Mustangs earn first district win since 2016
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
North Nodaway junior Mason Casner drives to the basket on Tuesday night against Stanberry in Conception Junction.
CONCEPTION JCT., Mo. — It has been a season of ‘first since’ type moments for North Nodaway boys basketball. The Mustangs and their senior class added one more of those moments in the district tournament on Tuesday.
The Mustangs had a full-circle moment in the Class 1, District 16 quarterfinals. In 2016, their last district tournament win came and the next round that run was ended by eventual state champions Stanberry. On Tuesday, the fourth-seeded Mustangs were hunting their first district win since then and they captured it with a resounding 50-30 win over Stanberry.
“It feels great,” North Nodaway junior Mason Casner said. “We worked all season for it. We worked in the offseason. We just came out and played our hardest this game and we got the win.”
The Mustangs (15-10) delivered the first punch on Tuesday with a 14-0 lead out of the gate. Aydan Blackford had eight of those points while fellow seniors Ethan Fry and Brice Trimble each hit 3-pointers.
“We just kinda got on a streak,” Blackford said. “We had energy going in and we were able to get it inside which really helped us.”
The youth on the team got going after that with Blackford feeding Blaine Clements for a buzzer-beating layup for a 16-3 lead after one quarter. Junior Owen Martin scored to jump-start a 9-0 run.
Casner scored the next seven points in that run for a 25-5 lead. The halftime margin was 26-7.
“If we can’t hit a three, we gotta get downhill,” Casner said.
The Mustang defense was pivotal as Colby McQueen was the only Bulldog to score in the first half.
“Coach (Cody) Jenkins always preaches that defense leads to offense and that is what kinda helped us in the first half,” Blackford said.
The momentum continued in the third quarter with Casner and Trimble combining to hit five 3-pointers as the lead swelled to 41-9.
“The rim started looking the size of an ocean,” Nodaway Nodaway coach Cody Jenkins said.
Stanberry kept playing hard and represented themselves well by out-scoring the Mustangs 16-4 in the fourth quarter. The final margin settled at 50-30.
“It feels great,” Trimble said. “Most of the time, we come in, we try really hard, but then it slips out of our fingers and we don’t get it. It is really nice to have a first district win.
“(This season) has been a blast so far.”
Casner led North Nodaway with 17 points and Blackford had 13 as Stanberry struggled to contain their strength and drives.
“If they got a bigger guy on them, they got speed,” Jenkins said. “If they got a smaller guy on them, they can take themselves in the post. They can score on both levels. They know how to score. Their teammates really feed off of them. Brice is a knock-down shooter. If you want to float off him to one of them and leave Brice open, we are happy with that. Or Ethan or Owen with his ability to penetrate and kick.”
Trimble added three 3-pointers for nine points as Clements, Trevin Wyllie and Fry each had four and Martin had two. McQueen led Stanberry with 11 points.
“Anytime you can get a win at this time of year, it means you are doing something right,” Jenkins said. “These kids have done a lot of correct things all year long. It goes to the work that they are doing and the foundation that they are laying. … They deserve it. They deserve to get a win tonight.”
North Nodaway advances to Thursday’s semifinals where they will face top-seeded Platte Valley (23-3) at 6 p.m. in Conception Junction. Platte Valley topped North Nodaway 67-25 on Feb. 12.
“It is pretty cool seeing the growth we’ve had throughout the years,” Blackford said. “Early on in our careers, it wasn’t very fun to be a part of. This year, it has been real fun.”
