Top 50 Team Countdown (8): Johnson-Brock boys basketball

(KMAland) -- The KMA Sports Top 50 Team Countdown is down to nothing but state champions, beginning with the Johnson-Brock boys basketball team.

The Eagles opened the year with an interstate win over Sidney, then suffered a 2-point loss to Palmyra. They responded by winning five straight and nine of their next 10. They sat at 9-3 when Coach Lucus Dalinghaus talked with KMA Sports on January 12th.

“We’re having a pretty good season,” Coach Dalinghaus told KMA Sports. “We fell to Tri County late in that game, but for us it’s about being consistent offensively. Defensively, we’ve been able to bring it quite a few games. We feel, for the most part, pretty good about our defense here and there, but offensively, we just need to become more consistent in getting the ball to go through the hoop.”

The defense has kept the Eagles in every game, as they dropped a two-point game at Palmyra on December 6th and fell by seven to Parkview Christian in the championship of the Weeping Water Holiday Tournament on December 30th.

“These kids love to play basketball,” Dalinghaus said of his team. “They’ve been playing together for quite a while. They’re gym rats. For some of them, this is their first experience at a high level of varsity basketball, but they’ve played a lot of ball.”

The Eagles compiled a 19-4 regular-season record, taking first in the Pioneer Conference.

They opened the postseason with a win over Humboldt-TRS and followed with district wins over Pawnee City and Sandy Creek to reach the state tournament for the second time in four years.

"We had to learn how to close out games," Dalinghaus said. "Each of those four losses led us to where we're at today."

Johnson-Brock opened the Class D1 State Tournament with a 56-26 rout of Howells-Dodge.

“Our defense really stepped up,” Dalinghaus said. “It’s been stepping up all year. Our defense really turned into offense and when that happened, we started rolling. We had guys hit key shots in key moments and that was big for us.”

Freshman guard Brody Koehler led all scorers with 13 points.

“My teammates were driving and kicking and it was working,” Koehler said. “They were giving me the driving lane [in the second half].”

Koehler was one of several J-B players that were a double-digit threat on any given night. Camden Dalinghaus, Nic Parriott, Sloan Pelican, Casen Dalinghaus and Lucas Behrends also contributed to the Eagles' offense.

"We're so balanced," Coach Dalinghaus said. "Our starting five have picked up the slack at different times. We don't have any superstars. We just have a lot of guys that like to play together and want to win."

Johnson-Brock reached the state title game by fending off Maywood-Hayes Center, 48-40, in the semifinals.

"They're just gritty kids," Dalinghaus said. "We've been in this situation in the past and not closed it out. It was bend but not break. The kids battled. That's all I could ask out of them."

A day later, the Eagles were champions for the second time in five years. They started fast and never looked back, holding off North Platte, St. Patrick's for a 46-40 win.

"The kids bought in," Coach Dalinghaus said. "They never faltered. We worked hard. On the first day of practice, we talked about hoisting the big trophy. We believed we could do it. This is what hard work will get you. I'm glad to see it pay off for these boys."

"It's satisfying," Pelican said. "You don't think about it at the time, but I'm thankful for the moments that gave us chances to get better. It led us to a state championship."

The state title puts the 2023 Johnson-Brock squad in elite company, joining the 1997, 1998 and 2019 teams as state champions from the school.