Caledonia boys basketball, for a second straight year, made the 1AA semifinals. But a buzzer-beating loss then ended their campaign in disappointing fashion. It capped a very good season.
Warriors Survive Ramblers
Brad King’s #7 in AA Warriors (2-seed, 22-4) first took on Winona-Cotter (7-seed, 17-10) in the 1AA quarters. Caledonia twice downed the Ramblers during the regular season, but the third installment proved; “it is tough to beat a good team three times.” Caledonia uncharacteristically missed several interior shots throughout the game. And Cotter had a span early in the second half where they hit 6 of 7 field goals. They scored points on 11 of 12 possessions. The Ramblers led 44-38 midway through the half. Warrior juniors Reid Klug and Mason King carried their team’s offensive load, scoring 21 of Cal’s first 23 second half points, but the game was still up for grabs late, with Caledonia up 51-50 (5:45). But a Will Hahn steal and bucket put Cal up three. And senior Lewis Doyle, who had not scored, racked up eight straight points in crunch time. The Warriors led 60-54 in the final 40 seconds. But Rambler John Fritts then hit a three. After one Doyle free throw, Rambler Elliot Fitzgerald converted two freebies. The Warrior lead was trimmed to 61-59 (0:13.6). A missed Caledonia front-end of the one-and-one (0:12:8) offered up the possibility of a last second finish, but the Ramblers threw the ball out of bounds about two seconds later. Klug then put the Warriors up two possessions by converting two free throws (0:07.6), icing the game. The Warriors snuck past the Ramblers by 63-59 final. They won two regular season meetings 70-57 and 75-49. Klug (20 pts, 4-5 FTs, 11 rebs, 4 asts) and King (16 pts) led the way. Doyle added 8 (pts), 4 (asts), and 4 (stls), Ethan Stendel 8 (pts) and 5 (rebs). Gabe Stewart (14 pts), Carson Roeder (13 pts, 8 rebs), and Fritts (13 pts, 3-6 threes) led the Ramblers. The Warriors shot 24 of 57 (42%), Cotter 23 of 49 (47%), but the Ramblers had 14 turnovers to Caledonia’s 7. Each team hit just four threes.
Banks’ Buzzer-Beater Sends Warriors to Heartbreak
In a 1AA semifinal, the #7 in AA Warriors (2-seed, 23-4) then hooked up with #11 Cannon Falls (3-seed, 23-5) in a rematch of a late-season game, won by Caledonia 67-59. The Bombers hit hard early, experiencing a 6 of 6 shooting stretch, which stoked a 23-10 lead a few minutes into the contest. But the Warriors then turned to their K-juniors: Reid Klug, Mason King, and Garrett Konz. The trio combined to score 20 straight points, as Caledonia erased the Bombers lead. The Warriors built a 40-32 edge late in the half. All told, it was a 30-9 run, one that featured six threes (four by Konz). But Cannon scored the final eight of the stanza. At halftime, the score was deadlocked at 40-40. Aiden Johnson, a 6’6” senior forward, had 15 points to lead CF. Konz had 16 in the stanza to lead Cal. The second half then had five ties and was more good competitive basketball by ranked squads. The Warriors built a seven-point lead midway through the half, 65-58, only for a three-possession 7-0 Bomber run and a 65-65 contest. The finish was then fantastic, with eight lead changes in the final seven minutes. Johnson banked in a three to put the Bombers up 77-75 (1:21). But Konz replied with a wing trifecta to put the Warriors back in front at 78-77 (0:59). A Dylan Banks three-point play (0:44.1), followed by a Warrior back-court violation, had the Bombers tentatively in the driver’s seat up 80-78 (0:32.4). But after Banks missed a three late in the shot clock, Caledonia’s best shooter Mason King almost was Mr. Hero. He drilled a long three with 5.9 left to put the Warriors ahead 81-80! The Bombers took a time out with 4.5 ticks left. Banks then took the in-bound and went coast-to-coast, ball releasing from his hand with 0:00.1 left on the clock. It banked off glass and fell through for the truest-of-true buzzer-beaters. The Bombers rejoiced and Warriors collapsed for the 82-81 CF win. Johnson (23 pts, 3-4 threes, 8-12 FGs, 5 rebs) and Banks (20 pts, 6-6 FTs) led the victors. Jack Meyers (16 pts, 10 rebs) and Gavin Johnson (16 pts, 4-6 threes) gave the Bombers four in double figures. The Warriors were led by King (21 pts, 3-9 threes, 7 rebs, 4 asts), Konz (20 pts, 5-12 threes, 8 rebs), and Klug (18 pts, 6 rebs). Ethan Stendel chipped in 7 (pts) and 7 (rebs). Cannon won at the free throw line 17 of 20 (85%) to Caledonia’s 2 of 5 (40%). The Warriors lost despite attempting 20 more field goals than the Bombers: 33 of 72 (46%) to 28 of 52 (54%). A good season for co-TRC East champ Caledonia ends at 23-5. Lewis Doyle is the only senior on the squad. Next year will be a year of expectations with their standout class of 2025 led by King, Klug, Konz, and Stendel.
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