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MMS boys claim league championship

Marion Middle School boys' basketball team didn't let an almost perfect regular season go to waste Monday, when it claimed the Mid-Central Activities Association northeast division championship.

The Wildcats won all three games in the tournament this past week, and finished the season with a 15-1 record.

MMS started off the tournament with a 32-16 bashing of Lindsborg. Drew Maddox led Marion with eight points, while Brian Fruechting and Isaac Hett each chipped in with seven points.

The game started slow with MMS leading 6-2 after one period, but the Wildcats scored 11 points in the second and turned up the defensive pressure after halftime.

"[We] dominated much of the game," head coach Kelly Robson said, "but we didn't really pull away to a large margin."

The semifinal round pitted MMS against rival Hillsboro. The game was tight early on, with both teams tied at seven after one period.

Leading 20-16 to start the second half, Marion ran off 16 points in the third quarter, and led 36-21 heading into the final frame.

"Adam Maag and Wil Case came off the bench with good intensity and provided the spark that seemed to get [us] going," Robson said.

Eric Vogel was the team's high-scorer with 11 points, Hett had eight, and Maag scored seven, as MMS left with a 41-30 victory.

Hesston was Marion's opponent in the championship round. Unlike the other two games, the Wildcats jumped ahead early, leading 11-4 after one quarter.

The lead ballooned to 20-8 at halftime, and the Wildcats never looked back, claiming the championship with a 41-30 victory.

Vogel was the top Wildcat for the second straight game with 12 points, and Case added eight.

Hett led the team with eight rebounds, and Maag contributed seven boards.

"Hesston turned up the defensive pressure in the third quarter and began to close the gap," Robson said. "[But we] settled down and showed good patience at the offensive end."

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