Boys Basketball exceeds expectations with state tournament berth
Mar 23, 2015
The boys basketball season started with the Early Bird Tournament, hosted by HHS, and a first round blow-out win over Benilde. The championship of the four team tourney saw the Royals take on eventual state runner-up Champlin Park Rebels. Both teams had a run-and-gun style of play, leading to many three point shots, dunks, and turnovers. In the end, the Rebels edged the Royals 90-86.
The next game was a 20-point victory over Burnsville. However, during that game, Amir Coffey, junior, tore the ACL in his left knee and was out for the rest of the season.
“I feel bad about Amir. This is a good team. With Amir we could have been an elite team. We had a chance to be really good,” said Ken Novak Jr., Social Studies and head coach.
Coffey had scored 24 points in the BSM game and a team season-high 36 points against Champlin Park. Ranked as the 34th best player in the class of 2016 according to 247Sports, losing Coffey so early in the season was tough for a young Royals team. It took a while for the squad to figure out how to win without Coffey in the lineup.
Ishmael El-Amin, sophomore, plays defense in the state quarterfinal game against Lakeville North.
The Struggle
The Royals lost their next two games after Coffey’s injury against Shakopee and Iowa City West. Both were double-digit losses in which the Royals never had a chance to win. It was the first two-game losing streak for the Royals since the 2012-13 season.
After a few easy wins, the Royals ran into a strong Maple Grove team. The Royals were far behind at halftime but rallied in the second half to tie the game. In the end, Maple Grove won by six. That loss marked a turning point in the season.
“We had to change the way we were playing. We needed different kids step up. I thought they came together pretty well [after the loss to Maple Grove],” Novak said.
Xavier Johnson, junior, dribbles the ball in the state quarterfinal game against Lakeville North.
The Resurgence
The loss against Maple Grove came on Dec. 13. The next Royals loss didn’t come until Feb. 13. Two months and 16 wins later, the Royals found themselves ranked within the top five in the state and playing as well, if not better,
than when they had Coffey.
“It was the maturity of the team. A lot of people needed to step up and play that didn’t play last year. They really matured and realized what it took to win games,” said John Warren, senior captain.
Players found their roles and knew what to expect from themselves and their teammates during any given game. Statement wins against Eastview, Cretin-Derham Hall, and Eden Prairie solidified the Royals as a team poised to make a title run.
Boys basketball team celebrates with the Section 6AAAA trophy after the 59-58 win over Eden Prairie.
The Final Stretch
A surprising loss to Minnetonka on senior night led to a huge end-of-the-season matchup with Eden Prairie. A Royals win would give them the Lake Conference title outright. A loss would mean the Eagles and Royals would share the title.
A slow start meant that another huge comeback would be necessary. That’s what they did. With the game tied and only 15 seconds left, EP called a timeout to set up a final play. The Royals played stellar defense during the final seconds, but a deep three fell and EP won.
The Royals would get their revenge with a one-point victory in the section finals thanks to two free throws from Vinnie Shahid, junior. Despite a strong performance in sections, the first game for the Royals in the state tournament would be their last.
Just like last year, the Lakeville North Panthers ended the Royals’ season. A huge second-half deficit was just too large for the Royals to overcome. Despite a shaky start to the season, the Royals were able to pull out their 14th state tournament appearance under Novak.
“We’ve had a good year. We really have,” Novak said. “I think we exceeded everybody’s expectations.”
The Royals ended with a final record of 23-6-0.