The Battle in Class 3A: Verdigris vs Chouteau
In the first round of the Chouteau Invitational, Chouteau and Verdigris met in an instant classic. Both teams came to play in the first half as the game was played on a knife’s edge. Chouteau took the slight advantage in the first quarter leading by two points. The second quarter was a stalemate as both teams matched each other and Chouteau led at the break by two. However the third quarter belonged to Verdigris. They came out hot and knocked down some big shots in the third quarter. They led by five going into the fourth after a few Chouteau runs to get close again, Verdigris closed the game out to win 62-51 over the Wildcats.
Verdigris Youth
Verdigris is a young team. Only one cardinal starter is a season this season with a freshman and three sophomores starting around him. Their youth played into the game against the Wildcats. They made some mistakes that could be chalked up to their youth. Although they made these mistakes, the youngsters from the 2020 and 2021 class provided the spark that Verdigris needed in this game. After every made shot they were going crazy hyping up their team and helping them take their play to another level.
Kyndall Keys 2018 Chouteau Wing
Kyndall Keys passed the eye test for Chouteau in the warm-ups. He is a physically dominant looking player and he matched that with his ability. On the offensive end, the Wildcats tried to find Keys throughout the game. When the clock was running out they let Keys run isolation plays and told him to finish. He did not disappoint on many occasions. Verdigris had a hard time guarding him because he was a mismatch. He is 6’4 and Verdigris’ guard were 6’ or under. He finished with 15 points on the night and was Chouteau’s leading scorer. Keys will be huge for Chouteau going forward. If they can up his production on the latter half of the season, the Wildcats could make a run.
Brock Fugate 2020 Verdigris Guard
Brock Fugate is one of Verdigris’ youth. He took over the game for the Cardinals and was a thorn in the side of the Wildcats all night. He attacked the basket well and was able to finish at the rim. Fugate is not a player that looks like he could take over the game, but he was the key to Verdigris’s success in this game. He finished the night with a game-high 23 points.
Little Things Win Big Games: Free Throws
The coaches always say that little things win big games. In this game that was the case. Chouteau trailed by four late and had to start fouling the Cardinals and that is when the Cardinals stepped up to the charity stripe. They did what they needed and made 9-10 free throws down the stretch of the game to finish off the Wildcats. You can see the extra time that Verdigris devotes to free throws is paying off for them.