KINNIKINNICK — The Miami Trace Panthers and New Lexington Panthers met near the village of Kinnikinnick north of Chillicothe for a Division II Sectional championship game Friday, Feb. 23.

This game was closely-contested by the two teams in a hot, steamy Zane Trace High School gymnasium.

Neither team could pull away from the other.

In the end, it was a fortunate bounce or two on the rim as a shot by New Lexington junior Bentley Hanson at the buzzer fell through for a 51-49 victory for the team from Perry County.

A nearly deafening roar went up and the contrast between the elation on the one hand and dejection and disbelief almost in what they saw on the other, was stark and dramatic.

New Lexington improves to 20-4 and will play in the District semifinals at the Convocation Center on the campus of Ohio University in Athens on Monday, March 4 at 6:15 p.m.

Their opponent will be the 22-2 Marietta Tigers, the No. 1 seed in the tournament. New Lexington is the No. 4 seed.

Marietta defeated Fairfield Union Saturday, Feb. 24, 52-34.

Miami Trace ends a Frontier Athletic Conference championship season with a record of 17-7.

It was an excruciatingly heartbreaking way to end a season for Miami Trace.

Miami Trace began the game is excellent fashion with an 11-5 lead.

New Lexington made two threes in the final two minutes of the quarter to tie the game, 11-11.

The lead changed hands in the second quarter with a bucket by Grant Guess, then two from New Lexington, then a basket by Austin Boedeker, then, after several missed opportunities for both teams, Adam Guthrie scored and in the final minute of the half, Guess scored to give Miami Trace a 19-15 halftime lead.

Miami Trace remained in the lead until the 5:58 mark of the third quarter, when New Lexington had a three-point play to tie the score at 22-22.

New Lexington went up by one and Guthrie put Miami Trace right back on top, 24-23, with 3:30 to play in the third.

New Lexington scored again and Boedeker made two free throws to give Miami Trace a 26-25 lead.

Once again, New Lexington took the lead, only to have Guthrie tie the game with a free throw.

On New Lexington’s next possession, Brady Armstrong stole the ball and passed to Boedeker, who hit a three to give Miami Trace a 30-27 lead with 1:26 to play in the penultimate period.

The Panthers of Perry County’s Malakye Thresher made two free throws and Boedeker hit another three, firing up the Miami Trace crowd for a four-point lead.

New Lexington was simply undaunted. They made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 40 seconds to make it a one-point game, 33-32, advantage Miami Trace at the end of three quarters.

Guthrie made a pair of free throws for a 35-32 lead to start the fourth.

Boedeker responded to a New Lexington basket with a layup, again giving Miami Trace a three-point lead, 37-34.

Guthrie scored to make it 39-34.

However, the lead was short-lived, thanks to a three-point basket by New Lexington’s Eli Stephens.

Boedeker made a free throw and Stephens hit another three for New Lexington, tying things at 40-40.

Guthrie made a free throw and soon had an offensive rebound and put-back for a 43-40 Miami Trace lead with just under three minutes to play.

New Lexington made 3 of 4 free throws on back-to-back possessions: 43-43.

Boedeker scored with 1:59 to play to give Miami Trace a 45-43.

It was coming down to free throws, as games very often do.

A New Lexington player was fouled in the act of attempting a three-point shot and he made all three attempts for a 46-45 lead with 1:22 to go.

Guthrie scored to put Miami Trace up, 47-46.

That lead lasted 12 seconds of game time as New Lexington scored again and was sent to the line where they converted the three-point play, taking a 49-47 lead.

Miami Trace looked for Guthrie and found him. He was fouled and had two pressure-packed free throws awaiting.

He made the first and New Lexington tried to ice him with a time out.

Guthrie returned to the line and drained the next throw, tying the game, 49-49. Those free throws came with 30 seconds to play in the game.

New Lexington got the ball into the front court and called time out with 16 seconds.

New Lexington was going to hold for one shot.

With both crowds on their feet to bear witness, New Lexington took the ball out on the opposite side of the court from their bench.

