By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Checking on Hereford cattle in the morning, winning a district basketball championship at night.
All in a day’s work for Tyler Dampier and the Wheatland Mules.
Wheatland won its first district title in 15 years in thrilling fashion, with a come-from-behind 63-59 overtime victory against Dadeville in Friday night’s Class 1 District 7 Tournament championship game at Southwest Baptist University.
“We have that gritty, not-going-to-lose type of effort that you get from farm kids,” said Mules coach Brian Pearson, after his team rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit. “That’s what we got.”
Dampier, who scored 28, is one of those farm kids.
His day began around 5 a.m., checking cows on the family farm. He sent an early motivational text message in the team’s group chat after Wheatland canceled its morning shoot-around due to icy roads.
“That’s just the epitome of what we have. He’s not the only farm kid on our team,” Pearson said. “We have gritty, tough kids.
For his efforts, Dampier was awarded the game ball as Wheatland celebrated its district championship.
“I didn’t think I was going to get the game ball. I didn’t know it was a thing,” Dampier said. “I’m going to keep it. It’ll be on display.”
Wheatland will play the District 8 winner, St. Elizabeth or Climax Springs, in a Class 1 sectional on March 1 at Camdenton High School.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The District 8 championship game is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Blair Oaks High School.
Dampier and childhood friend Davin Sawyer – who scored a game-high 29 – willed the Mules to victory on Friday night.
Dadeville held a six-point lead with just over two minutes remaining. Missed free throws by Dadeville and clutch shots by Wheatland opened the door.
Dampier’s 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining brought Wheatland within 57-55.
After Dadeville missed two free throws, Dampier drew a foul on the other end with 2.3 seconds left. He made both, forcing overtime.
“I was just throwing it up, hoping for a prayer,” Dampier said. “I didn’t have much of a choice. Free throws win championships, though.”
Dampier scored 24 of his 28 points after halftime. As a team, Wheatland shot 16-for-20 at the free throw line.
Before Friday, Wheatland hadn’t won a district title since 2007, according to Pearson. The Mules went to the final four that season.
Junior forward Luke Bushey scored 22 and sophomore guard Aidan Jarman added 18 points for Dadeville. The Bearcats were 8-for-15 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
Wheatland (19-10 overall) combined for just 18 total wins over the past three seasons.
“My whole high school career, we’ve had it rough. We haven’t won many games,” Dampier said.
Said Pearson: “This team came out and set the tone this summer for working hard, since day one. The last month, we’ve just gelled.”
The Mules, who beat Humansville by 20 in the semifinals, entered the district tournament as the No. 3 seed.
A storybook ending was in doubt as Dadeville led 30-19 at halftime on Friday.
“Our mantra the last week or so has been, ‘One more. Just get one more.’ We talked about that at halftime and what it means,” Pearson said. “It’s not just lip service – you have to go out and prove it.”
Dadeville finishes 18-9 overall, its third straight winning season. The Bearcats were seeking their first district title since 2011.
Wheatland 63, Dadeville 59 (OT)
Wheatland 13 6 19 19 6 — 63
Dadeville 15 15 9 18 2 — 59
Wheatland (19-10 overall) – Sawyer 29, Dampier 28, D. Murphy 3, A. Murphy 2, Kenig 1
Dadeville (18-9 overall) – Bushey 22 Jarman 18, McGill 10, King 6, Farmer 3
