By Jordan Burton
The names and faces change, but the results remain the same for Pierce City…
The Lady Eagles, for the fourth time in the last five years, claimed the Class 2 – District 12 championship with an impressive 57-48 win over Class 2 No. 7 Purdy Friday night in Sarcoxie.
“This never gets old,” said Pierce City head coach Rob Guerin of receiving MSHSAA’s playoff envelop following the game. “I could have 30 of them and I would still be wanting the next one.”
The win snapped a 21-game winning streak for Purdy, whose lone loss this season came on Dec. 8 to Class 1 power Walnut Grove.
Purdy beat Pierce City back on Jan. 13, which jumpstarted a stretch that has seen PC win 13 of its last 14 games.
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“I’ve been proud of them all year long,” said Guerin. “They keep stepping up in big games and they’ve really played the way we want to be playing all the time. They’re aggressive and we get the ball to the places it needs to go.”
It’s wasn’t pretty at times, but Pierce City was able to answer each Purdy rally.
After trailing by as many as nine in the third quarter, 35-26, Purdy junior Laynie Skiles helped ignite a 7-0 spurt going into the fourth quarter.
Skiles scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half after sitting out much of the first half due to foul trouble.
“We changed out matchups a little to try and slow her down, but when she decides that she wants to score, she’s going to score and she did just that,” said Guerin. “We might have slowed her down a little bit, but she was able to get where she wanted.”
Purdy got within two in the fourth quarter, 47-45, on a Sami House layup. Pierce City then responded with a 10-3 run to end the game.
Skiles finished with a game-high 23 points, to go along with seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Seniors Rion Boyd and Devyn Callahan joined her in double figures with 11 and 10 respectively.
“These girls are great players and we’ve had one heck of a year,” said Ernst. “Anytime that God blesses you with the kind of season we were able to have there’s no way you can hang your head very long. These seasons don’t come around very often, they should be celebrated. I don’t know if I’ll see 25-2 again. From an Xs and Os standpoint you get to see kids progress and do things they couldn’t do before. This was just a special group and it’ll be one I won’t forget.”
Sophomore Kendyl Hayward, whose sister Bailee was wearing a Pierce City uniform last time the Eagles claimed a district title, finished with a team-high 22 points. Guards Belle Golubski and Ragan Blinzler each scored 13.
Awaiting Pierce City in the Sectional round for the fourth time in the last five seasons are the Crane Lady Pirates coached by Jeremy Mullins, Coach Guerin’s college roommate.
Crane knocked off top-seeded Blue Eye in the Class 2 – District 11 championship, 47-41.
While the Lady Pirates lost the nucleus of the four-time defending Class 2 state championship squad, Crane is still extremely dangerous.
Pierce City lost to Crane by just two, 57-55, during Crane’s inaugural championship run back in 2013.
“This game will be a little more manageable than it’s been in the past, but they’re still used to winning and they’re going to come fight as hard as any other team he’s had,” said Guerin. “We’re going to have to come prepared and hopefully it goes in our favor this time.”
Pierce City 57, Purdy 48
Pierce City 12-15-10-22 – 57
Purdy 11-11-11-15 – 48
