It’s probably important not to put too much emphasis on Thursday’s War on 54 Tournament showdown between host Iola High and visiting Humboldt.
It’s just one game in a jam-packed schedule for both teams this week.
But, boy, was it fun.
Humboldt secured a 53-50 win, courtesy of three key defensive stops in the game’s final minute.
The last came when Iola’s Cortland Carson was on the mark, but a shade too long, on a 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds left in the game.
Iola’s Nick Bauer corralled the rebound, but was off balance as he tossed up a desperation heave just before the buzzer sounded.
The ball came up short as the Cubs danced in jubilation at midcourt.
“It definitely had a lot of spice,” Humboldt senior Colden Cook said. “The fans were getting into it, which made it a lot more fun. And beating Iola, just one town over, adds to it. We’re always talking smack to each other through the summer.”
Coaches of both teams agreed.
“That was exciting for both towns, both schools,” Humboldt head coach David Taylor said. “There’s a little bit of bragging rights until the next time they play each other.”
“We had our shots,” Iola head coach Luke Bycroft said. “We had good looks at it. A few of our guys were taking it pretty hard because they have a bit of a rivalry with Humboldt. We’re gonna have to get it out of our heads quickly. We can’t dwell on this.”
The conclusion was a fitting finale in a game in which both teams had big scoring runs before the teams became locked in a tight, back-and-forth affair through the second half, featuring six lead changes and two ties after the break.
Cook’s baseline drive with two minutes left had Humboldt in front, 51-48, before Carson responded with a beautiful, shot clock-beating jumper to make it 51-50 with 1:35 remaining.
Cook was whistled for traveling on the Cubs’ next possession. But Iola then came up empty on its possession, handing the ball back to Humboldt.
Iola got another crack by drawing a charging foul against Cook — his fifth of the game — sending him to the bench with 34 seconds left.
Blake Ellis turned the odds back in Humboldt’s favor by stealing the ball just in front of the Mustang bench. Iola quickly fouled Franklin, who hit 1 of 2 charities for a two-point lead with 24 seconds left.
Iola’s Matthew Beckmon — who’d hit twice from 3-point range earlier in the game — came out of a timeout looking to give Iola the lead, but his 3-pointer was a shade too long.
