The Hutch Heat capped off a great season with a thrilling double overtime victory in the championship game against Team Gray, 13-12 on Feb 7. Point guard Blaine Mendenhall sank his second attempt on sudden death free throws, as the Heat sprang from their bench in jubilation. "This core group won only one game last year, so I really knew how much this meant to them," said Head Coach Jarod Wannamaker. "They fought hard and really improved over the course of the season. The looks on ALL their faces after Blaine hit that shot will stick with me forever." The Heat started the season off red hot, winning both games before Christmas break. "Our team really liked to play pressure defense in the 4th Quarter." On Jan 10, the Heat started Div. 1 play against Team Express. The Heat came out victorious in their first true test. The follow week, playing shorthanded, the Heat couldn't overcome foul trouble and lost 11-10 to Team Gray. "The Gray team was really good. They, like us, were undefeated. They really limited our guards dribble drive. Told the boys that there is no shame in a hard fought loss as long as they tried their hardest and they really did," Wannamaker added. | After beating Team Blue on Jan. 24, the Heat was matched up with Team Express for a bubble match to earn a spot in the Division 1 Championship game. "The Express had defeated Team Gray the previous week, so we knew we were in for a battle. Our first game was much closer than the final score reflected. Shots weren't falling for them, but we knew what to expect." After a slow start, the Heat took an 18-6 lead into the final 4 minutes. But the scrappy Team Black wouldn't back down. "They caught fire. They closed to within 6 with 1:40 left, but our defense found a way to close it out. Team Black had a majority of 3rd graders so they will definitely rule the roost next season." |
After punching their ticket to the Championship game on Feb. 7, the Heat faced Team Gray again. The first half ended with a 3 point Heat advantage. The second half found the score knotted most the way, with Team Gray taking a 12-10 advantage late. The Hutch Heat's center, RJ Monroe, tied the score with a basket late and defenses locked it down to the end of regulation. Both teams failed to score in the 1 minute overtime period which set up the free throw sudden death shoot-out.
The Heat were Jackson Fluck, Blaine Mendenhall, RJ Monroe, Tayten Morales, Brady Ollenburger, Leyton Reneau, Lars Tuxhorn, Jackson Wagner, and Julen Wannamaker. Assistant coach was Jeff Wagner.
The Heat were Jackson Fluck, Blaine Mendenhall, RJ Monroe, Tayten Morales, Brady Ollenburger, Leyton Reneau, Lars Tuxhorn, Jackson Wagner, and Julen Wannamaker. Assistant coach was Jeff Wagner.