Kansas: Copeland Leads Scots to 5A Title

As time was running out in a pressure packed Kansas 5A boys state basketball title game, Topeka Highland Park senior Michael Copeland’s instincts kicked in and allowed the Scots to swipe victory away from a bigger and more athletic Bishop Miege squad.

It took Copeland two tries before the Scot faithful could relax and celebrate the school’s third straight 5A boys basketball title following the 54-52 win in the No. 1 vs. No. 2 classic.

Stag big man Hal Payne appeared to send the game into overtime when he swatted Copeland’s first attempt at a game winning shot.

But the 6-foot-6 senior had the presence of mind to relocate the ball, grabbed it and go back up for the lay in as time expired causing a raucous Highland Park crowd to erupt into celebration and a stunned Bishop Miege following to fall into silence at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka.

“It was amazing,” Copeland said in reaction to his second game saving shot in as many nights. “There are no real words to explain it. Your adrenaline is pumping and your mind is going a million miles a minute.

“It was just automatic. When I had my shot blocked, I was just hoping to get the rebound. I knew if I could get it (put back) in we’d win.”

Top-ranked Highland Park trailed for much of the game, and with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter the Scots were down 48-41. Highland Park, however, responded with an 8-2 run that allowed the Scots to creep within 50-49 of the second-ranked Stags.

Copeland, who finished the contest with 12 points, then gave Highland Park its first lead of the second half at 52-50 when he completed a 3-point play. Stag junior Justin McCay made two free throws with 32 seconds left to tie the game at 52-52, setting up Copeland’s heroics.

“We knew we could still win,” Copeland said of the Scots' uphill battle. “It was just a matter of taking it easy and taking it play-by-play. We knew we had to put some haste into it, but that we had to stay calm.

“Each of us had to do what we knew we could do. If we were a shooter, then we had to get off of the screens and get an open shot. If we were a rebounder then we had to box out and get rebounds. We knew that if each of us played within our own strengths that the outcome would be a positive one.”

In Friday’s 52-50 semifinal win over Salina Central, Copeland sent the Scots into the much anticipated match with the Stags by taking a Canon Fields pass and converting a lay-up as time expired in overtime.

5A Girls: Bishop Miege claims another title

With Saturday’s 69-48 win over Great Bend in the girls 5A title game, Bishop Miege coach Terry English picked up his 16th state title in the last 33 years at the school.

From 1977-2009 the Stags have appeared in 21 championship contests, nearly as many as the rest of the 5A field combined.

English-coached teams won titles in consecutive seasons on four different occasions, including four straight from 1989-1992. During his tenure with the Stags, English also won back-to-back titles in 1984-1985, and went back-to-back-to-back from 1994-1996 and 2001-2003.

The longest state title drought for Bishop Miege from 1977-2009 is the four-year stretch from 1997-2000.

Double Winners

With Bishop Miege’s loss to Highland Park in the boys 5A final, St. Marys became the only school in all six classes to net state titles in both the boys and girls divisions of its respective classification.

The Bears boys claimed the Class 2A championship by getting by Pittsburg Colgan 56-55, while the girls upended Ellis 60-46.

Other Crowned Champions

Class 6A
Boys- Wichita Heights over defending champion Wichita Southeast, 73-58
Girls- Topeka Washburn Rural over Olathe South, 57-47

Class 4A
Boys- Basehor-Linwood over Girard, 53-48
Girls- Concordia over Topeka Hayden, 59-52

Class 3A
Boys- Wichita Collegiate over Sabetha, 55-52
Girls- Southwestern Heights over Wichita Collegiate, 65-59

Class 1A
Boys- Hanover over Quinter, 53-47
Girls- St. John-Hudson over South Gray, 46-35

Boys State Basketball Tournament Leading Scorers

Class 6A
Joe Mitchell, Wichita Southeast, 74 24.7
Steve Carver, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 52 17.3
AJ Spencer, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 50 16.7
Winn Clark, Shawnee Mission East, 46 15.3
Cecil Shaw, Wichita Southeast, 46 15.3
Perry Ellis, Wichita Heights, 41 13.7

Class 5A
Canon Fields, Topeka Highland Park, 53 17.7
Trevor Releford, Bishop Miege, 48 16.0
Craig Knox, Salina Central, 47 15.7
Randall Vautravers, Andover Central, 41 13.7
Rodney Givens, Bishop Miege, 39 13.0
Alex Williams, Salina Central, 38 12.7

