CLASS 3A BOYS
 
At Hutchinson Sports Arena
 

 
BISHOP WARD
 
Coach: Kevin Walterbach
 
Record: 16-7 (No. 8 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat West Franklin, 62-33; beat Riverside, 65-64; beat Perry-Lecompton, 56-53
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Galena (1: 22-0), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Tyler Holmes, sr., G; Quintayvion Pike, so., G; Jailen Jefferson, jr., G; Noah Jensen, sr., G; Gabriel De La Torres, sr., F; Davontae Davis, jr., G; Edward Freeman Jr., sr., F.
 
Worth noting: Ward has 23 state-tournament appearances in program history, but this year’s is the first since 2008 and just the second in the last 39 years overall. … Cyclones survived scare from Riverside in sub-state semifinals before escaping Perry-Lecompton in finals, each win coming with their opponent having a chance to tie or win on the final shot of the game. … Ward won the McLouth Invitational for third straight year. … One of losses came to 2A qualifier Rossville and two came to last year’s 1A Division I runner-up Seabury Academy. … Cyclones were just 6-4 in Kaw Valley Conference play this season. … Holmes set school record for single-season points with 534 going into state and also got his 1,000th career point this season as well as his 500th career rebound. … He also tied school record with a 19-rebound game and averages 23.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game. … He is the Kaw Valley MVP. … No other player averages double figures with Pike (8.3 ppg), Jensen (8 ppg) and De La Torres (7.7 ppg) falling just shy of that mark. … De La Torre also averages 5.6 rebounds per game. … Holmes also leads team with 2.7 assists per game. … Cyclones are 8-1 in last nine games after sitting 8-6 in early February.
 

 
BURLINGTON
 
Coach: Justin Logan
 
Record: 20-3 (No. 5 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Prairie View, 67-27; beat Anderson County, 60-53; beat Caney Valley, 73-67
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Hesston (4: 21-2), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Sage Fefjar, sr.; Maddux Cheever, jr., Chance Hegg, sr.; Kasten Payer, sr.; Cole Carlson, sr.; Troy Over, so.; Mason Collins, so.; Alex Mautz, jr.
 
Worth noting: Wildcats return to state for the first time since 2020 when they fell to Galena in the quarterfinals. … Logan was an assistant coach for that team before taking over as head coach of the program. … Burlington has 12 state trips overall in program history, the first coming in 1916. … Wildcats captured the 2004 Class 3A state title and took third in 1979 and 2007 and fourth in 1989. … Burlington went 14-0 in Pioneer League play to capture the league title. … One of three losses was triple-overtime game with fellow 3A qualifier Silver Lake in the semifinals of the Burlington Invitational. … Other losses came to 4A qualifier Baldwin and Osage City. … Wildcats swept defending 3A champion Wellsville in two meetings and beat Anderson County three times. … Fefjar hit milestones of 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds this season and averages 17.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game. … He will finish top five in scoring in Burlington history and had a double-double in every game this season. … Cheever averages 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. … Carlson chips in 7.6 points per game while Hegg adds 6 points and Payer 5.4 points per game. … Over and Collins come off bench for nearly 8 points per game each.
 

 
CHENEY
 
Coach: Linndy Frieden
 
Record: 22-1 (No. 3 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Minneapolis, 88-36; beat Garden Plain, 64-46; beat Haven, 46-39
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Goodland (6: 20-3), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Josh Burdick, sr.; Carter Peintner, sr.; Jase Robertson, sr.; Cam Eastman, sr.; Quaid Thomas, so.; Reece Tolar, jr.; Detric McDaniel, jr.; Logan Wallace, so.
 
