CLASS 1A DIVISION I BOYS STATE QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
CENTRAL PLAINS OILERS (1: 24-2) VS. CANTON-GALVA EAGLES (8: 17-8)
8 p.m. Tuesday, Kansas Wesleyan, Salina
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
State championships – Canton-Galva: 0; Central Plains: 2 (2018, 2019).
State tournament appearances – Canton-Galva: 8 (last appearance: 2024); Central Plains: 7 (last appearance: 2025).
TOP PLAYERS
Canton-Galva: Kustom Schamp, 6-1, jr., G (16.8 ppg, 5.2 apg, 4.1 steals); Ethan Brozek, 6-0, jr. G (17.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.8 spg); Jaxon Nightengale, 6-2, jr., F (13.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.4 spg).
Central Plains: Brodie Crites, 6-2, jr., G (23 ppg, 5 apg, 5 rpg, 4 spg); Camden Stiles, 6-0, jr., G (16 ppg, 2 apg); Rylan Siemsen, 6-2, sr., G (10 ppg, 3 apg, 4.5 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Canton-Galva: bye; beat Troy, 62-61; beat Burlingame, 47-42 (OT).
Central Plains: bye; beat Ellis, 62-42; beat Sylvan-Lucas, 56-52.
TEAM TIDBITS
Canton-Galva:
The Eagles are back at state for the second time in three years … Schamp, Brozek and Nightengale were all returning starters off last year’s team that went 12-12. … Eagles will be looking to reach semis for first time since 1983. … Canton-Galva coach Larry O’Connor won four state titles (two at Wallace County, two at Brewster) in previous tenures before arriving to coach the Eagles in 2020. He has over 400 career victories.
Central Plains: Oilers took fourth at state last year. … Central Plains won Amos Morris Tournament in Russell and claimed Central Prairie League regular-season and tournament titles. … Crites eclipsed 1,000 career points earlier this season. … Coach Michael Ryan’s brother Devin also coaching in state tournament with Victoria in 1A Division II.
SOUTH CENTRAL TIMBERWOLVES (4: 20-4) VS. KIOWA COUNTY MAVERICKS (5: 20-6)
8 p.m. Tuesday, United Wireless Arena, Dodge City
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
State championships – Kiowa County: 0; South Central: 0.
State tournament appearances – Kiowa County: 1 (first appearance); South Central: 4 (last appearance: 2025).
TOP PLAYERS
Kiowa County: Sawyer Campbell, 6-0, sr., G (19 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.2 apg); Boone McDonald, 6-0, jr., G (17.7 ppg); Jacob Hogan, 6-0, jr., G (10 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3 apg).
South Central: Jack Herd, 6-4, sr., F (18.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.7 spg); Eli Girk, 6-7, jr., F (9.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1 bpg, 3.7 spg); Easton Huck, jr., 5-9, G (6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 2.7 spg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Kiowa County: beat Elkhart, 64-29; beat South Gray, 61-53; beat Meade, 48-30.
South Central: bye; beat St. John, 38-29; beat Spearville, 46-39.
TEAM TIDBITS
Kiowa County: Mavericks passed through difficult sub-state path to notch first state tournament appearance in school history. … Avenged two regular-season losses to Meade to beat Buffaloes in sub-state final. … Mavericks suffered 1-point loss to South Central in last year’s sub-state title game. …. Campbell is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,701 career points. … Kiowa County is 0-2 against South Central on season, putting together nine-game win streak since falling to Timberwolves 50-34 on Feb. 3.
South Central: Timberwolves making fourth state trip since 2019, including runner-up showing to Olpe last year and third-place effort in 2023. … Herd has over 1,000 points in his career. … Huck has over 100 assists on season. … Timberwolves have posted best defensive season in school history, surrendering just 33 points per game … South Central took second in SPIAA tournament, avenging overtime loss to Spearville in the sub-state title game. … Timberwolves own 54-50 and 50-34 wins over league rival Kiowa County this season. … South Central captured the Eight-Player Division I football championship last fall.