A look at the replay showed how the final play unfolded:

The ball was in-bounded to Isaiah Stephens in the back-court.

With all deliberation, he waited near half court, dribbling the ball several times.

Meanwhile, Hanson at first headed for the left corner of the court. He paused there before running the baseline all the way to the right corner. He didn’t linger long there, either, before heading back across the court, just to the left of the foul line, where he was just a short distance from Stephens, who was moving to the right. Stephens made the short pass to Hanson who made the game-winning shot.

The shot went up, hit the rim, bounced off the backboard, came down and hit the rim again, falling in. With the ball in the air after the carom, the buzzer sounded. Then, sadly for Miami Trace, the ball came through the rim and out through the net, ending in Guthrie’s hands.

Emotions of shock and disbelief collided with exclamations of unbounded joy in the gymnasium at Zane Trace.

“I thought it was two good teams battling,” Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley said. “We went back and forth. We knew that their guards were special.”

Ackley credited junior Isaiah Stephens, who scored 10 points for New Lexington in the first half and seven in the second half, with two threes and 5 of 5 from the line.

“He really carried them,” Ackley said. “I thought we missed a lot of chippies early that we’d like to have back. We left a lot of points at the free throw line, too. There are always things you can look back and pin-point in games like this.

“I thought (Eli Stephens’) threes in the second half were huge,” Ackley said. “He’s a freshman and he made big shots.”

“We came out and struggled in the first half,” New Lexington head coach Jeremy Duerr said. “(I) talked to them at halftime, told them we’re going to need to leave the first half behind and come out and refocus.

“Knowing tonight with the big guy (Guthrie) we were probably going to need all hands on deck,” Duerr said. “To win games like this at this time, it takes everybody. We’re just thankful.”

“I just feel really bad for our kids,” Ackley said. “I thought that our defense worked. I wish I would have gone to the zone a little earlier in the fourth quarter. We haven’t played much zone all year. Our man defense let us down a little bit at times tonight, but that’s what we’ve done all year.

“I don’t know if it was our guys as much as it was their guys making plays,” Ackley said.

Ackley spoke about his five seniors and emotions after the loss.

“That was a rough locker room,” Ackley said. “I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms and it’s never easy (after a season-ending loss). This might be as tough as it’s ever been. I stood in there and really didn’t even know what to say, because, they’re not listening to you, I’ve been there.

“I didn’t take my jersey off for two days after we got beat,” Ackley said. “My mom told me, she said, ‘son, you’re 18 years old, buddy, you’re going to have grow up and be a man.’ Boy, I didn’t want to, because I knew I wasn’t very good and when I took it off I wasn’t going to get to put it back on.

“It meant a lot to me to represent coach (Gary) Shaffer and (the Blue Lion) program,” Ackley said. “I hope these kids feel the same way, I’m pretty sure they do.

“My heart is broken for them,” Ackley said. “This year has just been different, especially the second half of the year, after my medical issues. The parents, the fans, everyone, these kids; we’re a tight group.

“When that shot fell in, it was just like our hearts broke all over again, but that’s part of it,” Ackley said.

“Our first year, we were 6-17,” Ackley said of the 2021-22 season. “Last year we came back and we were 18-5, second in the league. We got to the big game and we just couldn’t get through it against Washington Court House twice.

“This year we won the league outright,” Ackley said. “We brought the championship back to Miami Trace. That’s big. We want to build a championship culture and compete for a (league) title year-in and year-out. (The seniors) did a great job in the off-season, leading, being good to our junior high kids and our youth kids.

“Everything we want this program to be, they’ve embodied that,” Ackley said. “They were a huge part of that foundation and always will be. I hugged all five of them in the locker room. We were crying and I told them I loved them and it’s the truth. The 6 o’clock in the mornings (practicing before school) the weight-lifting, the times when we’re about broke as a unit. The times when you really have to dig deep and shrink your circle and believe in one another.