Worth noting: Cardinals qualified for state a year ago after not qualifying since 2018 and lost in the quarterfinals to Southeast of Saline. … State berth this year is 13th overall for the program. … Best state showings are runner-up finishes in 1989 and 2017, falling to Marysville in the finals in 2017. … Cardinals were undefeated Central Plains League champions for the second straight season and closest league victory was a 14-point win over Garden Plain. … Lone loss came to Haven in the finals of the Adolph Rupp Classic with the Cardinals avenging that defeat in the sub-state finals. … Cheney has wins over 4A qualifiers Andale and Pratt and also beat fellow 3A qualifier Hesston. … Three starters average in double figure scoring with Burdick leading the way at 13 points per game, just ahead of Peintner and Thomas, who each average 12 per game. … Eastman adds 8 points per game. … Frieden won 400th game overall last year and got his 100th win at Cheney this season.
 

 
GALENA
 
Coach: Matt Meyr
 
Record: 22-0 (No. 1 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Columbus, 75-42; beat Frontenac, 63-56; beat Girard, 57-54
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Bishop Ward (8: 16-7), 2 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Jack Perry, sr., G; Thatcher Botkin, sr., G; Zane Adams, sr., G; Linken Kimberling, sr., G; Quinton Cox, sr., C; Evan Wittenmyer, jr., F; Jack Laturner, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: Bulldogs go into state with an undefeated record for the second time in three seasons, also qualifying with no losses in 2023. … Galena finished third that season, falling to Marysville in the state semifinals. … Bulldogs were state runner-up in 2021, losing 45-36 to Hesston in the championship game that year. … State trip is 11th overall for the program. … Galena was undefeated CNC League champion this year, rallying from 16 points down in the second half to beat Frontenac on a buzzer-beater on Feb. 11 to keep the perfect season alive. … Bulldogs won the Tony Dubray Invitational in Liberal (Mo.). … Perry hit 1,000 career points in late January and is averaging 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game. … Kimberling averages 12 points per game and Cox adds 10 points and 8 rebounds per contest. … Botkin chips in 7 points per game. … Only six of 22 wins were by less than double-digits and Bulldogs had beaten Girard by double-digits twice before fighting the Trojans off 57-54 in sub-state championship game.
 

 
GOODLAND
 
Coach: Mikey Doll
 
Record: 20-3 (No. 6 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Cimarron, 59-33; beat Colby, 55-53; beat Scott City, 72-60
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Cheney (3: 22-1), 8 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Brady Brumbaugh, sr., G/F; Linkon Cure, sr., C; Braylon Mull, jr., PG; Blair Linin, sr., C; Zach Thorson, sr., F; Kacen Sederstrom, sr., G/F; Barrett Schlosser, sr., F; Jaxson Miller, so., G.
 
Worth noting: After earning first state berth since 1995 last year, Goodland returns for second straight year. … The Cowboys finished as state runner-up last year, falling to Wellsville 68-58 in the state championship game. … That denied the program its first state title since the only one in program history, that coming in 1959. … Trip to state is 14th for the program, but just sixth since 1965. … Cowboys’ win over Colby in the sub-state semifinals was fifth over the Eagles this season and the closest after beating Colby by 25 in their first meeting and the games getting closer in each ensuing one. … Goodland also beat Scott City three times and finished at Great West Activities Conference runner-up with a 10-2 league mark, both losses coming to Holcomb. … Only other loss came to 6A qualifier Olathe North in the Orange and Black Classic title game in Colby in January. … Cowboys won their home Topside Tipoff Tournament. … Brumbaugh is dynamic scorer who averages 22 points per game. … Cure is a Kansas State football singnee who was one of the top tight end recruits in the nation, and averages 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. … Mull averages 7.7 points and 3.5 assists per game. … Thorson and Linin both average just under 6 points and 5 rebounds per game.
 

