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By Dana Harding (for O-Zone)
Strafford, Mo. — In head coach Mike Wilson’s final regular season game, Strafford utilized its depth and a late burst to down Fair Grove 72-59 and win the Mid-Lakes Conference title Friday evening.
In fact, with a 6-0 conference record capped off by a huge rivalry win, it would be tough to script a better ending for the longtime Indian chief.
“It’s all to those kids,” Wilson said. “We had a scouting report and everything, but the biggest thing I put up there was ‘You have to play harder than they do,’ and we did. To go out as a conference champion beating Fair Grove, who may turn around and beat me next week in districts, but with everyone here in the last regular season game, it’s something you won’t ever forget.”
From the opening tip, the longtime rivals seemed destined for yet another thriller. The back-and-forth affair was tied 12-12 at the end of one, as both offenses sought to find a rhythm in the matchup.
In the second quarter, both teams battled for momentum.
Fair Grove jumped out to a four-point lead thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Garret Potter and sophomore David Oplotnik; however, the 24-20 advantage would not last long.
Strafford senior Weston Boswell closed the quarter with four straight points to give the Indians a 30-28 lead heading into the break.
Boswell helped propel the Indian attack with 17 points in the half, while Fair Grove was led by Oplotnik and Cole Gilpin. The sophomore duo combined for 15 points to pace the Eagles.
In the third quarter, Strafford finally found its momentum-seizing spark in senior Wyatt Maples.
After junior Dillon Hester was called for his third foul early in the quarter, Maples entered the game and made an immediate impact with a quick 3-pointer.
What followed was an 11-point eruption from the 6-foot-1 forward at a time when Strafford needed it most.
“We just had to fire off,” Maples said. “Just focus on getting the other guys open to get me open, and then just taking good shots. Coach Wilson does a great job pushing us, and everyone gave 100 percent effort.”
Discussing his team’s next-man-up philosophy, Wilson praised his senior leader for seizing the opportunity.
“I have ten kids dressed out, and I feel like I can put any of them in the game, and they’ll contribute in some fashion,” Wilson said. “Wyatt’s a tremendous shooter and looked to shoot it tonight with confidence. Next man up, and he was ready. I’m so proud and happy for him because he had a good game against these guys.”
While Strafford led most of the second half, Fair Grove remained within striking distance.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles seemed poised to make a big run when an Oplotnik 3-pointer cut the Strafford lead to 54-50; however, junior Riley Oberbeck immediately answered the Fair Grove rally with strong finish at the rim to put the Indians back up by six.
Maples then turned around and delivered a 3-point dagger on Strafford’s next possession to put the Indians up by nine.
Fair Grove head coach Tim Brown attributed the game’s turning point to that sequence and Maples’ second-half play.
“It was a six-point game, and there was a play in the fourth quarter where our kid tried to make a play and take a charge,” Brown said. “They kicked it out, made a three and made it nine. Credit to them. The Maples kid had a great night on senior night and made a big-time shot. We lost him too many times in the game with some assignment errors, and he lit us up.”
Fair Grove wouldn’t get another chance to rally, as Boswell poured in 7 of his game-high 26 points in the final two minutes to help propel the Indians to the win.
Maples and Oberbeck joined Boswell in double figures with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
After the game, Wilson talked about moving forward into the elimination games with a deep roster of players that are peaking at the right time of the season.
“Our number one goal is to win districts,” Wilson said. “We’ve been getting better the last three or four weeks. Like Fair Grove, I feel like we have more than one or two kids who can score, and that’s hard to guard. I don’t think anyone else in our district is going to go as deep as we go, so we can get into foul trouble and have some things happen.”
Gilpin scored 17 points to lead Fair Grove in scoring and was followed closely by Oplotnik’s 16 points.
Despite the loss, Brown praised his team for fighting through adversity during the contest.
“This was a conference championship,” Brown said. “This was a game that all these kids, both teams, worked so hard to get to this year. It’s a rivalry game, and it’s special that both teams had no losses coming into this game. We had four starters with two fouls, played some kids we don’t usually play and we’re down two at halftime. I’m really proud of the way we weathered the storm and battled through that adversity.”
Both teams move on to Strafford for the Class 3 District 11 tournament beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20. Quarterfinal games include No. 2 seed Strafford (20-6) versus Ash Grove and No. 3 seed Fair Grove (16-10) versus Hollister.
Should both Strafford and Fair Grove advance, a rematch looms in the semifinal round Thursday, Feb. 22.
Varsity Final: Strafford – 72, Fair Grove – 59
Strafford 12 18 19 25 — 72
Fair Grove 12 16 14 16 — 59
Strafford scoring: Weston Boswell – 26, Wyatt Maples – 18, Riley Oberbeck- 15, Dillon Hester – 7, Mason Foley – 4, Kensen White – 2
Fair Grove scoring: Cole Gilpin – 17, David Oplotnik – 16, Garret Potter – 7, Kamron Stacey – 7, Kyle Stacey – 8, Brian Carroll – 2, Josh Thompson – 2
JV Final: Strafford – 59, Fair Grove – 43
(Sawyer Lumley – 18 points)
