Big Impressions Made at 3A First Round

State tournaments are an opportunity to see some guys rise to the occasion and some test themselves against better competition. And it also allows you to see some guys you haven't seen before.   Here's a look at players who made a big impression in the opening round of the 3A tournament in Hutchinson on Wednesday:   #1 Beloit defeated #8 Hayden 56-42:   Beloit showed why it's the number one seed, dominating the upstart Wildcats. The game wasn't as close as the final score. Beloit bigs just totally shut down the paint, so Hayden could do nothing but launch from the perimeter.   Player of the Game – [player_tooltip player_id='2393757' first='Eli' last='Johnson'], 6-foot-5 center, 2025, Beloit:   [player_tooltip player_id='1270292' first='Bryce' last='Beisner'] is the unquestioned leader of this team, and he was spectacular. But Johnson dominated blocking shots, crashing the boards, dunking and scoring around the goal. He missed just two shots and finished with 21. Beloit can rotate bigs, so Johnson stayed fresh and ran the floor well throughout.   Big Impression – Cooper Colbach, 5-foot-11 guard, 2024, Hayden:   The only reason this game stayed close for a while was the three huge 3-pointers Colbach dropped in the first period. Eventually the Wildcats went cold, but Colbach continued to hustle and battle throughout. He finished with 15 and impressed with his tenacity.   #4 Wellsville defeated #4 Ellsworth 48-38:   Wellsville was really tenacious and athletic. They hounded the Ellsworth guards for 94 feet, particularly harassing [player_tooltip player_id='1461340' first='Will' last='Cravens'] into a tough day. The Eagles have some size, but they like to play small and fast, and it worked on Wednesday.   Player of the Game – (tie) Kenyon Gillins, 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, and [player_tooltip player_id='2387774' first='Calvin' last='Dwyer'], 6-foot forward, 2024 Wellsville:   These two were so dynamic. They made life miserable for Ellsworth guards at every opportunity. They are lightning quick and handsy. Gillins dropped a couple of threes and led all scorers with 17. Perhaps even more impressive was Dwyer. We listed him as a forward here because of the way the Eagles use him. He goes to the high post on offense, then works the baseline, finding openings to receive passes. He's a smart passer and knows how to destroy a zone. He really leaps and contests for rebounds and can get shots off in traffic. He missed just two shots and finished with 14.   Big Impression – Riley Stone, 6-foot-3 center, 2024, Ellsworth:   This guy was a warrior for the Bearcats. They couldn't get much going, and he was their only bright spot. He battled his way to the goal for shots, crashed the boards and worked as hard as possible to keep Ellsworth in the game. He finished with 16.   #7 Southeast of Saline defeated #2 Cheney:   It was a great day for seven seeds (or maybe just a bad day for two seeds). The Trojans seemed to be depleted from graduation, but they have put it together down the stretch. They really shut down the multiple weapons of Cheney, forcing their stars into terrible shooting.   Player of the Game – [player_tooltip player_id='2403142' first='Gannon' last='Jacobson'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2026, Southeast of Saline:   This guy can stretch a defense, and he also can work into the midrange, where he was very efficient. He combines athleticism with ball skills. He had a career game Wednesday, but probably has a lot more of those nights in his future.   Big Impression – Josh Burdick, 5-foot-10 guard, 2025, Cheney:   We're not trying to select players from the losing team for this honor, but we are going with another here in Burdick. He's such a winner. Having led the football team to a title, he showed the desire to keep the winning going. When his teammates were struggling, he tried to give them a lift with hustle and leadership. He finished with 13 points.   #3 Goodland defeated #6 Riverton 68-46:   [player_tooltip player_id='1953946' first='Manny' last='Gonzalez'] was every bit as good as his reputation. He should be listed among the best point guards in the state. He let it up from deep, ran the show, and was a demon on defense. He wasn't the lone star for Goodland, and they go pretty deep, rotating good players in. This is an athletic and diverse team.   Player of the Game – [player_tooltip player_id='2387731' first='Loch' last='North'], 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Riverton:   Here we go again highlighting a player from the losing team. But North was so important to the game and deserves some praise as his career comes to an end. He's a powerful guy who can handle the ball end-to-end and shoot it from anywhere. He bulls his way to the goal and showed he can finish against long, athletic opponents. He didn't finish with a great shooting percentage as he battled to help his team score late. But his game was very impressive.   Big Impression – Terryk Richardson, 6-foot-9 center, 2025, Riverton:   Wow, this guy is long and springy. He blocked shots high above the rim. He's pretty smooth and agile for a guy this long, and he showed some good hands and coordination. He made a big first impression and will be a player to really watch as he becomes a senior. Riverton graduates a ton of talent, so Richardson will have to be the focal point next season.

State tournaments are an opportunity to see some guys rise to the occasion and some test themselves against better competition. And it also allows you to see some guys you haven't seen before.