By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Hillcrest Hornets ran up against a tough MICDS Rams team in the Class 5 Show-Me Showdown Final Four on Friday night at Mizzou Arena, losing 62-35.
“Kudos to MICDS,” said Hillcrest head coach Jordan Fielding. “They are a really good team and they really put it to us tonight as far as they exerted their will. We really didn’t have an answer tonight. We didn’t shoot it well, but I think that had a lot to do with MICDS, so kudos to them and their team and how hard they play. You know, it just didn’t bounce our way tonight, and that’s how it goes sometimes. The big goal for us…is to try to end the season on a win tomorrow, and so that’s what we’re going to focus on.”
The Hornets fell behind to start the first but battled back, scoring 9 unanswered points to move within two, finally closing the frame 14-10. A Jayven Jones shot from downtown would bring Hillcrest within one point at the top of the second, but MICDS responded with a 22-2 run. The Hornets entered the half down 36-15.
“I saw kind of what we’ve seen all season, we fought back, and we just didn’t have enough gas to do it again in the second,” said Coach Fielding. “So it’s hard to do at this stage consistently against really good teams who are really senior heavy and have been through those moments together…we showed a lot of fight in the first quarter, and we just really didn’t fight that much in the second. I thought in the second half we did a little better after our halftime adjustments, but we struggled that second quarter, and that was really kind of the difference to us.”
Junior Kyrese Simpson credited his opponent.
“They are really big and they clogged up the gaps a lot,” said Simpson. “We also weren’t running our zone the way we should be running it, screening, holding our screens, reading our screens, so I also think that played a part in what made their defense look so good.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Tomorrow, Hillcrest will take on Raytown South for the third place game.
“We’re really going to find out what we’re made of tomorrow, just like anyone does in the third-place game,” said Coach Fielding. “I mean, your dream of winning the state championship just kind of slips away from you, and so it says a lot about the character of a man, how they bounce back after adversity or something doesn’t go their way. Both for us and for Raytown South, it’s going to be a character game for us, and we’re going to see what we’re made of.”
Coach Fielding said that the team that “does simple best” will be the winner of tomorrow’s contest. “Raytown is well-coached, they’re one of those teams that got really hot at the right time…and so it’s going to be a very big challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Two seniors will play their last game for the Hornets tomorrow.
“James Collins and Braxton Tindle have been unbelievable four-year guys for us,” said Coach Fielding. “I met them in I think 7th grade at Reed Academy in North Springfield, watched them play in middle school, and then they played on our freshman team, they played on our JV team, and now they’re contributing at the varsity level. And so the thing about them is, when I took over here about seven years ago to where we are now, is definitely a testament to our players, not to me, but to our players, and it’s players like James Collins and Braxton Tindle and the effort and grit and the hard work that they bring to their table that makes Hillcrest what it is.”
Junior Jayven Jones said this season has meant a lot, and his team has no intention of quitting now. “We’ve just got to limit the mistakes and just show up,” he said. “Hopefully we can get back next year.”
“Sometimes I sit there and I think about what’s the difference between this team and maybe our team last year or our quarterfinal team in 2023,” said Coach Fielding, “and I think the thing with this group is these two guys right here being leaders for us, and I always notice my best teams are the ones that have my best leaders. Kyrese and Jayven have stepped into that role this year. They are my two hardest workers in practice along with James Collins, who is a senior, and so when your best players are your hardest workers, the results show. I think that’s how we got here, it wasn’t like some magical formula, it was just hard work every day in practice.”
The Hornets will take on Raytown South at Mizzou Arena Saturday at 2:00 pm.
Scoring: Kyrese Simpson, 14; Jayven Jones, 11; James Collins, 7; Kaivon Alexander, 3.
