WAHOO — A slow start was too much for the Wayne High boys basketball team to overcome.
Host Wahoo raced to a 15-point lead after one period and pulled away in the second half for a 66-39 win over Wayne in the C1-6 district final Monday night at Wahoo High School.
The Blue Devils simply couldn’t keep up with the Warriors and were playing catchup for most of the night.
Wayne was able to stay close after the initial run, but could never get the deficit down into single digits as they ended the season with a 21-6 record.
Jace Jorgensen and Colson Nelsen led the way for the Blue Devils with nine points apiece.
Caiden Backer added eight points, Gavin Redden put in seven and Drue Davis had six.
Wayne earned a trip to districts by winning two games in subdistrict play last week at Wayne High School.
On Tuesday, the Blue Devils struggled against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, but made some key plays down the stretch to post a 51-44 win over the Raiders.
LVSS led by eight at the half, but Wayne high rallied and clamped down on the upset-minded Raiders with a 14-2 fourth-quarter rally to give them the victory.
Three Blue Devils finished in double figures, led by Backer’s game-high 17 points. Nelsen added 13 and Davis put in 12, with Kaleb Moormeier adding four, Redden three and Jorgensen two.
Davis led the team in rebounds with seven. Jorgensen had four assists and Nelsen and Redden both had two steals.
The Blue Devils played a more complete game in Thursday’s subdistrict final, pulling away with a 59-37 win over West Point-Beemer.
The Blue Devils led from start to finish, building a nine-point lead at the half and using a big fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Nelsen hit five 3-pointers in the game and finished with a game-high 19 points. Davis added 18, Backer had nine, Jorgensen scored four, Laythn Hanish and Devin Anderson both had three, Redden put in two and Mason Ley added a free throw.
Davis and Redden shared rebounding honors with seven. Anderson and Moormeier both had five assists and Redden blocked two shots.
