Barfield s 39 do in Marion years ago
Sports reporter
Everyone on the court Friday knew Isaiah Barfield could play.
Marion High School head coach Rex Ostmeyer knew it. His players knew it. Barfield knew it.
By the end of the night all the Marion fans knew it as well.
"We let him do whatever he wanted to do," Ostmeyer said after his team's 62-57 home loss to Haven. "He's a big-time athlete and if he keeps going he will be a big-time player [at the next level]."
The Warriors had some players of their own step up as well.
Jason Hett led Marion with 15 points and 14 rebounds, nine off the offensive glass.
Calvin Jeffrey tied a season-high 10 points, and Travis Hett scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
It was the first time the Warriors scored more than 50 points since Jan. 13.
"We finally attacked the zone like we're supposed to," Ostmeyer said. "All it took was dribble penetration."
That attacking was mainly in the fourth quarter when MHS outscored Haven 22-12. The problem was the Wildcats held a 50-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
Ostmeyer eluded to the team finally gaining some confidence in the final eight minutes. Something his young team lacks at times.
"Confidence comes from knowing that you prepared, over the course of your life not just because you came to practice and did some things," Ostmeyer said.
The problem for Marion was Barfield was oozing confidence.
After scoring five points in the first quarter, Barfield erupted for 12 in the second, and had scored half of the team's 34 points at halftime.
"He's the one guy you can't let beat you," Ostmeyer said. "And obviously we did."
The Warriors started out in a zone, but once Barfield hit two threes on his first two attempts, it was obvious that game plan was not working.
Ostmeyer tried sticking Dave DeForest and Travis Hett on him, but no one was going to stop him this night.
"It's hard," Ostmeyer said. "He's just so quick and athletic."
Jason Hett led Marion with eight points at halftime, as the Warriors trailed, 34-22.
In the third quarter Barfield scored 14 of the team's 16 points and it looked as if Haven would runaway with the game, leading 50-33.
Marion, and no doubt Haven as well, remembered coming back from 16 down last year against Haven, and tried do the same Friday in the fourth quarter.
An 18-5 run capped off by an Emmanuel Jackson floater, cut the Haven lead to 55-51.
"Once we started breaking down and getting into the gaps, we scored pretty much at will," Ostmeyer said.
Barfield was then called for a charge on the other end of the court, and with one minute, 39 seconds left, the Marion crowd was thinking of how to celebrate another dramatic comeback.
Unfortunately Barfield made up for his miscue by stealing a pass and connecting on a layup at the other end.
Two more Jackson free throws cut the lead to four again, but Haven nailed five free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Barfield grabbed seven rebounds and recorded five steals to go along with his 39 points.
Ostmeyer was disappointed with the loss, but knew if his team hadn't fallen asleep and been outscored 22-10 in the second, the game may have had a different outcome.
"The second quarter was a killer for us," he said. "For the first four minutes we stood on offense and didn't attack."
Marion finished the regular season Tuesday with a road match against Sterling and will play next week in the Hesston regional.
Ostmeyer knows anyone can win three games and advance to state.
"Why not?," he said. "Anything can happen."
Halstead
The Warriors dropped a game Feb. 14 to Halstead, 62-44.
Jason Hett was high-scorer again with 13 points, and Travis Hett added nine points. Russell Ploutz scored six points, and DeForest and Jeremy Vondenkamp chipped in with five points each.
The two losses dropped the Warriors to 3-7 in the Mid-Central Activities Association, and 5-14 overall.
