Hays High Girls win Hays Shootout; Boys take second

Photos by PARKER NISBETH, Video by PARKER NISBETH, Semifinal stories by KYLER ROWDEN-STUM

Tiger Media Network

Girls Championship Game

Girls Second Round Game

Hays High Pushes Past Hugoton 59–46, Advances to Championship Matchup With Manhattan

The Hays High girls continued their strong start to the season Friday night, knocking off Hugoton 59–46 to secure their second straight tournament win and a spot in Saturday’s championship game. With a new-look roster and limited early-season practice time, the Indians have leaned heavily on grit, defense, and growing chemistry — and both players and coaches say it’s starting to show.

Senior center Molly Buckles, a steady presence inside, said the team is still discovering its identity but is taking major steps forward each night.

“It’s just a new team look this year,” Buckles said. “We’re figuring out everyone’s positioning and learning each other’s strategies. Really learning to be a cohesive team.”

Head coach Lynn Melvin, now in her sixth year at Hays High, echoed that sentiment, noting how quickly this group is adapting.

“They’re gritty,” Melvin said. “We have a lot of players who haven’t played a ton of minutes, but they’re jumping on the bus and playing their tails off for us. That’s all we can ask.”

Friday’s win over Hugoton highlighted the improvements the Indians made from Game 1 to Game 2, especially defensively. After emphasizing ball pressure and fundamentals during Thursday’s quick turnaround, Hays High came out more disciplined and physical — something Buckles said was a direct response to coaching adjustments.

“Yesterday we really just focused on our defense,” she said. “Pressuring the ball, not letting opponents go past us. Manhattan’s physical, so we’ve got to continue to match that and get the boards.”

Melvin agreed that the foundation is being built possession by possession, even with the rapid three-games-in-three-days schedule.

“Any three-day tournament is always a grind,” Melvin said. “It’s early season, you’re still learning, and you don’t get a lot of time to fix things. It’s emotionally and physically tough, and I’m really proud of the girls.”

With Manhattan — one of the top programs in 6A — waiting in Saturday’s title game, both Buckles and Melvin pointed to mindset and discipline as the keys to a potential 3–0 tournament sweep.

“We know they’re very respected and talented,” Buckles said. “We just have to take care of the ball, play our defense, and be strong.”

Melvin added that focus during walkthroughs and sticking to fundamentals will be crucial.

“They’re extremely talented, very physical, and they get after you defensively,” she said. “It’s about coming in with a great mindset and doing the things it takes to stay in a close game.”

For Buckles, her role in that game is clear — and simple.

“Playing my role, getting boards, passing when I’m open, being strong — that’s what I can do to help us succeed,” she said.

Hays High defeated Manhattan 61-53 to claim the Hays Classic Championship. 

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Hays High Boys Battle Past Salina Central 55–46, Return to Tournament Championship

In a physical, momentum-swinging semifinal Friday night, the Hays High boys dug deep and outlasted Salina Central 55–46, earning back-to-back wins to open the season and punching their ticket to the tournament championship game once again. The victory came with adversity at every turn — early foul trouble, tough calls, and a first-half deficit — but the Indians leaned on senior leadership and toughness to finish the job.

Senior center Dawson Ruder said the team had to stay composed despite a frustrating first half.

“It was special,” Ruder said. “We had to be resilient after the first half. Me and one of my better teammates got in foul trouble. There were some calls that didn’t go our way, and that’s okay — you’ve just got to keep chipping away.”

Ruder said the coaches set the tone from day one: buy in, elevate the program, and compete for championships.

“Coach told us to buy in and we’re going to elevate this program,” he said. “The only way to do that is win championships. We’re determined to get that championship this weekend, and here we are.”

As a team that reached the championship last year but couldn’t quite finish the job, Ruder said the mentality is different this time.

“We went 0-for-4 in championships last year — tournaments and sub-state — and that just can’t happen if we want to have a great program,” he said. “Tomorrow we try to elevate it and get a championship under our belt.”

Head coach Sean Ding, now in his fourth year leading the program, said he was proud of how his team handled adversity for the first time this season.

“We responded,” Ding said. “Last night we kind of rolled through, but tonight we were down early, we had foul trouble, and our senior leaders stepped up. I’m proud of them for that.”

Ding pointed to several standout performances, including the emotion and energy from Isaac Fox, the all-around impact of Trey Oakley, and a dominating second half from Ruder.

“Isaac plays with so much emotion and flair — he inspires our team,” Ding said. “Trey had a tough shooting night, but he guards, rebounds, and makes the right play. And Dawson… I challenged him at halftime, and he responded. He had 24 points, and anytime you dominate a half like that, it’s huge.”

For Ruder, leadership means keeping a young roster steady in big moments.

“We only have three guys back from rotation last year,” he said. “A lot of our guys playing real minutes are sophomores. In an environment like this, it’s easy to hang your head when something goes wrong. Our job is to pick them up and remind them, ‘You’re here for a reason. We’ve got your back.’”

Saturday’s championship matchup will be against a fast, athletic opponent that stormed back to win earlier in the day.

“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Ruder said. “But the only way to be a good team is to beat a good team. Starting 3–0 would be huge for our momentum.”

Ding said the tournament has already thrown three very different styles at his team — and tomorrow will be no exception.

“In a tournament, you play so many different types of teams,” he said. “Tomorrow we’ve got to value the basketball, limit turnovers, get good shots, and just make things hard on them. At the end of the day, it’s our guys versus their guys — we’ve just got to play basketball.”

As the Indians prepare for the title game, both coach and senior captain feel a strong foundation forming.

“This team is special,” Ruder said. “Everybody’s bought in. Everyone’s ten toes in. When you have that, with the talent we have, we can go a long way.”

Ding agreed.

“I’m excited with our start,” he said. “The seniors are leading, the young guys are stepping up, and this first week has gone really well. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Hays dropped the championship final to Life Prep, 57-51.