ tournament title run could serve as a springboard to a strong finish to the regular season and beyond.
 
“I thought all of the boys played well and were able to battle adversity and momentum changes as they came up during the last two games of the tournament,” Taylor said.
 

FAST PACE FITS FOR FREDONIA AT KEN HOLT MEMORIAL CLASSIC
 
Forcing at least 21 turnovers in each game, Fredonia had an effective formula for winning the Ken Holt Memorial Classic in Uniontown.
 
The Yellowjackets produced 20 steals in Friday’s championship game, leading to 30 points and a 64-55 victory over Osawatomie. All-tournament team selections Ashton Oneal and Eli Barnett scored 26 and 14 points respectively as Fredonia completed its title run.
 
“The game brought two teams with contrasting styles,” Fredonia coach Dee Barnett said. “We want to get up and down the floor and they want to slow it down and get the ball in the paint.”
 
Fredonia neutralized Osawatomie’s height advantage – and any other edge its tournament opponents possessed – with relentless pressure. The Jackets forced 21 turnovers and held Oswego to 24% shooting in a 69-41 opening-round victory. In a 73-60 semifinal victory over Erie, Oneal had five steals to go with 24 points, and Fredonia generated 25 turnovers against the Red Devils.
 
In the finale, Oneal and Barnett combined for 14 steals.
 
“I felt the team did an excellent job on both ends of the floor all night,” Barnett said. “They really stepped up to the challenge, not backing down from their size or athleticism. We dictated the pace of the game with our defense and transition offense.”
 
Oneal, a senior, scored 63 points in the tournament. Barnett added 44 for Fredonia, which turned around Tuesday and defeated Erie for a second time, 79-46, to improve to 8-3.
 
“Overall, we had a great tournament, growing individually and as a team,” Barnett said. “The focus will be to keep getting better each day for the second half of the season.”
 

KAPAUN MT. CARMEL COLLECTS FIFTH STRAIGHT BLUESTEM CROWN
 
Corbin Johnson and his Kapaun Mt. Carmel teammates clearly have things figured out at El Dorado’s Bluestem Classic.
 
The Crusaders’ senior guard delivered another classic performance in the Bluestem finals, sinking four 3-pointers and scoring 25 points on Saturday as Kapaun blistered Class 3A No. 1 Wichita Collegiate 83-50 to win the tournament for the fifth consecutive season.
 
Kapaun, No. 3 in 5A, rolled over host El Dorado, Emporia and Collegiate to improve its record to 9-3. The Crusaders added their fifth straight convincing victory and 10^th win this season Tuesday, defeating Wichita Southeast 82-48 in Greater Wichita Athletic League play.
 
Johnson and the Crusaders took an identical path to the championship game that they did last year, when they defeated El Dorado and Emporia before topping Goddard 71-52 for the title. Johnson made five 3s and finished with 24 points in that game.
 
On Saturday, he scored 12 first-quarter points as Kapaun built a 24-14 lead. The Crusaders stretched the advantage to 47-23 at the break.
 
Collegiate got 17 points from Jaden Parker and 14 from AJ Batiste. But the Spartans were unable to rally, falling to 10-2 as their four-game winning streak ended.
 
Jordan Maingu scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for Kapaun. Corey Daniels added 11 points and Jude Porter had 10.
  

 HOISINGTON AVENGES LOSS TO PRATT, WINS WINTER JAM
 
Hoisington’s Mason Martin broke a tie with a free throw, and the Cardinals held off top-seeded Pratt 43-42 on Saturday to win their own Winter Jam tournament.
 
Martin scored 12 points and fellow all-tournament team selection Rhen Galla added a team high 14 for Hoisington, which had lost at Pratt 44-32 eight days earlier. The Cardinals’ victory wasn’t secure until Pratt’s Caleb Strong missed the potential game-winner.
 
Hoisington reached the championship with a pair of stellar defensive efforts. The Cardinals handcuffed La Crosse for a 52-19 win in their tournament opener, then shut down 2024 Winter Jam champion Ellsworth in a 53-28 semifinal victory.
 
Hoisington overcame 17 points from Pratt all-tournament selection Arley Morrell to claim the championship. The Cardinals improved to 7-6 on Tuesday with a 55-36 victory over Phillipsburg for their fourth consecutive victory.


OTHER BOYS BASKETBALL STANDOUTS

• Berean Academy coach Lewis Wiebe collected his 700^th career victory when the Warriors defeated Wichita Classical 57-28 in the opening round of the Eli J. Walter Invitational on Jan. 21. Wiebe, in his 31^st season at Berean, guided the Warriors to Class 2A titles in 2010 and 2011 and seven other top-four finishes in 13 state appearances. He started his coaching career at Hutchinson Central Christian and spent eight years at Oklahoma Bible Academy before coming to Berean. The Warriors finished third in their home tournament and are 9-3 this season.
• Andale coach Jeff Buchanan registered his 300^th career victory as the Indians topped Garden Plain 50-45 in the first round of Halstead’s Adolph Rupp Invitational on Jan. 20. Buchanan, Andale’s coach since 2006-07, has collected all of his wins with the Indians, and currently stands 302-120 after Andale’s 60-49 victory over Augusta on Tuesday. Andale finished third in the Rupp Invitational and is 9-3 this season.