6A State Title Game Feature

<p>To play off the old joke, they held a track meet at Wichita State’s Koch Arena on Saturday and a basketball game broke out.</p> <p>Wichita Heights and Blue Valley Northwest raced up and down the court at sprinter speed, showing tremendous athleticism and competitiveness (and some chippiness at times).</p> <p>The Falcons punched Blue Valley Northwest in the mouth, running out to a 17-2 first-quarter lead. But credit to the Huskies, they scratched away at that lead and even held the momentum for much of the game. Heights’ length and athleticism proved to be too much in the end. The Falcons wound up winning 61-54.</p> <p>Here are some players who stood out in the 6A state finals at Wichita State on Saturday:</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1075925" first="Chase" last="Harris"], 6-foot-1 guard, 2022, Wichita Heights:</p> <p>Harris rose to the occasion and was the primary reason Heights came out on fire to start the game. He hit 6-9 shots, including 3-4 3-pointers, in the first half and had 15 of the Falcons’ 28 first half points. Harris finished with 21 to lead all scorers. He is a blur and pushes the ball with aggressiveness. On defense he’s a nightmare for opposing ball handlers, and he gets his hands in a lot of passing lanes. He’s about as athletic a 6-foot-1 guard as you’ll find.</p> <p><strong>Amalachi Wilkins</strong>, 6-foot-6 forward, 2025, Wichita Heights:</p> <p>Wilkins was a force on the back line for the Falcons. He’s long and has great athleticism, but he also showed some impressive skill and polish for a 9^th grader. He can leap to the rafters and intimidates every shot taken within his vicinity. He ran the floor impressively too. He wasn’t asked to do a ton offensively, but he did hit 2-3 from the field and both his free throws. Wilkins is one of the top 2025s in the state without a doubt.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="946257" first="Dreylin" last="Kemp"], 6-foot-4 forward, 2022, Wichita Heights:</p> <p>There was no question who the most explosive player on the floor was Saturday. Kemp plays taller than 6-foot-4 – he nearly put his head through the rim on a couple of two-handed ally oop dunks. Kemp showed some nice leadership, calming his teammates down and focusing them on the task at hand. He frequently directed the team what to do and where to go. He was particularly attentive to Wilkins, talking to him at several breaks in the action. Kemp tossed in 14 points, hitting 5-7 from the field.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1378390" first="Grant" last="Stubblefield"], 6-foot-2 guard, 2023, Blue Valley Northwest (pictured):</p> <p>At first it looked like Stubblefield had used up all his magic in the semifinal game against Free State. The junior got 26 in that upset. But Stubblefield fought through the first quarter adversity and led the Huskies big comeback. He was steady with the ball and made some impressive drives into the teeth of the Falcons’ defense. He finished in traffic or kicked to shooters, or drew fouls. Stubblefield got 16 points to lead the Huskies.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="946266" first="Mikey" last="Pauley"], 6-foot-4 forward, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <p>Pauley showed off the fire and toughness that make him such a great athlete, regardless the sport. Playing presumably his last basketball game, the future Nebraska baseballer played with anger and physicality. His refusal to lose sparked the Husky resurgence. Pauley attacked the Falcon defense on the dribble from the wing and on receptions in the post. More often than not, players wound up on the floor. Pauley hit 7-10 free throws and 3-5 shots to notch 13 points.</p>