Forsythe Leads Dale To Championship
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! In the final championship game at the Big House, it was time for Class 2A to take center stage as #1 Dale faced #3 Cashion. The…
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In the final championship game at the Big House, it was time for Class 2A to take center stage as #1 Dale faced #3 Cashion. The two teams met twice in the regular season and split the season series and round three would decide the state champion. Top ranked Dale would lean on their sophomore star Dayton Forsythe Dayton Forsythe 6'3" | PG Dale | 2024 State #206 Nation OK to carry them to the gold ball and he did just that, helping the Pirates to a 65-58 win and securing Dale’s first ever state title in boys basketball.
Forsythe has been a star all season for the Pirates and he shined brightest under the Big House lights during the state tournament. In the title game, he led all scorers with 37 points on 10-19 shooting from the field and 15-17 from the free throw line. He’s certainly in the conversation for best player in the state in a year where there are so many good and worthy candidates.
This game got off to a great start as Cashion jumped out to an 11-3 lead, only to have Dale immediately respond. The Wildcats led 19-16 after an incredibly fast-paced first quarter. The Wildcats would also lead 28-26 going into halftime. From there, the game completely changed and the pace would never be what it was in the first half.
11 fouls were called in the first half between the two teams. In the second half, we got twice that with 22 fouls being called in the third and fourth quarter. Forsythe went 13-14 from the charity stripe in the second half alone. After a fast-paced and exciting first half, we had absolutely none of that in the third and fourth quarters. Neither team was able to really get into any kind of rhythm and the flow of the game was non-existent.
Nevertheless, Dale was able to overcome the change in the second half and outscored the Wildcats 39-30 in the second half to pull away with the 65-58 win. The Wildcats would never really go away and they were always within striking distance, but Forsythe was so big down the stretch that Cashion had no answer for him.
Just a sophomore, Forsythe and the Pirates are on top of 2A basketball and with only sophomores and freshmen in the starting lineup, don’t be surprised to see the Pirates in OKC every March for the next few years.