NE KS Playoff Clinching Performances 4A-6A

<p>Friday night saw several teams punch their tickets for the state playoffs. Here are some of the standout performances from the big school ranks:</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1072885" first="Andrew" last="Piper"], senior, Free State (pictured):</p> <p>In a low-scoring game that emphasized defense, Piper was the lone Firebird to reach double figures. The 6-foot-3 senior connected of 4-6 from the field and 3-4 from the line. The solid and fundamentally sound Piper doesn’t garner a lot of headlines, but he’s a hard-working team-first leader who has his team headed to state.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="599759" first="Joe" last="Berry"] and [player_tooltip player_id="889486" first="Jack" last="Hutchinson"], seniors, Washburn Rural:</p> <p>Both seniors closed out their careers with 11 points apiece in the loss to Free State. The Junior Blues struggled all season to find other scoring options. Berry and Hutchinson exemplify the type of character and effort that make Washburn Rural a top program year in and year out.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="599752" first="Zeke" last="Mayo"], senior, Lawrence:</p> <p>The 6A all-state guard showed just how special he is in a nail-biter with Olathe West. The Lions built a small lead and had to hold on in the fourth period to win 44-43. Mayo hit three 3-pointers and was the only player in double figures for either team. He accounted for 19 of the Lions’ 44 points.</p> <p><strong>Blaise McVan</strong>, senior, Abilene:</p> <p>The Cowboys have been locked in several low-scoring defensive struggles recently. Friday they got by Concordia 38-34 without a single player reaching double figures. The 5-foot-10 came up big with 9 points to lead the team to the 4A dance.</p> <p><strong>Chase Parker</strong>, senior, Concordia:</p> <p>The 6-foot-6 Parker was a consistent component of a really good Concordia season. He was good for double figures in nearly every game and clogged up the middle with his length and effort. Friday he led all scorers with 10 points in the 38-34 loss to Abilene.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Lierz</strong>, sophomore, Holton:</p> <p>The Wildcats are a team on the rise. They have been really good for about a month, and they capped their sub-state run by getting by Wamego 60-56. [player_tooltip player_id="1070207" first="Kale" last="Purcell"] is their offensive leader, but Lierz has been huge of late. He has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight contests. He popped in 15 and helped frustrate the Wamego sharpshooters on the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>Ledjor Rowden</strong>, junior, Wamego:</p> <p>Holton shut down the Red Raiders’ [player_tooltip player_id="730642" first="Tanner" last="Hecht"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1140375" first="Jake" last="fritz"], holding them to a combined 12 points. Rowden did his best to take up the slack. The 5-foot-10 junior has had some really big games this season, particularly when opponents set out to take away Hecht. Friday night Rowden scored 17.</p>