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That wasn’t Jeff Kline hitting the clutch jumper, Vic Chandler stepping into the passing lane for an interception or Larry Smith making a pinpoint pass for an assist.
No, those stars won’t be on the Roundhouse floor until tonight, when the 1972, 1973 and 1974 McPherson High state championship teams will be honored.
But the current Bullpups paid homage to those great teams Friday, playing the same kind of team basketball that has carried on the legend that got its championship start 40 years ago.
The Bullpups evoked memories of years gone by with a gut-it-out, 60-51 victory over Shawnee Mission East in the semifinals of the 48th annual McPherson Invitational.
That advanced the Bullpups to tonight’s 7:45 p.m. championship game against another big, strong Class 6A school -- Blue Valley West -- which held off Lawrence Free State by a single point in the other semi.
This was a Bullpup effort for the ages, as they were undersized at every position.
But the late Jay Frazier, who coached those three Bullpup title teams, probably was looking down on this performance with a smile as it was all about execution, and more importantly, heart.
MHS coach Kurt Kinnamon, who has carved out a Frazier-esque 330-61 record with four state titles, was bursting with pride after the game.
“Our kids were so tough,” said Kinnamon, who admittedly at times has questioned his team’s desire to go toe-to-toe. “That’s as tough a performance as we’ve had. Tough by getting through screens and battling. If there was a 50-50 ball, we got it and I’m just extremely proud of them. I’m about as happy of them as I’ve been in a long time.”
While it wasn’t a typical semifinal Roundhouse crowd -- about 70 percent full -- MHS fed off what energy there was in the old building, leading 16-8 after a quarter and 24-9 at one point in the second quarter. East did claw back within 29-20 at the half, though it was having a hard time matching MHS’ off-the-chart intensity.
The Bullpups pushed the lead to as much as 37-23, but then you had to wonder if they had emptied the tank. East got within 39-32 at the end of three quarters, then came out white-hot in the fourth, eventually taking the lead at 44-43.
But the Bullpups got their second wind. Unsung reserves Keaton Sorenson and freshman Kyler Kinnamon came up huge, as Sorenson hit back-to-back baskets, while Kinnamon came up with two steals, a basket and was 4 of 4 at the foul line in the final quarter.
That wasn’t Jeff Kline hitting the clutch jumper, Vic Chandler stepping into the passing lane for an interception or Larry Smith making a pinpoint pass for an assist.
No, those stars won’t be on the Roundhouse floor until tonight, when the 1972, 1973 and 1974 McPherson High state championship teams will be honored.
But the current Bullpups paid homage to those great teams Friday, playing the same kind of team basketball that has carried on the legend that got its championship start 40 years ago.
The Bullpups evoked memories of years gone by with a gut-it-out, 60-51 victory over Shawnee Mission East in the semifinals of the 48th annual McPherson Invitational.
That advanced the Bullpups to tonight’s 7:45 p.m. championship game against another big, strong Class 6A school -- Blue Valley West -- which held off Lawrence Free State by a single point in the other semi.
This was a Bullpup effort for the ages, as they were undersized at every position.
But the late Jay Frazier, who coached those three Bullpup title teams, probably was looking down on this performance with a smile as it was all about execution, and more importantly, heart.
MHS coach Kurt Kinnamon, who has carved out a Frazier-esque 330-61 record with four state titles, was bursting with pride after the game.
“Our kids were so tough,” said Kinnamon, who admittedly at times has questioned his team’s desire to go toe-to-toe. “That’s as tough a performance as we’ve had. Tough by getting through screens and battling. If there was a 50-50 ball, we got it and I’m just extremely proud of them. I’m about as happy of them as I’ve been in a long time.”
While it wasn’t a typical semifinal Roundhouse crowd -- about 70 percent full -- MHS fed off what energy there was in the old building, leading 16-8 after a quarter and 24-9 at one point in the second quarter. East did claw back within 29-20 at the half, though it was having a hard time matching MHS’ off-the-chart intensity.
The Bullpups pushed the lead to as much as 37-23, but then you had to wonder if they had emptied the tank. East got within 39-32 at the end of three quarters, then came out white-hot in the fourth, eventually taking the lead at 44-43.
But the Bullpups got their second wind. Unsung reserves Keaton Sorenson and freshman Kyler Kinnamon came up huge, as Sorenson hit back-to-back baskets, while Kinnamon came up with two steals, a basket and was 4 of 4 at the foul line in the final quarter.
“There were a lot of individual things, but it was such a total team effort,” Kurt Kinnamon said, as every player who got in contributed in a big way.
Jordan Hart led MHS with 16 points and dogged West star Vance Wentz all over the court. While the Jaguar star did score 20 -- 12 less than his first game Thursday -- he needed 17 shots and every one of them was contested.
“People are going to see that Wentz had 20, but Jordan did one of the best individual defensive jobs that I’ve ever seen a kid do, because it’s brutal to chase a kid off a stagger, stagger, stagger, and he did a fantastic job,” Kinnamon said.
Hart came up with seven steals and Kyler Kinnamon had four, but none bigger than the two in the fourth quarter. He also scored 10 points, one less than Travell Robinson, who came alive after four nondescript games.
“It was great to see Travell come back,” Kinnamon said.
Sorenson chipped in with eight points, and had to play 20 minutes since top scorer Cody Cape played only 14 minutes because of foul trouble.
MHS now gets Blue Valley West, another farm-boy strong team with plenty of thick bodies.
“It’s going to take the same kind of effort we had tonight,” Kinnamon said.
The three state title teams will be honored before the title game.
