The Hays High boys looked to bounce back in the 3rd place game of the Gerald Mitchell Hays City Shootout on Saturday afternoon following their first loss of the season the night before.  The Indians took on Saints of St. Thomas Aquinas at Hays High School.

Each team used big first half runs to a 32-27 lead for St. Thomas Aquinas at half time.  The Saints broke a two all tie with an 11-0 run and led 13-2 and 15-4.  Hays responded by ending the first quarter and beginning the second quarter on a 10-0 run to pull within one at 15-14.  Hays was down 20-19 when Aquinas outscored Hays 9-3 only to have have the Indians score five straight to puss with in two.  The Saints hit a three pointer in the final seconds of the half to lead 32-27 at halftime.

Highlights

Hays scored the first eight points of the third quarter to take their first lead of the game at 35-32.  Manhattan immediately scored eight straight points to regain a five point lead and then turned that into a 18-4 run take an eleven point lead early in the fourth quarter.  Hays had one possession down by nine but could not score and the Saints led by double figures rest of the way.

After taking their only lead of the game at 35-32 Hays was outscored 29-13 rest of the way.

Coach Rick Keltner

Hays falls to 1-2 on the season.  TJ Nunnery scored a career high 13 and Trey Adams scored a career high 12, each in their first career starts.  Tradgon McCrae scored ten.

St. Thomas Aquinas four in double figures in moving to 2-1 and taking third place in the tournament.

Hays will next be in action December 11th as they travel to Colby.

The Hays basketball boys and girls basketball teams both matched up with Manhattan in the semi-finals in Friday action of the Hays City Shootout.

Girls

#7-6A Manhattan 49 – Hays 39

Manhattan took early control of the first quarter with a 13-3 run over the first five and a half minutes.  Hays responded with a 9-2 run, closing the gap to 15-12.  Each team scored a field goal in the final forty seconds leaving Manhattan with a 18-14 lead after one quarter.

Each team made a single field goal in the second quarter.  Hays made four of six free throws while Manhattan made eight of ten to take a 28-20 lead into the locker room.

Highlights

Manhattan kept their lead in double figures for the entire third quarter and pushed the lead to a game high 14.  With a 7-3 run at the end of the quarter Hays gut the deficit down to ten at 41-31 heading to the fourth quarter.

Back to back three pointers from Brooke Denning pulled the Indians within six at 45-39 at the 4:15 mark.  Manhattan scored two free throws on their next possession to regain an eight point advantage.  On their next six possessions the Indians missed their five field goal attempts and turned the ball over once.  Manhattan made just two of their final six free throws over the final three plus minutes but hold the Indians off 49-39.

Coach Alex Hutchins

Savannah Schneider was the only Indian in double figures, scoring 12 as Hays falls to 1-1.  Manhattan moves to the championship game for the 16th time in 23 tournament appearances and is 2-0 on the season.

Boys

Manhattan 78 – Hays 56

Hays led just once in the first quarter at 5-2 before Manhattan reeled off a 12-2 run to go up 14-7.  Hays would be down 19-12 after the first quarter and see their deficit swell to double figures early in the third quarter.  The Manhattan lead grew as big as 18 in the before half time and was at 47-31 by halftime

Highlights

Manhattan continued to shoot well through the third quarter making eleven of nineteen shots and pushing their advantage to 72-44 after three quarters.  Hays outscored Manhattan 12-6 in the fourth quarter, falling 78-56.  Hays made just four of thirty-three three point attempts, missing seventeen in a row after making their first of the night.

Coach Rick Keltner

Tradgon McCrae led the way with 12 as the Indians fall to 1-1.  Manhattan win pushes their record to 2-0.

Results

Girls
Millwood 50 – TMP 36
Manhattan 49 – Hays 39
St. Thomas Aquinas 71 – Great Bend 41

Boys
Millwood 58 – Great Bend 48
Manhattan 78 – Hays 56
St. Thomas Aquinas 65 – TMP 39

Saturday Schedule
Girls
4th Place Game TMP v Great Bend 10:00 (Hays Middle School) 99.5 KHAZ and Hayspost.com
3rd Place Game Hays v Millwood 1:30 (Hays Middle School) Hayspost.com only
1st Place Game Manhattan v St. Thomas Aquinas (Hays High School)

Boys
4th Place Game TMP v Great Bend 11:45 (Hays Middle School) 99.5 KHAZ and Hayspost.com
3rd Place Game Hays v St. Thomas Aquinas 1:30 (Hays High School) 96.9 KFIX and Hayspost.com
1st Place Game Manhattan v Millwood 5:00 (Hays High School)

Hays High opened the 36th Annual Gerald Mitchell Shootout with Great Bend on Thursday evening.

Girls

Hays 79 – Great Bend 44

Hays sprinted out of the gates with a 12-0 run over the first two minutes of the game against Great Bend.  The Indians pushed their advantage up to 18 in the first quarter at 25-7.  Great Bend scored the final two points of the first quarter and turned those points into a 16-2 run over midway through the second quarter.  The Panthers pulled within four points twice at 27-23 and 29-25.  Hays though ended the first half on a 10-4 run and lead 37-27 at halftime.

