Finally! Wolves rally and reach state basketball tourney

The Maywood-Hayes Center girls display their district championship prize and — most importantly —get ready for their first state basketball tournament as a consolidated school after rallying past Diller-Odell, 37-27, Friday night at Hastings Adams Central High School. The Wolves take a 23-3 record to D-1 state.

Courtesy Photo

HASTINGS, Neb. — Was a pep rally for Maywood and Hayes Center falling apart again Friday night?

Down 15-7 at half, state volleyball champ Diller-Odell was turning Friday’s basketball district final into a football-like score.

“They (the Griffons) played a tough schedule and man, were they athletic,” MH-C coach Kimberly Stengel observed. “But we got into half and decided this is not happening again. We were not missing out for a third year in a row.”

Instead, the Wolves unleashed a 3-0 that made Maywood-Hayes Center history.

They unleashed a 30-12 second half to turn 15-7 into one 37-27 victory.

The Wolves (23-3 record) made 18 free throws with freshman Ashlin Broz going a perfect four-for-four.

Junior Jaycee Widener went double-double (11 points/11 rebounds) and all the Wolves soon celebrated their ultimate goal:

A spot in this week’s Class D-1 state tournament.

Seniors Avery Johnson, Jaycee Lapp, Maci Sorge and Karli Gerlach will lead M-HC against defending D-1 champ Archbishop Bergan of Fremont Thursday morning (10:45 a.m.) at Lincoln Southwest High School.

The Wolves had dropped district finals during these past two seasons.

They’ve topped 20 victories in three consecutive years.

More will appear on Tuesday.

M-HC (37) — Jaycee Widener 11 points, Avery Johnson 10, Ashlin Broz 7, Jaycee Lapp 4, Kiley Hejtmanek 4, Maci Sorge 1. Three-pointer: Broz. Rebound leaders: Widener 11, Lapp 5. Assists: Lapp 2, Widener 2. Steals: Widener 7, Lapp 3.

DILLER-ODELL (27) — Addison Heidemann’s 10 points topped the 13-11 Griffins.