 
HESSTON
 
Coach: Garrett Roth
 
Record: 21-2 (No. 4 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Belle Plaine, 82-23; beat Marysville, 53-36; beat Council Grove, 61-49
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Burlington (5: 20-3), 4 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Reed Friesen, sr., F; Asher Deutschendorf, sr., PG; Ty Unruh, jr., G; Daniel Lumbreras, jr., G; Drew Bartell, so., C; Blake Hansen, sr., G; Gaven Larson, so., PG; Jerick Humphreys, so., G; Karter Gonzalez, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: After capturing three straight Class 3A state titles from 2021-23, Hesston missed out on state appearance last season, but is back this year. … Hesston beat Galena, Royal Valley and Marysville for its state titles with Roth the head coach for the last of those after replacing Greg Raleigh as head coach. … Program also has two other state titles, those coming in 1983 and 1985. … Swathers making 16th overall state appearance this season. … Only losses this year have come to 2A unbeaten and two-time defending champion Moundridge in the finals of the Hillsboro Trojan Classic and fellow 3A qualifier Cheney. … Hesston beat 5A Great Bend and 4A qualifier Pratt, the latter on the way to capturing the Central Kansas League title. … Friesen averages 17 points per game. … Lumbreras is next with 11 points per game. … Deutschendorf is state tennis placer who runs the point and gets 4.9 points per game. … Bartell adds 9.1 pints per game and Unruh scores 6.1 per game.
 

 
LAKIN
 
Coach: Nate Schmitt
 
Record: 22-1 (No. 2 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Nickerson, 87-28; beat Hoisington, 63-35; beat Beloit, 59-43
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Silver Lake (7: 18-5), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Adrik Gomez-Esquibel, sr., PG; Dru Patterson, sr., G; Nico Doume, sr., G; Colter Oldham, sr., F; Austin Ritesma, sr., C; Tyelor Holloway, sr.; Ross Rider, sr.; Eric Munson, sr.; Noah Garcia, sr.
 
Worth noting: After falling in the sub-state finals four times in the past six years, Broncs finally ended their lengthy state drought, which had reached 23 years. … Last state appearance came in 2002 when Lakin won the Class 3A state championship with a 26-0 record. … Trip to state is fifth overall for the program. … Broncs were Hi-Plains League regular season and tournament champions. … Team has 11 seniors, most of whom have played together since third grade. … Only loss of the season came to Colby in third game of the year and Broncs have won 20 straight since with only one of those wins by less than 10 points, a 48-44 win over Holcomb. … Lakin has 19 wins by at least 20 points this season and beat three 6A schools. … Oldham scored his 1,000th career point and is a double-state champion in track and field. … Doume is a foreign exchange student from Gabon, Africa, who leads the team in scoring this season and is a dynamic force at 6-foot-6. … Patterson leads in 3-pointers made and Gomez-Equibel is tops in assists while Ritesma leads the team in rebounds and blocks. … Holloway is like a sixth starter and is son of former Moundridge and Iowa State standout Jacy Holloway, who is Lakin’s athletic director. … Broncs have 11 seniors and 1 freshman on the state team and the senior class has a career record of 71-20.
 

 
SILVER LAKE
 
Coach: Shannon Kruger
 
Record: 18-5 (No. 7 seed)
 
Sub-state results: beat Jefferson West, 73-40; beat Osage City, 64-62; beat Sabetha, 49-45
 
State-tournament quarterfinal: vs. Lakin (2: 22-1), 6 p.m. Thursday
 
Key players: Dayne Johnson, jr., F; Deondre Razzano, sr., F; JP Whitehead, sr., G; Brody Deiter, sr., G; Jared Johnson, sr., G; Aemon Coffman, sr., F.
 
Worth noting: Eagles ending seven-year state drought, securing first berth since 2017. … Trip to state is ninth overall for the program and this year marks the first time the boys have qualified in the same year as the girls team. … Eagles made four-win improvement over last year when they lost in the sub-state finals. … Eagles beat fellow 3A qualifier Burlington in a wild triple-overtime game in the semifinals of the Burlington Invitational. … Lone state championship for the program came in 1981 which is also the lone championship game appearance. … Dayne Johnson averages 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists per game. … Deiter and Jared Johnson each score 12 points per game with Deiter also getting 5 rebounds and three assists. … Razzano averages 7 points and 5 rebounds per game. … Coffman comes off bench for 7 points and 4 rebounds per game.