Warhawks end six-year state drought

NEVADA — Holding off Ankeny Christian, West Fork’s boys’ basketball team earned its first state berth since 2014.

Coach Frank Schnoes’ Warhawks built a 20-point lead early in the second half, only to see it dwindle to three with 5 minutes, 2 seconds left.

But West Fork got a pair of big baskets inside from Brayden Vold, who lost his second-half starting assignment to Cail Weaver, as the Warhawks held on for a 61-54 Class 1A Sub-State 3 win.

Vold wasn’t about to hang his head about it, going from three points at halftime to 12.

“I just understood what coach wanted to go with, they were playing their smaller guys, so we played our smaller guys,” said Vold, who stands at 6-foot-5. “I practiced all year for this. I was ready and always confident in my shot and I made them.”

He was 5-of-5 from the field, but had several inside passes knocked away from him, turned the ball over a few times on travels and was called for three seconds in the lane at least once.

Meanwhile, junior Cail Weaver came off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers in the first half that provided some separation between the Eagles and Warhawks.

“It was good to know he thought that I was giving it my all,” Cail Weaver said of getting the second-half nod. “Personally, coming out I was really nervous. I’ve never been in this sort of situation, sub-state game to go to state, but it feels so good to finally get there.”

Head coach Frank Schnoes added, “Game-wise, I’m proud of our kids, we got out and got off to a quick start. Hit a rough spot in the third quarter, starting to turn the ball over with some travels and whatever. The kids hung in there and battled, some different guys stepped in and made some key shots. Brayden hit some key inside. Cail Weaver came in and gave us a good spark, hit a couple of threes that really got us going.”

Weaver had 10 points to lead all scorers at halftime and finished with 10.

As the second-half pressure kept mounting, the Warhawks leaned heavily on senior guard Ian Latham, who is a three-year starter.

“We just needed to run through our offense because they were the ones who had to catch up to us,” Latham said. “Run through our offense, get open looks if we can and score the ball and if not, dribble the basketball until we got a foul.

“That’s ultimately what happened. A couple of turnovers happened, but we were able to control the game. We didn’t make a lot of free throws down the stretch, but for the most part, we controlled the game toward the end.”

Latham had a couple of key defensive rebounds and was sent to the free throw line in the fourth quarter after Ankeny Christian cut the lead to three, but he was just 1-of-5 in the final 2:15.

“This is my third sub-state game in my career and it’s crazy just to feel the atmosphere,” Latham said. “They brought a lot of fans, we brought even more; the atmosphere was so loud, I couldn’t even hear myself think. The pressure, you feel it, in my case I felt it, but I just needed to take care of business and we got it done.”

It was the second straight game West Fork has had a little trouble at the foul line. Against the Eagles, the Warhawks were 9-of-19.

“In the third quarter, we immediately built up a lead and they slowly kept coming back,” Cail Weaver said. “As soon as they started coming back, obviously, it gets the nerves going, what-not. But, we were able to keep trucking away. Unfortunately, we didn’t make all of the free throws, that would have made it a lot easier, but we eventually got it done. Feels good.”

All three players, Vold, Cail Weaver and Latham found it hard to believe that this would be their first trip to the state tournament.

“We’re going to state,” Latham said. “I can’t (process it). The countless hours we spent in the gym, every morning, every afternoon, we spent three hours a day playing basketball, working out. To see it all pay off in our senior year, man, nothing is better. Great feeling.”

Cail Weaver added, “It’s insane, it’s unfathomable. All of us, growing up, our entire lives this is what we dreamed of. It’s finally coming true and we finally get to go play down at Wells (Fargo Arena). Can’t wait.”

Vold described the emotion, “Excitement, joy, everything paid off.”

For Schnoes, who will be taking his sixth team to the state basketball tournament, three at the helm of West Fork (2013 and ’14) and three with SCMT that preceded West Fork in 1993, ’99 and 2000.

“It’s been the third time in four years we’ve been to the sub-state (final),” Schnoes said. “It’s about time we knocked the door down and went back to state. It’s been a few years.

“Talking with kids the other day in practice, I said, ‘if you can get there, that’s an unbelievable experience. The sub-state game is the same thing. There are only 16 teams left of about 140, all wishing they could take your place in a situation like this.’ To experience this is something they won’t forget, that’s the exciting part of being a part of this.”

West Fork (23-2) opens the state tournament on Monday, March 9 at 2:45 p.m. against Remsen St. Mary’s (22-3) at Wells Fargo Arena.

West Fork 61, Ankeny Christian 54

West Fork (23-2)— Ian Latham 3-6 2-5 10, Brett Weaver 2-4 0-1 4, Kayden Ames 5-10 2-4 16, Noah Maske 0-2 0-1 0, Jakob Washington 3-7 1-2 7, Ren Heimer 0-1 2-2 2, Cail Weaver 4-9 0-0 10, Brayden Vold 5-5 2-4 12. Totals 22-44 9-19 61.

Ankeny Christian (21-4, final)— Malachi Johnson 1-2 2-2 4, Logan Fincham 0-0 0-0 0, Cale Leever 2-10 2-3 7, Nic Worsham 4-16 0-0 9, Colby Elrod 4-10 1-3 11, Ben McDermott 2-5 0-0 6, Cole Michelson 0-1 0-0 0, Matthew Voll 1-1 0-0 3, David Nelson 7-12 0-1 14. Totals 21-57 5-10 54.

ACA           12     7   20   15      -   54

W. Fork      16   16   15   14      -   61

Three-point goals — ACA 7-25 (McDermott 2-5, Elrod 2-6, Voll 1-1, Leever 1-5, Worsham 1-7, Voll 0-1, Nelson 0-1); WF 8-22 (Ames 4-6, Latham 2-3, C. Weaver 2-6, Maske 0-1, Heimer 0-1, B. Weaver 0-2, Washington 0-3). Rebounds — ACA 24, 7 off., 17 def. (Worsham 8, Elrod 5, Leever 4, Voll 4, Johnson, Mickelson, Nelson); WF 40, 9 off., 31 def. (Ames 10, Washington 10, Latham 7, C. Weaver 6, B. Weaver 3, Washington 3, Maske). Assists — ACA 11 (Johnson 4, Worsham 2, Elrod 2, Nelson 2, Leever); WF 16 (Ames 6, B. Weaver 4, Washington 3, C. Weaver 2, Vold). Steals — ACA 8 (Leever 2, Worsham 2, Nelson 2, Johnson, Elrod); WF 7 (Washington 3, Latham, Ames, C. Weaver, Vold). Blocks — ACA, None; WF 3 (Washington, C. Weaver, Vold). Total fouls — ACA, NA; WF 12. Fouled out — None.