Class 4A
Jeff Reid, Topeka Hayden, 61 20.3
Adam Hasty, Ottawa, 52 17.3
Tanner Poppe, Girard, 52 17.3
Darian Kelly, Girard, 48 16.0
Kevin Barber, Ottawa, 47 15.7
T.J. McGreevy, Topeka Hayden, 47 15.7

Class 3A
Caleb Kesler, Sabetha, 54 18.0
Ryan Mesh, Hutchinson Trinity, 41 13.7
Coner Reilly, Hutchinson Trinity, 38 12.7
Mitch Buhler, Rossville, 37 12.3
Mitch Allen, Sabetha, 37 12.3
Matt Buhler, Rossville, 36 12.0

Class 2A
Luke Olsen, St. Marys, 81 27.0
Lucas Plunkett, Syracuse, 55 18.3
Stuart Jeck, Pittsburg Colgan, 47 15.7
Tate Housholder, Syracuse, 38 12.7
Patrick Strathman, Nemaha Valley, 38 12.7
Andrew Brown, Syracuse, 36 12.0

Class 1A
Ben Steinlage, Centralia, 85 28.3
Scott Ochs, Quinter, 51 17.0
Alex Bruna, Hanover, 44 14.7
Craig Banman, Goessel, 40 13.3
Edward Machen, Quinter, 38 12.7
Austin Unruh, Goessel, 33 11.0

Girls State Basketball Tournament Leading Scorers

Class 6A
Natalie Knight, Olathe South, 57 19.0
Kamisha Richard, Wichita Heights, 51 17.0
Alexa Bordewick, Topeka Washburn Rural, 37 12.3
Brooke Katterhenry, Shawnee Mission West, 37 12.3
Jhasmin Bowen, Wichita Heights, 36 12.0
LaSharra Riley, Topeka Washburn Rural, 34 11.3

Class 5A
Julia Marshall, Wichita Bishop Carroll, 60 20.0
Shandelyn Stewart, Bishop Miege, 52 17.3
Alex Hartig, Great Bend, 44 14.7
Abby Fawcett, Wichita Bishop Carroll, 37 12.3
Adrianna Maurer, Bishop Miege, 36 12.0
Ashley Thayer, Bishop Miege, 35 11.7

Class 4A
Karly Buer, Concordia, 68 22.7
Merissa Quick, Cheney, 59 19.7
Rachel Hanf, Paola, 58 19.3
Paige Champlin, Concordia, 44 14.7
Aubree Luebbe, Topeka Hayden, 42 14.0
Jayde Reid, Topeka Hayden, 42 14.0

Class 3A
Ashia Woods, Wichita Collegiate, 72 24.0
Vivian Olvera, Southwestern Heights, 51 17.0
Sara Schwaninger, Cherryvale, 47 15.7
Dana Elliott, Rock Creek, 41 13.7
Taylor Ebert, Rock Creek, 34 11.3
Deni Jacobs, Southwestern Heights, 33 11.0

Class 2A
Kathryn Flott, Olpe, 68 22.7
Whitney Taylor, Ellis, 63 21.0
Kendyl McDougald, Olpe, 58 19.3
Laura Kinderknecht, St. Marys, 44 14.7
Heather Perry, St. Marys, 42 14.0
Katelyn Schmidtberger, Salina Sacred Heart, 39 13.0

Class 1A
Alisha Fanshier, St. John-Hudson, 55 18.3
Beth Cornwell, St. John-Hudson, 54 18.0
Kaylee Cramer, Dighton, 51 17.0
Mollie Winkler, Centralia, 47 15.7
Brigit Hesser, South Gray, 46 15.3
Ella Rethman, Centralia, 36 12.0

Class 6A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Wichita Heights 63, Dodge City 56
Shawnee Mission Northwest 54, Goddard 44
Shawnee Mission East 54, Olathe East 51
Wichita Southeast 82, Olathe South 78

Semifinals
Wichita Heights 65, Shawnee Mission Northwest 60
Wichita Southeast 80, Shawnee Mission East 63

Finals- Wichita Heights 73, Wichita Southeast 58
Consolation- Shawnee Mission East 53, Shawnee Mission Northwest 51

Class 5A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Shawnee-Bishop Miege 64, Hutchinson 48
Andover Central 62, Liberal 57
Topeka Highland Park 54, St. Thomas Aquinas 41
Salina Central 57, Lansing 51

Semifinals
Shawnee-Bishop Miege 64, Andover Central 40
Topeka Highland Park 52, Salina Central 50 OT

