Class 2A Boys Quarterfinals: Sterling powers past Plainville with strong post play

By Rick Peterson Jr. – KSHSAA Covered

DODGE CITY — Seniors Carson Gray and Gabe Riffel helped Sterling dominate the paint, and the Black Bears answered a late Plainville push to post a 57-43 win in the Class 2A quarterfinals on Thursday at United Wireless Arena. 

Gray scored a game-high 18 points while Riffel scored 16 points and snatched 17 rebounds as Sterling secured a spot in the state semifinals for the fifth time in program history. 

The Black Bears (22-2) outrebounded Plainville 43-27 and outscored the Cardinals 40-16 in the paint. The 6-foot-5 Gray was 8 of 14 from the field and Riffel, 6-foot-1, was 7 of 16. 

“Not only are they big and can score, but (going into the post) also kind of slows us down and keeps our composure, and we can get the ball to two gigantic guys that are tough to guard with good moves down there,” Sterling coach Derek Schneider said. “We’ve gone to that a lot when the game gets going a little bit too fast for us.”

Sterling also got a big boost off the bench from 6-5 sophomore Boston Ekart, who joined Riffel with 16 points. 

After a 14-all first quarter, Sterling’s advantage down low started to show in the second frame as the Black Bears built a 12-point lead by halftime. 

Plainville chipped away and got as close as six points in the fourth quarter but could get no closer, finishing the season 16-8. 

“I thought our guys showed some composure to get a couple buckets to expand the lead,” Schneider said. “We pieced enough things together and played well enough to win. Obviously we can make some corrections for our next-round game, but we’re playing a next-round game, and that’s the most important thing.”

Jayden Morris led Plainville with 10 points. 

Sterling will meet reigning champion Moundridge at 8 p.m. in Friday’s semifinal. The Black Bears are in the semifinals for the first time since 2020. They were state champs in 2012.

MOUNDRIDGE 55, JEFFERSON COUNTY NORTH 37 

The defending champion Wildcats won every quarter and stayed in control throughout the second half to move a step closer to a repeat. 

Kreighton Kanitz paced Moundridge with 16 while Barrett Moddelmog and Zach Dixon added 13 and 12, respectively. 

The Wildcats (21-3) shot 18 of 37 from the floor and 7 of 12 from 3-point range while Jefferson County North went 2 of 12 from behind the arc. 

Calvin Manville scored a game-high 19 points for Jefferson County North (16-8) but no other Charger had more than six. 

SACRED HEART 74, ERIE 35 

Max Ehrlich and Will Tuttle combined for nine of Sacred Heart 13 3-pointers as the Knights rolled past Erie to set up a meeting with unbeaten Lyndon in Friday’s semifinal.

Ehrlich scored a team-high 18, followed by Tuttle’s 17 off the bench. 

The Knights blitzed Erie early, opening up a 49-16 lead by the break. Sacred Heart finished 28 of 59 from the field while holding the Red Devils to 11 of 48 from the floor. 

Evan Bogart joined Ehrlich and Tuttle in double figures with 10 for the Knights. 

Reid Duff (17) and Ethan Dillinger (14) combined for all but four of Erie’s total points. Dillinger pulled down 15 rebounds while Michael Matteucci led Sacred Heart on the board with 10. 

It will be Sacred Heart’s 16 appearance in the state semis. The Knights are looking for their 10th state championship and first since 2017. 

LYNDON 51, CONWAY SPRINGS 38 

A monster game from Tanner Heckel powered the undefeated Tigers into the semifinals. 

The senior star poured in 31 points, going 9 of 17 from the field and 12 of 17 from the foul line. 

Lyndon (24-0) led 21-17 at halftime before pushing the lead 34-25 by the end of the third. The lead ballooned to 19 in the fourth quarter. 

The Tigers went 20 of 31 from the foul line while Conway Springs was 2 of 2. 

Daxten Miller added 10 points for Lyndon. 