BELOIT-ST. JOHN’S/TIPTON BLUJAYS (2: 21-2) VS. FLINTHILLS MUSTANGS (7: 17-8)
4 p.m. Tuesday, Kansas Wesleyan, Salina
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
State championships – Flinthills: 0; Beloit-St. John’s: 1 (2014).
State tournament appearances – Flinthills: 2 (last appearance: 1986); Beloit-St. John’s: 7 (last appearance: 2024).
TOP PLAYERS
Flinthills: Jake Hunter, 5-10, sr., G (20.6 ppg, 4.4 apg); Charles Farris, 6-2, jr., G (9 ppg, 3.2 apg); Taylor Carroll, 6-4, sr., F (7 ppg, 6 rpg).
Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton: Edward Horinek, 5-10, sr., G (22.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.2 spg); Gabriel Roderick, 6-3, sr., G/F (14 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg); Grant Goodaker, 5-11, sr., G (6.8 ppg, 2.8 apg); Dominic Eilert, 6-2, jr., F. (8.5 ppg, 6 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Flinthills: beat Sedan, 56-51; beat Central Burden, 40-35; beat Little River, 49-42.
Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton: bye; beat Rock Hills, 60-30; beat Quinter, 73-59.
TEAM TIDBITS
Flinthills: Mustangs handed Little River its second loss of season to clinch state berth for first time in 40 years. … Hunter has scored 1,544 career points, making him one of top scorers in school history. … Farris scored 22 points in sub-state opener vs. Sedan. … Hunter put up 22 points in sub-state semifinal and had 27 in championship game.
Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton: Horinek is Blujays’ leading scorer and has over 1,500 career points. … Blujays swept Northern Plains League Tournament and regular-season titles and took second in the Amos Morris Classic to Central Plains. … Only other loss came to Sacred Heart. … Key wins include Sylvan-Lucas (x3), Plainville, Clifton-Clyde and Bennington. … Horinek scored 39 against Quinter in sub-state final. ... Blujays fell in sub-state title game last year to eventual Class 1A Division II state champion Axtell. … Lance Bergmann in 17th season as head coach. … Assistant Parker Gates played on 2014, 2015 and 2016 state tournament teams for Blujays.
NORWICH EAGLES (3: 22-4) VS. RURAL VISTA HEAT (6: 16-7)
2 p.m. Tuesday, Friends University, Wichita
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
State championships – Rural Vista: 0; Norwich: 0.
State tournament appearances – Rural Vista: 3 (last appearance: 2018); Norwich: 6 (last appearance: 2022).
TOP PLAYERS
Rural Vista: Tucker Mein, 6-3, sr. (11.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Celian Van Bemten, 5-9, sr. (9.7 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.2 spg); Tyler Brockmeier, 6-3, sr. (8.1 ppg, 1.7 spg); Grant Eskeldson, 6-4, sr. (7.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Norwich: Jayden Benge, 5-10, sr., G (13.6 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg); Drew Kelly, 6-2, jr., F (10 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg); Lucas Adams, 6-4, jr., C (9 ppg, 6 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Rural Vista: bye; beat Wabaunsee, 57-50; beat Olpe, 40-38.
Norwich: bye; beat Crest, 53-36; beat Pleasanton, 54-28.
TEAM TIDBITS
Rural Vista: Heat knocked off defending state champion Olpe in sub-state final to reach state for first time since back-to-back appearances in 2017 and 2018. … Rural Vista has fought through injuries and sickness in middle of season. … Heat won the Centre tournament for second straight season. … Heat trailed Olpe in sub-state final until taking first lead with 2:10 left in fourth quarter. … Rural Vista rallied from double-digit deficits in both sub-state wins. … Van Bemten is a foreign exchange student from Belgium.
Norwich: Norwich handed Pleasanton just its second loss with the 26-point victory in sub-state final. … Eagles’ best showing at state was third-place finish in 1993. … Three sophomores (Lane Hilger, Easton Schroeder and Kyedon Schroeder) play key minutes for the Eagles. … Norwich went 18-4 last season, reaching the sub-state semis.