Trojans advance to state

After earning a 15-point victory against Baxter Springs Friday night, Girard defeated Frontenac 64-52 on Saturday night, putting them in the mix for a state championship.  It will be Girard’s first appearance at state since the 2009 season in which the Trojans were runner-up.

Against Frontenac, Girard was able to build a 16-15 lead after the first quarter and built on that the rest of the night.  Drew Davied scored six of his game-high 22 points in the first, coming off of a trey when he converted on an old-fashioned three-point play, sinking the bucket and his free throw after being fouled on the shot.  Tyler Green and Austin O’Dell each added four points in the first as well.

The second quarter was all Girard as they shut down the Raider’s offense, outscoring Frontenac 11-3 in the quarter to take a 27-19 lead into halftime.  Green added another four points in the quarter, and Davied hit his second three of the game to help give the Trojans the advantage heading into the intermission.

Frontenac showed signs of life in the third, outscoring Girard 17-15.  Laike Damman began his second-half surge in the third, scoring five points including a trifecta, whileDavied and Garrett Bailey added four points.  Still, Frontenac’s effort would bring Girard’s lead down to seven points entering the final quarter.

Girard would seal the deal in the fourth quarter from the free-throw line, scoring 13 of their 22 fourth-quarter points from the charity stripe.  Damman added seven points in the quarter, including another trey, a two-point basket, and two free throws, to finish the game with 14 points.  Davied hit five free throws in the fourth, and ended the quarter with nine points, while freshman Eric Wilson was perfect at the line, hitting all four of his attempts.  When the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans were up 64-52 and had notched themselves a spot in the Class 4A, Division II State Tournament.

With their 12-10 record, Girard has been named the six-seed in the bracket, and will face the three-seed Concordia Panthers (18-4) at 8:15 on Thursday night at Hartman Arena in Park City.