“That’s what makes competitive team sports the best thing there is,” Ackley said. “And the life lessons that come from it. And boy, are they learning a tough one tonight. My heart breaks for them.”

Ackley then gave a thought or two about each senior.

“Ben Mathews is a great character kid,” Ackley said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached. He’s a great baseball player.

“Brady Armstrong worked harder this year than he’s ever worked, as far as basketball,” Ackley said. “He’s going to Marion on a baseball scholarship. He’s great in the classroom and he’ll do great things.

“Austin Boedeker goes to school and works 40 hours a week,” Ackley said. “He will be nothing but successful for the rest of his life.

“Coleden May moved in the last two years from Washington Court House,” Ackley said. “He has unlimited lung capacity, motor’s crazy, a great kid. The first year he (wouldn’t say much). This year, he wouldn’t shut up. He’s one of us. The kids love him. I thanked him for trusting us to be a part of his life and let him know how much we enjoyed him and his family.

“Bryson Osborne is like a son to me,” Ackley said. “He is the first one on the bus and the last one off the bus. He attends every youth event, every youth camp. He’s at youth tournaments and junior high games. He really bought in. Other seasons I would have said, ‘guys, I’d give you my heart if I could.’ But, they don’t want my heart.

“I don’t have kids,” Ackley said. “These are my kids. This is our program. My heart breaks for each and every one of them. Grant Guess, Adam Guthrie, all the kids on the bench; everyone was so invested. We had one of our best practices of the year yesterday and that’s how I’ll remember these kids. We haven’t always been a great practice group, but our last practice was a great one.

“We would have loved to have gone to the Convo (Convocation Center at Ohio University in Athens, site of the District tournament),” Ackley said. “I wish I could have given that gift to these kids. Sometimes it’s not in God’s plan. I’ve learned, big-time, that He has a plan.

“I know our kids are proud of what they’re doing and what they’ve done, because it hurts so bad,” Ackley said.

Sophomore Adam Guthrie was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points. He had another double-double with 10 rebounds. He also had three assists and one steal.

Senior Austin Boedeker scored 14 points. He made two threes to go along with three rebounds and one steal.

Senior Bryson Osborne made a pair of threes and finished with six points. He also had five rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Sophomore Grant Guess scored four points. He had five rebounds and led Miami Trace with four assists.

Senior Brady Armstrong made one three to go with two assists and one steal.

Senior Coleden May had three rebounds (two offensive) and junior Trey Robinette had one assist.

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SCORE BY QUARTERS

MT 11 8 14 16 — 49

NL 11 4 17 19 — 51

MIAMI TRACE — Trey Robinette 0-0-0; Grant Guess 2-0-4; Brady Armstrong 0 (1)-0-3; Coleden May 0-0-0; Austin Boedeker 3 (2)-3-14; Adam Guthrie 7-7-21; Bryson Osborne 0 (2)-0-6. TOTALS — 12 (5)-10-49. Free throw shooting: 10 of 17 for 59 percent. Three-point field goals: Osborne, 2; Boedeker, 2; Armstrong. Field goal shooting: 17 of 37 for 46 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 5 of 10 for 50 percent. Rebounds: 26 (6 offensive). Turnovers: 15. Assists: 12. Steals: 4. Blocked shots: none.

NEW LEXINGTON — Jerek Braglin 1-1-3; Lane Ratliff 1-1-3; Isaiah Stephens 3 (2)-5-17; Corey Adam 0-0-0; Paul Stenson 0 (1)-0-3; Bentley Hanson 3-6-12; Malakye Thresher 1-3-5; Eli Stephens 1 (2)-0-8. TOTALS — 10 (5)-16-51. Free throw shooting: 16 of 20 for 80 percent. Three-point field goals: I. Stephens, 2; E. Stephens, 2; Stenson. Field goal shooting: 15 of 47 for 32 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 5 of 17 for 29 percent. Turnovers: 12. Offensive rebounds: 5.

Thanks again to Karl Kellenberger for providing Miami Trace statistics again this season.