Logan-Palco drops heartbreaker in substate finals

After a first-round bye in the Class 1A-Div II Sub-State Boys Basketball bracket, the #1 seeded Logan-Palco Trojans played #4 seeded Hanover on Saturday for the championship match and a trip to the State tournament.

The Trojans struggled getting their shots to fall in the first quarter and found themselves down 3-13. They were able to close the gap to a 5-point deficit by halftime.

The Trojans were not done yet and came roaring back in the 2nd half, and in the 4th quarter, they outscored Hanover 19-10. The Trojan run came 2 minutes too late, as they couldn't close the 5-point gap before the final buzzer and lost 51-56. The Trojans ended their season 20-1.

With the Hanover defense stuck to him like glue, senior Rhett Kats relied on screens from his teammates to put up 25 points including 5 from beyond the arc. He grabbed 9 rebounds and passed for 6 assists.

Senior Kaden Graham had a huge game putting up 10 points in the paint down the stretch along with a grit-filled defensive effort.

Senior Caleb Sparks hit 2 key 3-point shots and ended the game with 9 points as well as 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Diving after several loose balls, junior Case Ashmore was a big asset to the team defensively and scored 6 points with 2 rebounds.

Senior Ryan Prewo's ball handling skills were crucial against the pressure defense. He also added 2 boards and 2 steals.

Senior Ethan Gaschler was able to bring down 4 rebounds and gained an assist as well.

The State Tournament games will be played at the Colby Events Center March 12-15.

The Logan-Palco boys would like to thank the many fans who traveled to Tescott and the many others who watched online. Thanks also to the amazing student section who cheered on the boys until the very end.