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By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
When senior Kyndal Copeland moved to Eminence in 7th grade, the Redwings’ varsity basketball team won a state championship.
Coach Pete McBride had a simple welcoming message: Copeland and his peers would also be gunning for a state championship once they were in high school.
“We’ve been talking about it and talking about it,” said Copeland, who moved from Doniphan. “I think we knew we had the capability of getting here.”
Here they are, five years later, on the verge of a state championship.
Redwings junior forward Trent McBride had 15 points and 13 rebounds as Eminence defeated Chamois 50-36 in Friday night’s Class 1 semifinal at JQH Arena.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Eminence plays for its second state championship in program history at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at JQH Arena. The Redwings (31-1 overall) play Walnut Grove, which held off North Andrew 51-50 in a thrilling semifinal nightcap.
“It’s unreal. It still hasn’t sunk in for me, and I don’t think it will until I step onto that court,” Copeland said of reaching the state title game.
Five years ago, in its first final four appearance in program history, the Redwings won a pair of thrilling one-possession games to hoist the championship.
“I remember watching every game up through the final four,” said current Redwings senior Ethan Drake, who scored nine against Chamois. “I just remember the moments. It’s something you don’t ever forget. We’ve been working to get there ever since.”
Added senior Robert Keeling: “It was awesome to watch them (in 2013), growing up and stuff. It’s like you get to re-live it right now, getting to be in the moment like they were.”
The Redwings limited Chamois (21-10 overall) to just nine combined points in the second and third quarters.
Chamois went scoreless over the final 5:20 of the second quarter and trailed by 14 (29-15) at halftime. Chamois shot 13-for-37 from the field overall and committed 16 turnovers to Eminence’s seven.
“The game didn’t have as much flow as we’ve been used to having lately, but gosh, you just have to find a way to win here,” Pete McBride said. “We’re thrilled to have a chance to win another state title.”
Eminence maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. All five of Eminence’s starters had at least seven points.
Neither team had bench scoring.
Eminence’s Drake played ill, after walking up with the stomach flu. He arrived to the arena, away from his teammates, approximately 35 minutes before the scheduled 6:20 p.m. start time.
Chamois built an early 9-7 lead, but Eminence closed the opening quarter on a 10-2 run.
Chamois’ leading scorer, 6’6” senior Aaron Brandt (24 ppg, 11 rpg), had eight points and 14 rebounds on 2-for-9 shooting from the field. Teammate Kyle Bockting added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Pirates were 3-for-14 on 3-point attempts.
“Chamois has a really good player (Brandt), and they’ve got capable players around him,” Pete McBride said. “I thought, early, those other guys got really good looks. Then, as we feeling what we had to do with (Brandt), we knew we could matchup with those (other) guys a little tighter.”
The Redwings can add a second state title to the trophy case on Saturday.
Pete McBride said Eminence’s 2013 and 2018 final four teams have at least one common trait: comradery.
“That (2013) team had the best chemistry you can imagine,” he said. “They were all friends who worked so well together. These guys are the same way. We have a close-knit team that knows their role and plays those roles to the best of their ability.”
Eminence 50, Chamois 36
Eminence 17 12 10 17 — 50
Chamois 11 4 5 16 — 36
Eminence – Trent McBride 15, Grant Dyer 10, Wade Dyer 9, Ethan Drake 9, Kyndal Copeland 7
Chamois – Kyle Bockting 12, Aaron Brandt 8, Anthony Keilholz 7, Charles Roberts 6, Devin Warren 3
