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By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ozark, Mo. — The 98th edition of the Southside Showdown ended much like the 97th.
Sparked by 39 combined points from Monty Johal and Jordan Walton, Glendale downed Kickapoo 65-46 to advance to the Class 5 District 11 final.
The semifinal win comes on the heels of a 68-37 final during the regular season, the largest margin of victory for the Falcons in the rivalry’s 46-year history.
Despite the early Feb. blowout, Glendale wasn’t about to overlook the semifinal matchup, especially after watching Parkview upset Ozark in the early game.
Glendale head coach Brian McTague didn’t have to say anything extra to his team prior to taking the court.
“I stood right next to our kids in the doorway watching the game before ours, and they were saying all the right things,” McTague said. “‘This could happen to us exactly the same,’ and ‘We need to stay focused and keep our heads right.’ I just stood back and listened. They were coaching each other, and that’s what you want to see.”
Johal discussed Glendale’s mentality coming into the elimination game. The 6-foot-3 senior finished with a game-high 22 points and was 7-of-15 from the field.
“Coach told us it’s playoff season before the game,” Johal said. “Even if you’re up by 20, you’re never really up 20. A team can make a big comeback; anything can happen, so don’t let up. Just keep going and don’t stop until the buzzer sounds.”
Playing without freshman guard Anton Brookshire, Kickapoo attempted to control the clock with long possessions and force Glendale to play defense for extended periods, something McTague was prepared to see.
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“Kickapoo came out and did exactly what we thought they would do,” McTague said. “I thought our kids really did a good job at being solid. For a 32-minute game, for us to consistently get in a stance and guard, I was really happy.”
Behind its inside-out combination of juniors Tanner Oetting and David Senn, Kickapoo battled in the first half, trailing 26-16 at the break.
“Kickapoo made it really hard for us to get to the goal,” McTague said. “They were contesting our shots well, but when you have playmakers like Monty and Jordan — and some other kids on our team — you trust that they’re eventually going to break through and make a couple plays.”
That break happened at the 6:00 mark of the fourth quarter.
Leading 42-30, Glendale went on a 17-2 run over the next three minutes to stretch its lead and thwart any hopes of a late Kickapoo rally.
With a somewhat sluggish perimeter attack — the Falcons connected on 6 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc — Glendale opted to attack the basket and shot a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line.
“We didn’t shoot it very well from the 3-point line like we normally do,” McTague said. “But I thought we did a great job of getting to the goal. I think we were a 13-for-13 from the free throw line, too, so I’m just, overall, very happy with how we played.
Walton and junior Winston Quinn joined Johal in double figures with 17 and 12 points, respectively.
Kickapoo was led by Oetting’s 15 points. Senior Sam Wallin added 12.
With the victory Glendale (20-6) advances to the district championship match against Parkview (16-10) Thursday, March 1. The two teams met during the regular season, with the Falcons winning the Feb. 9 contest 77-68.
Varsity Final: Glendale – 65, Kickapoo – 46
Glendale 14 12 16 23 — 65
Kickapoo 08 08 11 19 — 46
Glendale scoring: Monty Johal – 22, Jordan Walton – 17, Winston Quinn – 12, Jaxon Davis – 7, Dylan Metivier – 5, Garrett Freeman – 2
Kickapoo scoring: Tanner Oetting – 15, Sam Wallin – 12, Elijah Bridgers – 5, Kolton Giefer- 4, David Senn – 4, Micah Mcintire – 3, Cole Forbes – 3
