The boys’ basketball State Finals are just two days away. Here is a preview of the matchup between Clinton Prairie and Orleans for the Class A State Championship.
Clinton Prairie advanced through the semistate round with wins over Triton and Kouts. In the early game, the Gophers knocked
off Kouts convincingly, 62-47. The semistate championship went back and forth through the first three quarters. Kouts held a one-point lead at the half, and Clinton Prairie took a four-point advantage into the fourth. The Gophers dominated the fourth quarter and won 73-59.
Orleans took down the top two teams in 1A when they defeated Hauser and Clay City on Saturday. The Bulldogs of Orleans took down the number one ranked team in 1A, Hauser, by a score of 69-67. In game two against Clay City, Alex DeWitt scored the game-tying basket, and Bryce Jones picked up a steal and drilled free throws to win the game for Orleans.
The Bulldogs are 24-4 on the season and finished first in the Pakota Lake Conference. Clinton Prairie is 26-2 and won the Hoosier Heartland Conference.
Jake McGraw paces the Gophers in scoring, averaging 23.2 points per game. Alex Farley adds in 16.4 points a contest for Clinton Prairie. Rylan Crocker is the top scorer for Orleans, he averages 16.1 points a contest. DeWitt and Jones each average double figures for the Bulldogs.
Clinton Prairie is led by Chad Peckinpaugh, a sixth-year head coach who picked up his 100th career win earlier this year. Tom Bradley is at the helm for Orleans, he is in his 26th season with a record of 424-211.
This is the first ever State Finals appearance for Clinton Prairie and the first in the modern format for Orleans.
For the Gophers, it would be the first state championship for the school since 2005, when the softball team claimed the 1A state title. No team from Orleans has ever won a state championship.
The game is set to tip-off at 10:30 Saturday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tune in to WILO 1570 AM, 96.9 FM, or Boone 102.7 for full coverage. Listen online via the WILO app or on Clinton County Daily News by clicking here.
The broadcast is brought to you by:
TC Trailers
Jerry’s Body Shop
Davis Comfort Solutions
Glovers Ice Cream
Central Indiana Plumbing and Well Service
Wampler’s Services, Inc.
Esserman Best One Tire and Auto Service
Donaldson Company
Bachelor Runn Family Camp Ground
Congleton Services
Encompass Credit Union
Wright Propane
Ellis Jewelry
Circle Supply
Sagamore Gas and Appliance
Culligan Water of Clinton and Boone Counties
The Farmers Bank
Top Tier Vending
Shoup’s Country Foods
Marchand’s Window Tinting
English
Español