Highlights

The Indians never led by less than ten points in the second half, eventually using a 12-3 run to push the lead as high as 20 by the end of the third quarter.  Hays outscored Great Bend 42-17 in the second half and win 79-44.

Hays was led in scoring by Savannah Schneider with 21 and Brooke Denning came off the bench to score 16.  Alex Hutchins played 12 in the game and 10 different Indians scored.

Coach Alex Hutchins

Hays starts the year at 1-0 and Great Bend 0-1.  Hays will face Manhattan in the championship semi-finals at 5:15.

Boys

Hays 74 – Great Bend 58

Hays never trailed in the first half as the two teams traded a first quarter before Hays took the lead at 5-2.  Hays used a 7-1 run midway through the first quarter to build their lead up to 14-7.  The Indians had the ball four times but couldn’t expand their advantage.  Hays settled for a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.  Great Bend scored the last two points of the first quarter and first five points of the second quarter to tie the game at 14.  The Indians scored six quick points to regain their advantage and moved the lead to 35-27 at half for the biggest lead of the first half.

Highlights

Hays led by double figures for nearly the entire second half.  The Indians used runs of 8-0, 7-2 and 9-2 to push their lead over 20 where it remained for most of the fourth quarter before winning 74-58.  The Indians shot 44% on the evening and never trailed in the game.  Great Bend shot 36%.

Tradgon McCrae led the way with 18, Braiden Meyers scored 12 on four three points field goals while TJ Nunnery came off the bench to score 10.

Coach Rick Keltner

Hays moves to 1-0 and Great Bend falls to 0-1 to begin the season.  Hays will take on Manhattan on Friday evening at 7:00.

Tournament Scores and Schedule
Girls
Hays 79 – Great Bend 44
Manhattan 53 – TMP 32
St. Thomas Aquinas – 58 – Millwood (OK) 35

Boys
Hays 74 – Great Bend 58
Manhattan 67 – TMP 48
Millwood (OK) 51 – St. Thomas Aquinas 47

Friday Schedule
Girls
3:30 TMP v Millwood (Hays Middle School)
5:15 Hays v Manhattan (Hays High School)
7:00 St. Thomas Aquinas v Great Bend (Hays Middle School)

Boys
3:30 Millwood v Great Bend (Hays High School)
5:15 TMP v St. Thomas Aquinas (Hays High School)
7:00 Hays v Manhattan (Hays High School)

Hays High entered bracket play as the eleven seed and traveled to Kapaun Mt. Carmel the six seed.  The game played was played at Cessna Stadium were the Crusaders host their home games.

Hays took the first lead of the game on their second drive of the game.  Palmer Hutchison found Jaren Kanak on a 34 yard pass over the middle to set the Indians up at the two yard.  One play later Hayden Brown rushed in for a 6-0 lead after Hays missed the extra point.  Kapaun responded with 14 consecutive points.  One play after the Indians took the lead Columbia University commit Scott Valentas broke several backfield tackles and scored on a 72 yard run.  The extra point gave the Crusaders a 7-6 lead.

The second Crusader touchdown was set up by a long Valentas run then was capped when he ran in from two yards out for a 14-6 lead.  The Indians had outscored their opponents by 31 points in the second quarter this year entering Friday night.  Hays outscored Kapaun 15-7 in the second quarter to tie the game 21-21.

Hutchison found Kanak again but this time for a 59 yard score closing the gap down to 14-13.  The teams traded turnovers and Kapaun scored on a 35 yard pass to regain an eight point advantage, 21-13.  Hays drove right down the field on the next drive and Hutchison found Cole Schroeder for a 37 yard score on 4th and 11.  The touchdown was the first for Schroeder.  Hutchison converted a two point pass to Mason Ibarra for a 21-21 tie.

Tavian Creamer intercepted a pass on the next Kapaun drive and Hays had a chance at the end zone but the pass fell incomplete from 31 yards away.

Highlights

Kapaun scored on the first drive of the second half going through the air on four of their six plays before a quarterback run scored from 23 yards out.  Kapaun misfired the snap and a two point pass was broken up.  Hays regained the lead on the next series.  Hays converted on two third downs to get to the red zone.  Hays could not convert on third down from the eight and lined up for a field goal.  The Indians shifted to a play and junior varsity quarterback threw a touchdown to Trey Adams.  The extra point by Cole Schroeder gave Hays a 28-27 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Hays had been outscored in the fourth quarter by 37 on the season and the fourth quarter on Friday night was a problem.  Kapaun put 21 on the scoreboard and Hays never did score.  Kapaun scored on a fourth down pass from twelve yards out to take the lead for good at 35-28.  Hays drove to the Crusaders 45 but faced 4th and 12 and elected to punt.  Kapaun scored on the next series to take a two possession and scored one more time for a 48-28 victory.

Coach Tony Crough

The Indian’s season finishes at 3-6 while Kapaun moves on to 7-2 and will travel to Great Bend next week.