By Becky Walz,
It took all 32 minutes, but the South Winn boys’ basketball team was crowned the Class 1A District 6 champs Tuesday in Elkader surviving Ed-Co, 53-49. The fourth-quarter defense by the Warriors held the Vikings to just 2-of-13 field goals, to erase an eight-point deficit and secure the victory.
For the first time in 25 years the Warriors will make an appearance in the substate with that one game standing between them and a state tournament bid.
But first South Winn will have to focus on Gladbrook-Reinbeck (17-3) as the Rebels won the District 5 title 41-40 over Maquoketa Valley. The two squads will square off Saturday, Feb. 27, in Manchester at 7 p.m.
Game talk
The Warriors came ready to play all four quarters, in a fast-paced physical battle. Winning the tip, Trey Kriener got SW on the board first. The two squads traded baskets for much of the opening frame with Ed-Co nailing a trey at the buzzer for a 15-13 advantage. In the second, the Vikings began to pull away and led by as many as nine, finishing with a 34-26 lead at half over the Warriors.
Senior Cael Kuboushek kicked off the second half with a basket which was quickly answered by Ed-Co. The two squads continued to go basket-for-basket until the final 2:47. Back-to-back field goals by the Vikings put Ed-Co on top 45-35; however, a last second shot by Jacob Herold brought the lead back to single digits, 45-37.
South Winn began its run in the fourth with Carson Wenthold coming away with the basketball following a mad scramble for a loose ball under the Ed-Co basket. With 6:40 to go, Herold brought the Warriors to within two, 45-42. Wenthold continued to drive into the lane with two more field goals, bringing SW to the lead for the first time since the first quarter, 48-47. The Vikings connected on a shot with 3:04 remaining to go ahead for the final time as Kriener hit both ends of the one-and-one with 1:49 on the clock. Wenthold and Herold put the game on ice with a basket and free throw to secure the district title.
Coach Moen’s thoughts
“What a fun atmosphere and win for our guys! It took everyone in our program to get this win and I am so proud of the team. Though we didn’t lead for most of the game, we kept the game within reach and single digits for the most part,” said Coach Blake Moen. “That is huge because it allowed us to have the confidence that we just needed to go on a late run and we were right there to take the lead. The key to me in the fourth quarter was our defense kept the intensity holding them to four points, and our offense scored on some huge layup opportunities, free throws and a few key jumpers. It took everyone to win this game, and I can’t say enough about our team and the fight we showed.”
The numbers
Carson Wenthold led the team with 15 points and six steals. Jacob Herold provided 10 points and six rebounds. On the board with nine points apiece were Trey Kriener and Collin Wiltgen. Kriener was there to provide four assists and four blocks, while Wiltgen dished out four assists. Also scoring for South Winn were Cael Kuboushek and Keagen Streeter with four points each and Nick Holien with two.
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