The Milan Wildcats, in what can be described as an odd set of circumstances leading into their Friday night game, traveled to Springfield on to participate, for the first time in school history, in the MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown. At Missouri State University’s John Q. Hammons Student Center, the Wildcats, in the Class 2 boys semifinals, played the Hartville Eagles.
With only 150 fans per team allowed into the facility, due to Coronavirus concerns across the state, the Wildcats struggled, with two early turnovers resulting in fast-break Hartville points as the Eagles surged to a 9-0 run. Never leading in the contest, Milan’s season ended with Hartville rolling to a 71-37 victory, heard on KTTN FM 92.3.
Expected to be in the sixth-man role for Hartville, Braden Branstetter got the start and lit up Milan with a dazzling 11 of 15 shooting performance, including 4 of 6 accuracy from three-point range, part of a 27 point night to lead HHS (30-2). Brady Ward had 16 points, Ryce Piper 12, and Holton Simmons 11 for Hartville.
Milan, held to 46 percent shooting in the game, and saddled with 28 turnovers (compared to Hartville’s 10), was paced by Ryan Dabney with 12 points.
Wildcat Head Coach Andrea Dabney spoke with Sports Director Tom Johnson after the game:
Hartville went on to win the Class 2 state championship, hammering Skyline on Saturday afternoon 69-40 at JQH Arena in Springfield. East Buchanan, a squad that started the season with a win over Trenton, completed the campaign with a Class 2 girls title, the first ever for the Lady Bulldogs, winning 62-51 over Tipton.
The Strafford girls repeat as Class 3 state champions, taking down Licking 65-62, while the Cardinal Ritter boys walloped Charleston in the Class 3 title tilt, 88-32.
In Class 4 boys quarterfinal action from Saturday, Vashon beat Kirksville 70-39 while Raytown South was a 60-40 winner over St. Joseph Lafayette. However, by Monday morning, the Missouri State High School Activities Association had announced a cancellation of the Class 4 and 5 Show-Me Showdown for this coming weekend in Springfield, again due to the continuing Coronavirus concerns.