Eli Benge led a balanced Conway Springs attack with 9 points. The Cardinals closed with a 15-9 mark.

Lyndon will be making its ninth seminal appearance but is still in search of its first championship. The Tigers reached the title game in 2011. Lyndon’s football team claimed an Eight-Player Division I championship last fall. 

The Tigers will face Sacred Heart at 4 p.m. Friday.

CLASS 2A BOYS QUARTERFINALS

SACRED HEART 74, ERIE 35

Erie … 7 … 9 … 15 … 4 … – … 35 
Sacred Heart … 22 … 27 … 18 … 7 … –  … 74 

Erie (18-6) – Dillinger 3-18 8-10 14, Richenburg 0-6 0-0 0, Duff 7-18 2-2 17, Reissig 0-2 0-0 0, Choi 1-1 2-3 4,  Hughes 0-0 0-0 0, Strathe 0-2 0-2 0, Haviland 0-0 0-0 0, Boaz 0-0 0-0 0, Seibel 0-0 0-0 0, Robertson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-48  12-17 35. 

Sacred Heart (21-3) – Matteucci 3-8 0-1 6, Bogart 3-9 2-2 10, Samuelson 2-2 0-0 4, Ehrlich 7-10 0-0 18, J. Marrs 3-4 1-2 9, Disberger 0-1 0-0 0, Lehmann 0-3 0-0 0, Tuttle 5-8 2-2 17, Koland 0-3 0-0 0, B. Marrs 0-2 0-0 0, Adami 4-7 0-0 8, Tuttle 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 28-59 5-7 74. 

3-pointers – Erie 1-15 (Duff 1-5, Dillinger 0-3, Richenburg 0-5, Robertson 0-1 Strathe 0-1); Sacred Heart 13-24 (Tuttle 5-7, Ehrlich 4-5, Bogart 2-3, Marrs 2-2,  Matteucci 0-1, Lehmann 0-1, Koland 0-2, Marrs 0-2, Adami 0-1). Rebounds – Erie 33 (Dillinger 15), Sacred Heart 39 (Matteucci 10). Assists – Erie 6 (Dillinger 3), Sacred Heart 24 (Adami 6). Turnovers – Erie 17, Sacred Heart 12. Total fouls – Erie 11, Sacred Heart 18. Fouled out – none. 

LYNDON 51, CONWAY SPRINGS 38 

Conway Springs … 10 … 7 … 8 … 13 … – … 38 

Lyndon … 12 … 9 … 13 … 17 … – … 51 

Conway Springs (15-9) – Fisher 2-3 1-1 6, Howard 2-9 0-0 6, Wykes 3-6 0-0 6, Osner 1-2 0-0 2, Johnson 2-5 1-1 5, Benge 3-5 0-0 9, Pauly 0-0 0-0 0, May 0-0 0-0 0, Koster 0-1 0-0 0, Rusco 2-2 0-0 4, Newell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-33 2-2 38. 

Lyndon (24-0) — Miller 3-10 4-6 10, J. Massey 1-4 1-2 3, Heckel 9-17 12-17 31, Wirth 1-4 0-0 2, K. Massey 1-3 1-4 3, Isch 0-0 0-0 0, Wolzen 0-0 0-0 0, Ramey 0-1 0-0 0, Marcotte 0-1 0-0 0, Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Anschutz 0-2 0-0 0, Richards 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 15-42 20-31 51. 

3-pointers – Conway Springs 6-17 (Benge 3-5, Howard 2-6, Fisher 1-2, Wykes 0-2, Koster 0-1, Johnson 0-1). Lyndon 1-8 (Heckel 1-2, Miller 0-4, Wirth 0-1, Marcotte 0-1). Rebounds – Conway Springs 20 (Johnson 6), Lyndon 28 (Miller 5, Wirth 5). Assists – Conway Springs 12 (Howard 5), Lyndon 9 (Miller 3, J. Massey 3). Turnovers – Conway Springs 20, Lyndon 13. Total fouls – Conway Springs 25, Lyndon 11. Fouled out – Wykes, Osner, Johnson. 

