Jayhawk girls headed to substate championship game

Jayhawk Addison Otto gets a rare easy layup in the substate semifinal game against the West Franklin Falcons on Wednesday, March 4. The Jayhawks will advance to the substate final on Saturday. (Photos by Billy Roudybush / Linn County Journal)

By Billy Roudybush, Journal contributor

It was a battle royale between the West Franklin Falcons and the Jayhawk-Linn girls basketball teams on Wednesday, March 4, with the right to play in the substate championship game on the line.

After leading most of the game the Jayhawks finally took the win, 50-39, advancing to the final.

West Franklin, out of Pomona, didn’t appear to be intimidated by the Jayhawk’s 22-2 record. The Falcons, 9-12 after narrowly beating their cross-county rival Wellsville, came out battling, fighting through the Jayhawks’ tough defense. Even though the Jayhawk girls went up by 4 points early, the Falcons kept the pressure up so the Jayhawks could not run the table like they have done so many times this year.

Jayhawk coaches Chris Thomas and Shelby Krull work to keep the girls focused as West Franklin pushed back against the 'Hawks' transition offense.

The Jayhawk girls started with their normal upfront pressure, but after the Falcons slipped through and scored a few times, the Jayhawk girls closed ranks. It became a back-and-forth affair. Each team had to fight for every shot.

Through Brenlyn Bogan’s leadership, the Jayhawk girls kept slowly adding to their lead. Through this relentless effort the Jayhawks girls were up 16-5 at the end of the first quarter. Then Zoe Dowd of the Falcons became a real force.

She scored four points in the second quarter and while everyone focused on her, Tay McArthor and Greelie McMahon shot from the outside to keep the Falcons in the game. Despite their effort, the Jayhawks still led at the half 29-18 because of Brenlyn Brogan’s 15 points in the first half.

Jayhawk Brenlyn Bogan goes up for 2 points. She led the 'Hawks with 17 points in the game.

In the second half, Dowd for the Falcons kept slashing and shooting, anything to keep her team close. The Falcon’s managed to close the gap to 6 points at one time. The Falcon’s thought they had the answer to stop the Jayhawks: Stop Brenlyn Bogan.

But Jayhawk’s Brea Dawson took over the scoring and the fight inside along with support from Brilyn Bogan, Addison Otto, and Jude Wade. Each time the Falcons scored points, each time they thought they could cut the lead, their hopes would be dashed.

The Jayhawks had a hard fight; Otto fouled out at the end of the game, but she had the last laugh. Before she fouled out, she scored the last two points of the game.

Otto ended up with 11 points, and Brenlyn Bogan led the Jayhawks in scoring with 17 points. Brea Dawson had 14 points.

With this victory, the Jayhawk girls move to the championship game in Pomona at West Franklin High School in Pomona on Saturday, March 7. The Jayhawks, now 23-2, will play Girard, 18-5, at 5 p.m.

Jayhawk Brea Dawson shoots over Falcon Zoe Dowd for two points in the paint. Dawson had 14 points in the game.

Jayhawk Jude Wade takes a shot outside the arc.

Brilyn Bogan goes airborne to pass to Dawson, who had a better shot at the basket.