For the first time in school history, the Clinton Prairie Gophers are semistate champions.
“It’s a goal everyone has had all year, it’s a goal I’ve had my entire career,” senior Jake McGraw said. “It just feels great because we’ve worked so hard all year. We’ve had some tough times, had some losses, and we’re on an 18-game win streak, there’s nothing else you can ask for, we’re going to the state championship.”
The Gophers played two physical games in the span of nine hours to cut down the nets at Lafayette Jefferson’s Marion Crawley Athletic Center.
In game one, Clinton Prairie matched up with Triton, and the Gophers led wire to wire. After winning the first quarter 16-6, the Gophers controlled the next two quarters and led 53-28 going to the fourth.
Jake McGraw and Alex Farley each notched 17 points in the win, Nick Curtin added 14 and Nick Ewing scored nine, including five in the first quarter.
“They were doubling Jake in the post and I just cut and he found me for easy layups,” Ewing said.
The Gophers defeated Triton 62-47 to advance to the semistate title game. Clinton Prairie would face Kouts, who defeated Monroe Central 50-44 in the early game.
It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first half. The lead changed hands 11 times through the first 16 minutes.
Kouts’ Lucas Kleckner was everywhere for the Mustangs. Alex Farley and Kleckner went toe-to-toe throughout the first half.
“My shot was going in during the first game,” Farley said. “And I was confident going into the second that my shot would fall. Their big guy was hedging softly on screens, I knew eventually he would drift over and I would have a shot at the rim, so I had drives all night.”
After being held to just two points in the regional game against Lafayette Central Catholic, Farley responded with 17 points in game one and 19 points in game two.
“Alex was taking over, that’s what we needed,” McGraw said. “When he transferred over he told me ‘I’m here to win state’, and he meant that and we all bought in.”
Despite the hot start from Farley, the Gophers trailed 32-31 going into the halftime break.
“Coach Peckinpaugh’s message in the locker room kept us calm,” Nick Ewing said. “We weren’t playing our best but the first three minutes of that second half was huge for us.”
The third quarter was the same story as both teams fought for the lead. A late free throw by Jake McGraw gave the Gophers a 51-47 advantage heading into the final frame
McGraw immediately went to work in the fourth, driving in for a tough layup to put the Gophers up by six.
Clinton Prairie used the first four minutes of the fourth to go on a 10-3 run, extending their advantage to 61-50.
“We preach that the first part of the second half is the most important,” Farley said. “We had a mentality going into the second half that we wouldn’t let them beat us.”
Clinton Prairie continued to work in the final four minutes making tough bucket after tough bucket.
A Nick Curtin slam with under a minute to go was the final exclamation point for the Gophers, and they won 73-59.
“It feels amazing, I haven’t felt a feeling like this before,” Farley said. “We got the job done today, now we have to get the job done next week.”
It took a total team effort to get the Gophers in this position. McGraw, Farley, Curtin and Ryan Harshbarger all finished in double figures while Evan Smock added six and Ewing added two.
“I feel like this team, this year, we have a lot of chemistry,” Ewing said. “It’s a family.”
The Gophers will play the South semi state champion Orleans at 10:30 on Saturday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The game will be available to listen to on WILO, more details about the State Finals broadcast will come later this week.
A historic season for Clinton Prairie continues to the State Championship game. It is the first time since 2002 that a team from Clinton County is in the State Championship game.
For photos of the semi state games, click here.
The broadcast of the Clinton Prairie vs Kouts game was brought to you by:
TC Trailers
Davis Comfort Solutions
Sam I Am Carpet Cleaning
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
English
Español