By Payton Hannah (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The McAuley Catholic Warriors made history Friday night, battling past the Lockwood Tigers in a hard-fought 39-32 victory to claim their first district title in 34 years.
The Warriors and Tigers entered the Class 1 District 5 showdown with late-season momentum. McAuley Catholic boasted a 19-8 record and secured the tournament’s top seed, advancing to the title game after defeating Walnut Grove in the semifinal. Lockwood held a 16-10 record and earned its championship spot with wins over Everton and Dadeville.
The Tigers were determined to avenge last year’s heartbreaking overtime championship loss, and they wasted no time setting the tone. Sophomore guard Landry Ogden led the charge, hitting two quick 3-pointers to give them an early boost. The Warriors responded with a strong finish to the first quarter, capped off by a steal and score from guard Michael Parrigon, cutting Lockwood’s lead and bringing the score to 8-6 at the end of the quarter.
The Warriors took their first lead midway through the second quarter after a layup by Alexander Bohachick. McAuley Catholic then used a strong defensive effort and several fast-break points to fuel a 10-0 run. Lockwood was able to trim the Warrior lead to eight points with a strong finish at the rim by Ogden, who scored eight points in the half. At the break, McAuley Catholic led 22-14.
The Tigers came out strong in the second half, quickly cutting the Warrior lead to five after senior guard Finley Masterson drained two quick 3-pointers, shifting the momentum in Lockwood’s favor. McAuley Catholic called a timeout to regroup, and out of the break, sophomore Will Mollnow knocked down a crucial 3-pointer, extending their lead to 28-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Tigers fought hard to mount a late comeback, led by guard Sean Contreras, who scored six points in the final period, and with help from Nikolaus Thieman, who finished with eight points. However, the Warriors kept control, largely thanks to Parrigon, who added six points in the final stretch and finished with a game-high 18 points. In the end, McAuley Catholic secured that elusive district title with a 39-32 victory.
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“It means a lot,” McAuley Catholic head coach Tony Witt said. “We’re not really strangers to championship games. There’s been a drought since 1991. The 1996 team came up short. The team that I played on in 2000 came up short, as did the teams in 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, and most recently, my 2021 team. So now, for them to get this, it means a lot for our program.”
Witt went on to describe how watching the team’s growth throughout the season made the victory even more meaningful, especially after years of near misses.
“Just to see these guys, where they started and where they finished, and now ending that 34-year drought, it means a lot.”
The Warriors will now advance to face Drexel in the first round of the state tournament on Monday. Drexel enters the matchup with a 19-9 record and fresh off a district championship victory over Sheldon.
“We’re just going to keep going as far as we can,” Parrigon said. “We have some strong momentum right now and we need to just keep playing our game.”
This will be the first meeting between the two schools in their programs’ history.
McAuley Catholic: 6-16-6-11–(39) Lockwood: 8-6-6-12–(32)
Top Performers McAuley Catholic: Michael Parrigon 18, Anreder Maxwell 6, Alexander Bohachick 4 Lockwood: Landry Ogden 8, Sean Contreras 8, Nikolaus Thieman 8