STERLING 57, PLAINVILLE 43 

Plainville .. 14 … 9 … 13 … 7 … – … 43 
Sterling … 14 … 21 … 9 … 13 … – .. 57 

Plainville (16-8) – Bright 3-6 1-2 9, Stamper 3-9 0-0 7, Morris 3-9 4-4 10, Brown 2-8 1-2 5, J.D. Dintino 2-5 4-6 8, Puckett 0-0 0-0 0, Balthazor 0-1 0-0 0, Bittel 0-1 4-4 4, Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Jo. Dintino 0-2 0-0 0, Brewster 0-0 0-0 0, Ganoung 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-41 14-18 43. 

Sterling (22-2) – Farney 1-6 4-5 6, Gray 8-14 2-3 18, Briar 0-1 0-0 0, Beagley 0-5 0-0 0, Riffel 7-16 2-2 16, Smith 0-4 0-0 0, Newberry 0-2 1-2 1, Isaac 0-0 0-0 0, Simpson-Eighmy 0-1 0-0 0, Ekart 6-13 2-2 16, Morris 0-0 0-0 0, Haas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-62 11-14 57. 

3-pointers – Plainville 3-16 (Bright 2-3, Stamper 1-5, Balthazor 0-1, Jo. Dintino 0-1, Morris 0-2, Brown 0-2), Sterling 2-13 (Ekart 2-3, Smith 0-3, Gray 0-1, Briar 0-1, Beagley 0-4, Riffel 0-1). Rebounds – Plainville 27 (Bright 7), Sterling 43 (Riffel 17). Assists – Plainville 7 (Jo. Dintino 2, Morris 2, Brown 2). Sterling 8 (Fiffel 2, Smith 2, Beagley 2). Total fouls – Plainville 20, Sterling 20. Fouled out – Stamper. 

MOUNDRIDGE 55, JEFFERSON COUNTY NORTH 37 

Jefferson Co. North … 9 … 8 … 11 … 9 … – … 37 
Moundridge … 15 .. 12 … 16 … 12 … – … 55 

Jefferson County North (16-8) – Keirns 1-3 0-0 2, G. Noll 1-3 0-0 2, McAfee 2-7 1-4 5, Manville 7-12 3-4 19, Noll 3-5 0-0 6, Baker 1-3 0-0 2, Elias 0-1 1-2 1, Fuhrman 0-0 0-0 0, Weishaar 0-1 0-0 0, Burk 0-1 0-0 0, Tweed 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-36 2-12 37. 

Moundridge (21-3) – Ka. Kanitz 1-3 1-4 3, Kr. Kanitz 6-15 2-2 16, Hecox 0-1 3-4 3, Dixon 4-4 3-4 12, Moddelmog 4-9 2-2 13, Burge 0-0 0-0 0, Schmidt 2-2 0-0 4, Churchill 0-0 0-0 0, Adolf 1-2 0-0 3, Lutz 0-0 0-0 0, DenHartog 0-0 1-2 1, Koehn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-37 12-18 55. 

3-pointers – Jefferson County North 2-12 (Manville 2-4, Keirns 0-1, Gr. Noll 0-1, McAfee 0-3, Weishaar 0-1, E. Noll 0-1, Burk 0-1), Moundridge 7-12 (Moddelmog 3-7, Kr. Kanitz 2-2, Adolf 1-1, Dixon 1-1, Hecox 0-1). Rebounds – Jefferson County North 15 (Baker 4, McAfee 4), Moundridge 30 (Dixon 6). Assists – Jefferson County North 11 (Keirns 5), Moundridge 13 (Ka. Kanitz 4, Hecox 4). Total fouls – Jefferson County North 16, Moundridge 15. Fouled out – McAfee.