And then there was one

SUPERIOR – The Superior Bobcats remained undefeated in the Divisional Tournament last week as they propelled themselves to the State Championship. The semifinal game, on Friday Feb. 28, was a hard battle and Superior’s season-long winning streak seemed in danger of coming to an end. According to Head Coach Chris Toivenen, the Ennis Mustangs had a great team this year. “That was Ennis’ first loss to a class C team,” Toivenen said. “That was a huge win for us.” The teams had a good game and both played hard. The guards on both sides were able to keep the other team from gaining a serious advantage. The first half had the Bobcats gain the lead, but Ennis was still close enough to be a threat. Halftime began with a score of 25-13. In the second half the Mustangs gained a second wind and began to close in on Superior. Ennis was able to remain a threat through most of the game but they could not tie the game before the end of the final quarter. While the game was back and forth, they guys did what Toivenen asked them to and brought home a nine-point win. The game ended with a final score of 46-37. Seniors Tucker Smith and Clint Voll were the top scorers of the semifinal round as they brought in 14 and 13 points respectively. Fellow senior Jarrod Tippens also performed well as he contributed nine points. There was no rest for the weary between games. Coming down from the win against Ennis the Bobcats almost immediately had to go against Drummond the next day. Toivenen felt this game was a nail bitter. He said it was hard for the guys to go against two strong team back to back. The championship round was a Bobcat vs. Trojan battle on Saturday, March 1. It was Superior’s closest game of the season and the team had to fight hard to claim victory. The tournament ended with Superior going to state and a final score of 46-43. The game opened well for the Bobcats as they took the lead in the first quarter. Drummond was close behind them and kept the guys on their toes. The first quarter ended with a score of 14-9. Superior was able to keep the lead and entered halftime with a close two-point advantage. As the second half opened Drummond pulled ahead, a season first for the Bobcats as they fell behind. Their defense pressed Superior back and kept them under 10 points. The game could still go to anyone as the final quarter opened with a score of 32-35. During a timeout, Toivenen told the team to pick up the intensity. His motivational words did the trick and the Bobcats came back to take the lead. In the final quarter the tides turned again as the Superior boys gained a second wind. The team pressed back against Drummond and reclaimed the advantage. They were able to cement their place at state with a three-point gap in the score. “Drummond has a good defensive team, so this was a big win,” Toivenen said. Voll continued to shine as a top scorer as he took 16 points for Superior. Tippens was close behind him again with 11 points. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the team played against the Shields Valley Rebels. They claimed victory in their first Divisional game with a 30-point lead. The Bobcats came out strong in the first quarter and they quickly broke the Shields Valley defense. The second quarter was a continuation of the team’s strong performance in the first. Superior nearly doubled its score as the team’s size and speed overwhelmed the opposition. At the end of the first half, the Bobcats had a decisive 41-12 lead. As the second half began, the Bobcats pulled back and did not push as hard as the first quarter. Their guards were still strong as they kept the Rebels from making many baskets. In the final quarter the Rebels came back from behind and pressed the attack. They made huge leads and were able to recover a number of points. It was not enough to tie the game and the Bobcats’ existing lead was boosted enough to ensure a decisive victory. The game ended with a final score of 70-40. Toivenen felt the Bobcats had an amazing defensive first half. He thought they had a good game and passed the ball well. Tippens was the Bobcats’ top scorer as he brought in 24 points. Junior Wyatt Zylawy came in a distant second with 15 points. Toivenen was proud of how the guys did during the games. He said they stepped up and played a great game to win the tournament. “It’s not an easy thing to do,” Toivenen said. “There are 26 teams in our division…They sure stepped up when they needed to.” This week the team will go to the State Tournament in Butte. The tournament begins on Thursday, March 6, and runs through Saturday, March 8. The Bobcats will be the only Mineral County team represented this year. Their first game will be against the Broadus Hawks at 8 p.m. Toivenen said the team was excited to go back to Butte for state. “Just one game at a time,” Toivenen said. “I don’t know how many games we’ll play. I hope it’s three and we play for the State Championship on Saturday night, but that’s yet to be determined.”