25-0 always has a good ring to it. Now, as state championships, head coach Kurt Kinnamon is adding his seventh state championship ring to his trophy case.
The McPherson Bullpups would have to get through the then 22-2 defending champion Hugoton Eagles.
Down 11 points with less than four minutes to go, the Bullpups were able to put together a crazy comeback to force overtime, ultimately winning 65-59.
“That was the best high school basketball game I have been a part of,” Kinnamon said. “Both teams left all they had on the floor, and it was worth the price of admission.”
“It was crazy, but our guys were tough, and I knew that we could get the job done,” junior Gabe Pyle said. “We powered through the comeback and got the win, and it was amazing.”
Pyle continues the family tradition of championship rings after this win.
“At the beginning of the season, it was never our main goal,” Pyle said. “Our main goal was to win state, and being undefeated was just the cherry on top of an amazing season.”
The junior all-league co-MVP Pyle went on to score 17 points on 5-10 shooting and added seven rebounds for the Bullpups.
The rest of McPherson’s all-league first-team trio, Kyden Thompson and Cory Muehler, added 13 points and 19 points, respectively.
The Bullpups will lose five seniors but return Pyle and a few other key players as they look to bring championship number eight to coach Kinnamon’s regime.
