Hayden boys' hoops three wins from 'banner on the wall' in 3A tournament
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Despite a 8-15 regular-season record, Hayden boys' basketball is confident it can make a state title run.
The Wildcats advanced to the 3A state tournament after beating Sabetha 71-67 in an overtime thriller to win the sub-state championship on Saturday, March 2. Hayden's first-year head coach Trey Brown says his team is just getting hot at the right time.
"We're at a spot where we knew we could get all along," Brown said. "So just compete, embrace the moment. A lot of people wish to be in this position, many only get to do it once, so we love where we're at right now as a team."
Brown says his squad has faced some really solid teams this year, which could explain their record. He's telling his team to prepare one possession and one day at a time between now and Saturday, when the state title game is played.
The Hayden girls' team is also in the 3A state tournament, click here for that story.
Cooper Colboch, who's a senior at Hayden this year, says Coach Brown's message while the team gets ready for the state tournament has been simple: embrace the moment.
"We feel like we deserve to be here," Colboch said. "And we may have surprised a lot of people based off our record and our performance in the regular season, but we've been preparing for this all year, and the goal is to put a banner on the wall."
The Wildcats face Beloit in the state quarterfinals on at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Hutchinson.