Heart-breaker Sub-State
Goessel Guys Varsity Basketball Sub-State Semi-Final Beloit-St. Johns v Goessel March 5, 2020
After a scintillating Regional win against Elyria Christian put Goessel in as a sub-state participant, Blue Kingdom fans were pleased to be well-positioned at the Marysville sub-state. Despite the 2 ½ hour drive, this sub-state offered ample opportunity for any of the 4 teams in contention without a clear favorite. Beloit St. Johns-Tipton earned the 1 seed by winning their regional over Clifton-Clyde. Centralia was credited with a minor upset of #1 seeded Valley Falls, sending VF to Marysville, and Frankfort earned a trip to Marysville as the winner of their regional against favored Washington County. Goessel got the 4 seed and got to play Beloit-St Johns while VF got the 3 seed and played #2 Frankfort in the 2nd game Thursday night.
According to MaxPreps rankings, none of the teams at the Marysville sub-state had a higher weighting than the #20 ranked Bluebirds. Frankfort carried a #25 position, Beloit-St Johns #29, and Valley Falls came in at #33. In Little River’s sub-state, the #9 Redskins had #14 Washington County, #18 Centralia and #32 Clifton-Clyde.
Warmups in the brand new Marysville fieldhouse showed the clear presence of Goliath: 6’8” 320 lb. Junior Dalton Schmitt from Beloit-St.Johns. Also in the house for the BluJays (that’s with no E) were ball-handling Senior Maravich-like Brandon Bates and WSU high jump signee Brady Palen. The Marysville gym features a walk-around track on the upper level and portable baskets on stands. Was the slingshot Kaleigh had fashioned for this one going to be enough? Fans wanted David (J Schmidt) to pull the slingshot out of his back pocket as a prop when taking a charge against Goliath as #55 fouled out, but we didn’t get to see that one.
Out of the chute, everyone present knew that this game was going to be called close. There were so many breaks in the action on foul calls it was like the action on the floor was buffering. St. Johns clearly uses Schmitt to their advantage and were looking to go over the top to him almost every time down the floor. Goessel’s first defensive task was to both front and cover in back to prevent the in-pass to the trunk in the paint. Palen and Schmitt went to the line fouled underneath to start and went up 0-3. Dylan Lindeman collected 2 fouls in the first two minutes. At 6:29, Goessel coasted Lindeman around on an inbounds set to go to 2-3 and the other #20, Palen, collected his 2nd foul a moment later and sat the rest of the 1st quarter. With another toss inside, the Jays were up 2-5 and Coach Guhr called time at 5:39. Out of the break, Lindeman nailed a bullet to streaking Caiden Duerksen to come back to 4-5. Shots were not falling on the slightly weird free-standing stanchion rims. Goessel went up tempo after Schmitt sat at 3:51 and took the first Bluebird lead on a back-door Lindeman feed to Jerah Schmidt and a lovely finish on a break from Nate Zogleman. 8-7. Zogleman tapped a passing lane and went half court for two more to go up 10-7 and Hagewood hit the back end of two charities to lead by 4. Once again, Goessel found the back door with Zogleman against the Blujay man to lead 13-11 at the quarter.
The 2nd lead change of the night came on the first of five BluJay threes on the night, but Dylan answered down the floor the other way to re-take the lead 15-14. Palen was back in, but Goessel rolled Schmidt back door again for the nice finish +1. Dameron was charged with guarding Lindeman on the night and came up with a huge steal; fouls stood at Goessel 9 and Beloit 7 early in the quarter. #12 Jake Hagewood nailed a 12-footer to lead 20-16, then Goessel sent Bates and Rosebaugh to the line for 5 charities; they converted 2. Kale Funk came off the bench for some great defensive spark and Duerksen toasted another finish off the glass to retake the lead 22-21. Timeout Goessel 2:43. Skyler Wuest hit the front end of two from the stripe, but Palen rolled inside for two quick buckets to go up again 23-25. Down the floor, Dylan responded with a hard as nails drive to the hole, knotting at 25, then Duerksen took advantage of a spectacular steal to add two and Goessel came up with yet another steal, sending Duerksen to the line for 2/2 and the 29-25 lead and great momentum at the half. There were 7 lead changes before half time, a million fouls, and the Bluebirds could not find the range from outside.
Goessel extended to 31-25 out of the break with Duerksen feeling the vibe. Zogleman caught a carom and dazzled the assembled Blue fans with a full court run and finish, then Jerah found the range to lead 35-29. Coach Guhr was not satisfied as big man #55 caught one untouched for two : Timeout 5:12. Duerksen caught one after the timeout and cavorted handily in for two more and Goliath was called for #3 over the back and had to sit. Dylan punched one in and then Hagewood found the range from west of the Pony Express Barn for the only Goessel trey of the night to lead by 7, 42-35 at 2:36. Goessel created pandemonium in the stands with a defensive stop that caused the BluJays to throw it backcourt. The teams traded buckets to close the quarter with Dylan coasting in two more nice pull up jumpers. Goessel kept its 7-point spread at the end of the 3rd quarter, which turned out to be the largest lead of the night. Kale notched a huge steal to end the period.
