The Cardinals boys basketball team secured a 33-31 win over Wamego in overtime Tuesday night to notch head coach Tyler Cleveland’s first varsity win.
It was a physical game where both teams struggled to score and defense dominated. Multiple players made big plays down the stretch to help secure the win.
Senior Micaiah Jerome nailed a buzzer-beating three, senior Connor Watson sped down the baseline for an up-and-under layup and senior Errol Siemon drew a clutch charge, all helping the Cardinals come out on top.
“We have a lot of young guys, a lot of older guys trying to mentor those young guys,” Watson said. “So, you know, it’s a nice mix of those older guys: Me, Errol, all the seniors just did a great job all around no matter what it was. We were there, the managers were there, the bench was there. It’s just really great to see everybody trust us and trust the game.”
The team celebrated Cleveland’s first win with a water shower in the locker room after the game.
“I went to the locker room and they sprayed me with water, which is all good,” Cleveland said. “That was fun, but that’s more for the kids. I’m just ready to get back to work.”
Freshman Sy Thomas led the Cardinals with 9 points. The Cardinals will look to learn from the win and keep growing as the season progresses.
“Communication is key,” Siemon said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys in there, so the big thing is that we need to talk and tell everyone where everyone else is.”
The girls team also claimed a season-opening win, taking down Wamego 52-38.
The Cardinals came out the gate with energy, using their speed to catch Wamego off guard early. Freshman Avah Dye scored the first 5 points on her way to a team-high 18.
Senior Hanna Keltner said the team knew Wamego would be a challenge, especially with a mostly-new team, but the Cardinals speed helped them claim the win.
“It was just so much fun,” Keltner said. “Like it was almost an addicting feeling. We were like, ‘Oh, we can get this steal, then we can get the next one, then we can get the next one.’ So, just kind of feeding off that energy each time was just really fun.”
Wamego’s 3-point shooting gave them an early edge, but shifty inbound plays and some transition buckets helped the Cardinals go into halftime with a 1-point lead.
“We know we can play pretty fast, and that’s one of our strengths,” head coach Brandon Parker said. “And we were able to show it tonight. We were able to show it in a couple waves.”
After a slow start to the second half, the Cardinals used their depth to go on an 8-0 run and grab control. After trading buckets, a big 3-pointer from senior Miranda Kuntz helped ignite the Cardinals to a double-digit lead, which they carried to the end.
“I’m really proud of all of how the freshmen have really stepped up,” Kuntz said. “I just can’t wait to watch them progress through the season.”
Parker said the big win showed the team could compete at a high level, but they need to make sure they keep the same intensity in practices moving forward.
“One game doesn’t make you anything,” Parker said. “And so we’re going to make sure that we stay humble and we stay hungry in everything that we’re doing.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
