Cardinals Turn District Tournament On Its Head

Last week the Soda Springs Cardinals continued their journey through the district tournament.  After easily cruising by Malad in the first round the Cardinals had to travel to top seeded Declo for the second round.  The Declo Hornets up to that point had gone undefeated and were the number one ranked team not just in the conference but in all of 3A.  That type of resume would intimidate most teams but the Cardinals had already faced the Hornets twice during the regular season and knew what it would take to beat the Hornets on their home court.

The game got underway with Declo jumping out to an early lead, but the Cardinals did not panic.  After quickly regrouping the Cardinals went on an incredible fourteen point run to finish the first quarter.  Soda Springs now led the top seed by seven points.  During the second quarter the Cardinals kept on the throttle and built the lead to as big as thirteen.  Declo was able to cut the lead to ten at the halftime break.  In the third quarter the teams battled back and forth with the Cardinal lead fluctuating between ten and fifteen points.  Declo began to make a run at the end of the third scoring the last four points and cutting the lead to eleven heading into the fourth.  Declo continued to chip away at the lead in large part from the foul line.  Increased pressure by the Hornets combined with an uptick in fouls helped Declo get to within seven by the midway point of the quarter.  Declo continued to hit foul shots and it appeared as though the Cardinals were on their heels ready to give up the lead they had held most of the game.  With just a little over one and a half minutes left in the game the score was cut to just two points.  After using the foul line to get back into the game Declo would get four opportunities from the charity stripe in the last minute to take the lead.  With Soda still leading by two, Declo stepped to the line with just fifty-three seconds left.  The Hornet shooter missed both shots.  On the rebound the Cardinals tipped the ball out of bounds giving it back to Declo.  On the inbound the Cardinals committed another foul sending the Hornets back to the line once again now with just forty-five  seconds left.  Once again fate was with the Cardinals as the Hornet shooter missed both shots and the two point lead held.  The Cardinals would start to work the clock and eventually Declo fouled Thompson with just twenty-eight seconds left.  Thompson stepped to the line and knocked down both shots.  From there the clock hit zero without another basket being scored and the Cardinals pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year in the state.

With the big win the Cardinals automatically qualified for the state tournament and would head to the district title game.  Soda Springs was not the only team to flip the tournament on its head that night.  In Dayton the Wendell Trojans also pulled off an upset win over the Pirates of West Side.  West Side and Declo had been ranked at the top of the state ranking for the majority of the season.  With both the number one and number two teams losing on the same night not only was the district tournament affected but the state tournament will be as well.  West Side and Declo will now have to face each other in a loser out game.  The winner of that game will have to win a play-in game just to qualify for the state tournament.  Theoretically the two teams that have sat atop the rankings all season could miss out on the state tournament though it is likely whichever one comes out of the loser out game will win the play-in game.

The district title game between the Cardinals and the Trojans will have already taken place before the release of this article.  Both teams will be going to state but bragging rights and a district title are on the line.  Check next week's article to see how that game went and to preview the state tournament.

Cardinals 16 12 14 6 48

Hornets 9 9 13 13 44

K.Kirby 8, G.Hansen 19, C.Thompson 12, K.McWilliams 2, P.Ozburn 5, D.Billman 2