Ball handler Bates hit a huge three out of the break which seemed to wake up the BluJay crowd. Dylan answered with another pull up from close in, but was whistled for his 3rd a moment later and Goliath went to the line, carrying a very soft touch for a big man. Against a BluJay press, Hagewood flew down the floor and was fouled on the finish. 50-44. Down the floor again, Hagewood went inside hard, up against Schmitt and was able to draw foul #4 against the giant at 5:44. Hagewood hit the back end to lead 51-46. Beloit took a timeout at 5:06 after a nice coast inside by jumper Palen. Out of the timeout Bates came off the bench to hit yet another dagger three to tie at 51-51. Hagewood pushed inside hard again, trying to draw the final foul on #55, but was fouled by another Jay and hit both charities. Fouls stood at Beloit 7, Goessel 7. At 2:55 Goessel had used the clock well and Dylan went to the line in the 1-1, hitting both to lead by 4 55-51. Timeout Goessel 2:35. Shooter Dameron went to the line and missed both charities and at 1:38 Beloit was forced to foul down 4, 55-51. Dylan went to the line in the 1-1 up 55-51 at 1:21 but the first charity clanged off. At 1:11 Goessel had the ball again and this time Jerah was fouled and his two charities also missed the mark. Those 4 free throws likely would have made a huge impact on the game. Somehow, Goessel fouled Bates on the drive and he nailed both charities to get to 55-53 with 1:04 remaining. Against full court pressure, Goessel threw the ball to mid-court where Jerah and Hagewood collided, but the BluJay player was called for the foul. Displeasure at the unusual call rang from the assembled Beloit crowd. Jerah went to the line and hit a huge charity to go up 56-53. From the corner, Dameron hit a high arc three to absolutely bring the Beloit crowd to a raucous state, but Dylan coolly hit from 10 feet to go up 58-56 and the Goessel fans were equally tumultuous and wild. Timeout Goessel 58-56 :43. Down the floor, somehow #55 got loose and put up an inside shot to knot at 58-58 and had a chance to add 1 but missed and regulation ended in a frustration attempt by Goessel 58-58. The 12-19 quarter was the “Achilles quarter” tonight, something the Bluebirds have had all year.
In overtime, Schmitt took Beloit up 58-60 for the 8th and final lead change of the night. Goliath spun again inside for two more, but Dylan fought inside, was fouled and got both charities. 60-62. At 1:52, Dylan was called for brushing the waist of ball-handler Bates and fouled out. Bates hit both in the 1-1. Duerksen went to the line and got 1 of 2; 61-64. Beloit called two timeouts at 1:19 and again in a tie up at 1:06 their final timeout. Rosebaugh cruised in a huge bucket to lead 61-66, Wuest gave the Bluebirds hope with two more charities to close to 63-66 and Coach Guhr took another timeout at :38. At :28 it looked like Goessel had almost gotten a 10 second call (:38 - :28 = 10 seconds) but instead were called for a foul and Zogleman also fouled out. Dameron missed both charities but the Bluebirds immediately sent him to the line again and this time he nailed both. Fouling was now the only answer and Rosebaugh missed two, but there was a foul called at the foul line and Palen was given two more charities, effectively sealing the game. The final was 63-70, a heartbreaking finish after being up 4 with 1:21 left in regulation and a chance to add to that with up to 4 free throws.
The game was the final Goessel Bluebird contest for Seniors Jake Hagewood, Jerah Schmidt and Dylan Lindeman. Congratulations Seniors for all you have done for Bluebird basketball!
Dylan led Goessel scorers with 20 on the night, hit 4/5 from the line, scoring in every period. Caiden Duerksen put up 13 tonight and went 3 for 4 from the line. Jake Hagewood hit the only three of the night for the Birds and finished with 11. Jerah Schmidt and Nate Zogleman both hit for 8. Skyler Wuest also nailed three for four from the stripe for 3 points. Also contributing on the floor for the Bluebirds were: Kale Funk and Luke Wiens. Goessel’s bench includes: Timothy Schrag, Jacob Schrag, Eddie Gaeddert, and Dawson Stutzman (Dawson you only have 4 more inches and about 150 lbs. to become Goliath 2). Goessel finishes 16-8.
Goessel looked like it executed its game plan well, kept the big man at bay and ran the floor well. Basketball is a game of hot and cold and had a few more shots fallen, this one was in the bag in regulation. Defense was rock solid against the driving/slashing offense that sought to feed over the top to the big guy. Early foul troubles for both teams played a big role tonight. Predictions were that if Lindeman put up 20 and had support with 10 points each from 3 other players Goessel had a good shot at this one. That turned out to be an accurate prediction. Truly a heartbreaking finish.
According to reports of the 2nd game at Marysville, Valley Falls led Frankfort 43-30 after 3 quarters but could not convert free throws down the stretch and lost to Frankfort in a huge finish 54-53. Frankfort will play Beloit-St Johns Saturday for a state berth.
-Karl Brubaker
