For the second consecutive year, the Olpe Eagles left Dodge City as 1A division 1 state basketball champions Saturday after defeating South Gray 66-42.
Olpe would build an early lead in the first quarter and would outscore South Gray 17-13 in the second to take a 37-20 lead into the half. After being outscored 13-12 in the third, Olpe would hold South Gray to just nine points in the fourth as the Eagles clinched their second straight state title.
Olpe was led in scoring by senior Derek Hoelting with 30 points.
Senior Damon Redeker added 14 points and junior Truman Bailey finished with 12 points.
Head Coach Chris Schmidt says he couldn’t be prouder of what his team has accomplished this season.
The Eagles finish the season with a record of 25-1. With the victory, Olpe becomes just the second school in history to repeat as state champions in both football and basketball after Hanover accomplished the feat in 8-man Division II football and 1A basketball during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years.