Finals- Topeka Highland Park 54, Shawnee-Bishop Miege 52
Consolation- Salina Central 64, Andover Central 51

Class 4A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Girard 62, Cheney 60
Topeka Hayden 66, KC-Sumner Academy 57
Ottawa 70, Hesston 68
Basehor-Linwood 61, Wichita-Trinity Academy 53

Semifinals
Girard 52, Topeka Hayden 49
Basehor-Linwood 65, Ottawa 50

Finals- Basehor-Linwood 53, Girard 48
Consolation- Topeka Hayden 81, Ottawa 44

Class 3A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Hutchinson Trinity 46, Council Grove 39
Sabetha 70, Holcomb 66
Wichita Collegiate 59, Medicine Lodge 52
Rossville 70, Galena 66

Semifinals
Sabetha 47, Hutchinson Trinity 38
Wichita Collegiate 51, Rossville 48

Finals- Wichita Collegiate 55, Sabetha 52
Consolation- Hutchinson Trinity 56, Rossville 32

Class 2A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Pittsburg Colgan 44, Olpe 35
Nemaha Valley 55, Berean Academy 48
Syracuse 60, Salina Sacred Heart 50
St. Marys 63, WaKeeney-Trego 50

Semifinals
Pittsburg Colgan 57, Nemaha Valley 37
St. Marys 63, Syracuse 62 OT

Finals- St. Marys 56, Pittsburg Colgan 55
Consolation- Syracuse 46, Nemaha Valley 43

Class 1A Boys Results

Quarterfinals
Centralia 69, Colony-Crest 61
Quinter 65, Montezuma South Gray 55
Goessel 49, Kensington-Thunder Ridge 45
Hanover 64, Macksville 56

Semifinals
Quinter 65, Centralia 64
Hanover 62, Goessel 38

Finals- Hanover 53, Quinter 47
Consolation- Centralia 69, Goessel 63

Class 6A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Topeka Washburn Rural 68, Garden City 47
Shawnee Mission West 59, Shawnee Mission East 53
Wichita Heights 58, Olathe Northwest 45
Olathe South 50, Goddard 45

Semifinals
Topeka Washburn Rural 55, Shawnee Mission West 45
Olathe South 60, Wichita Heights 54

Finals- Topeka Washburn Rural 57, Olathe South 47
Consolation- Shawnee Mission West 55, Wichita Heights 51

Class 5A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Great Bend 42, Liberal 32
Emporia 38, Lansing 35
Wichita Bishop Carroll 70, St. Thomas Aquinas 54
Shawnee-Bishop Miege 51, Tecumseh Shawnee Heights 45

Semifinals
Great Bend 39, Emporia 35
Shawnee-Bishop Miege 49, Wichita Bishop Carroll 44

Finals- Shawnee-Bishop Miege 69, Great Bend 48
Consolation- Wichita Bishop Carroll 70, Emporia 43

Class 4A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Topeka Hayden 38, Holton 33
Cheney 62, Girard 41
Concordia 63, Eudora 55
Paola 64, Rose Hill 51

Semifinals
Topeka Hayden 35, Cheney 30
Concordia 65, Paola 63

Finals- Concordia 59, Topeka Hayden 52
Consolation- Cheney 66, Paola 47

Class 3A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Southwestern Heights 49, Hillsboro 38
Cherryvale 56, Jayhawk Linn 37
Rock Creek 40, Riley County 32
Wichita Collegiate 54, Beloit 42

Semifinals
Southwestern Heights 65, Cherryvale 52
Wichita Collegiate 42, Rock Creek 40

Finals- Southwestern Heights 65, Wichita Collegiate 59
Consolation- Rock Creek 48, Cherryvale 28

Class 2A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Salina Sacred Heart 46, Pittsburg Colgan 36
St. Marys 69, Berean Academy 38
Olpe 72, Elkhart 43
Ellis 45, Clifton-Clyde 43

Semifinals
St. Marys 45, Salina Sacred Heart 31
Ellis 65, Olpe 61

Finals- St. Marys 60, Ellis 46
Consolation- Olpe 64, Salina Sacred Heart 47

Class 1A Girls Results

Quarterfinals
Montezuma South Gray 66, Frankfort 38
Dighton 62, LeRoy-Southern Coffey County 56
Centralia 72, Argonia 50
St. John-Hudson 57, Hoxie 50

Semifinals
Montezuma South Gray 48, Dighton 42
St. John-Hudson 49, Centralia 38

Finals- St. John-Hudson 46, Montezuma South Gray 35
Consolation- Centralia 57, Dighton 40