Eagles fly past Savages

The atmosphere was fitting of a rivalry game.

The intensity level was high and the crowds were loud in Montezuma, as rivals Keota and Sigourney battled for the third time this season, with someone?s season on the line.

An early run for Keota gave them a cushion, and the Savages couldn?t sustain a run to counter the Eagles, as Keota finished the season sweep of Sigourney with a 61-53 victory to advance them to Thursday?s district final, and the Eagles know their job isn?t done yet.

?It feels pretty good, but (beating Sigourney) isn?t just what we are looking for,? Keota senior Isaiah Hahn said. ?We are looking to get to state.?

That state qualification is two wins away, as the Eagles will face Montezuma in the district final on Thursday night, and would need to win a sub-state game on Saturday to qualify for the second time in three years.

In Tuesday night?s game Hahn?s nine second-quarter points helped lead the Eagles, as he finished with a team-best 15 points, followed by junior Avery Conrad, who scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, doing most of his work inside.

?(Sigourney?s Alex) Stuhr and Blaine (Gretter) are big kids, but I used my power dribble and went up strong,? Conrad said. ?Knowing that I could head fake and finish, then knowing that my teammates would get me a pass inside was good.?

Getting the passes inside wasn?t a problem for Keota, as two Eagles finished with at least six assists, with Zach Mousel leading the way with nine and junior Jacob Wickenkamp notching six in the contest.

The Eagles opened up the game in a battle with Sigourney, with both teams appearing to feel each other out.

After playing six minutes, the Eagles knew they needed a spark, so they turned to their bench, specifically Hunter Wilson and Cole Stout.

Wilson and Stout traded 3-pointers on four possessions, as the Eagles went on a 12-3 run to end the first quarter, leading 17-13.

?We were struggling to hit some shots, and were getting called for turnover after turnover,? Keota head coach Dan Stout said. ?Those kids came in and did what I wanted them to do. They hit some 3-pointers and layups, and knocked down some huge shots for us. That?s what I want them to do.?

In the second quarter, Hahn turned his game on, hitting one of his three 3-pointers of the night, as he turned in nine points in the frame to help Keota extend its lead going into the break, 31-23.

?The defense started playing off of me, and I knew I could get around them with a nice drive,? Hahn said. ?It started working for me.?

Sigourney didn?t let Keota run away, however, coming back and trying to find a way to structure a run against the Eagle defense.

Late in the third, the Savages looked as if they had their opportunity, capitalizing on a couple of layups and Eagle turnovers. However, the Eagles defense only allowed them to get within five points.

?Our kids kept rising up to the challenge,? Stout said. ?They made runs at us and we countered every one of them. Our bench played awesome tonight, coming off and hitting some shots early. We rose to the challenge and finished it off.?

In the fourth quarter, the Savages were down by eight with under a minute to go, forcing them to foul Keota.

The Eagles missed a couple of free throws, allowing Sigourney within five points with 34.9 seconds left, but that?s all the closer they would get, as Wickenkamp finished the game off at the line.

With a season-sweep of their rival under their belts, the focus remains on getting to Des Moines, and the Eagles are confident they can get back to Wells Fargo Arena.

?(The confidence) is pretty high,? Conrad said. ?We are looking for that trip to Wells, and we are going one game at a time. We are practicing strong and focusing on the game ahead, and we know we have to beat whoever is out there.?

Keota?s district final against Montezuma will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday night, held at Mid-Prairie.