Two shots from Emporia High’s Taylor Euler Tuesday against Topeka High told the story — it was going to be that kind of a night for the Spartans.
Euler had two circus shots fall through the net during a 13-3 second-quarter run that gave the Spartans control of the game — and a few SportsCenter highlights to go with it — en route to a 73-67 victory over the Torjans.
“It’s too bad ESPN wasn’t here,” coach Rick Bloomquist said, “because Taylor would have been the No. 1 highlight.”
Midway through the second quarter, Euler drove the baseline and found himself in the middle of several big bodies with little room to move. He improvised, switching the ball from his left hand to his right and then tossing it high over the rim as Topeka High’s Ashton Patton came down hard on him. The ball swished through the net, and Euler sank the free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Spartans a 24-21 lead.
Then, with 1 1/2 minutes to go before halftime, Euler got caught underneath the basket again and jumped in the air to get free. But with no one to pass to, Euler — with his back to the basket — tossed the ball back over his head, and it too went in.
“I made the mistake of already jumping without even thinking,” Euler said. “I just threw it (the ball) behind my head. I thought it would probably hit nothing and I would get yelled at by coach. Then I heard Troy (Pierce) start screaming and the crowd went nuts.”
The second shot even drew Bloomquist’s approval.
“I taught Taylor that shot,” Bloomquist said with a laugh. “We’ve worked hours and hours and hours on that shot. I finally told him, ‘You can use that shot anytime you want.’ That is one of the fine moves I used to have, and I had to pass it on to somebody.
“I sure as (heck) didn’t want Cayd (Caydrick Bloomquist) to shoot it.”
By the time Euler was finished with his feats of athleticism, he and the rest of the Spartans had jumped out to a 37-24 lead at halftime. Emporia High shot 61 percent (14-of-23) from the field in the first half, and the Spartans (8-5, 3-4 Centennial League) remained in control for most of the rest of the way thanks to a game-high 25 points from Caydrick Bloomquist and 19 more from Euler.
“Tonight, what we saw was chemistry working at its finest on the defensive end and on the offensive end,” Rick Bloomquist said of his squad’s victory over the No. 7-ranked (Class 6A) Trojans. “Topeka High is obviously a quality team. We took what they gave us, and I’m proud of the way the kids responded to the challenges us coaches gave them.”
Topeka High (10-5, 6-2) actually closed to within three points with 1:18 left in the game on a jumper in the lane from Chris White-Ready, but ninth-ranked (Class 5A) Emporia closed out the game by going 8-for-10 from the free-throw line to seal the victory.
Emporia got big minutes from junior Brandon Childs, who came off the bench to score eight points and grab four rebounds in the most varsity action he has seen all season.
“I knew if I worked hard, I would get to stay in,” Childs said. “That’s all coach asks for, is energy out of me. If I do that, I’ll play.”
Centennial League
Tuesday at EHS
Topeka High 17 7 17 26 — 67
Emporia 17 20 18 18 — 73
TOPEKA HIGH (10-5, 6-2 Centennial League)
D. Hazlett 1-7 0-0 2, G. Juarez 1-6 0-0 2, J. Purtee 5-10 1-1 13, J. Griffiths 7-13 2-2 16, C. White-Ready 3-6 5-6 11, AJ Barber 1-3 0-0 2, A. Patton 6-8 3-4 17, L. Kelly 1-2 0-0 2, W. LaCrone 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 26-58 11-13 67.
EMPORIA (8-5, 3-4)
K. deBlonk 0-3 6-7 6, D. Cox 3-3 0-0 6, C. Bloomquist 8-16 4-4 25, T. Euler 7-13 2-3 19, T. Pierce 4-5 1-2 9, B. Childs 2-4 4-4 8. Totals 24-44 17-20 73.
3-point goals — TH 4-17 (Hazlett 0-2, Juarez 0-2, Purtee 2-6, White-Ready 0-1, Patton 2-4, Kelly 0-1, LaCrone 0-1), Emporia 8-17 (deBlonk 0-3, Bloomquist 5-9, Euler 3-5). Rebounds — TH 29 (Griffiths, White-Ready 7), Emporia 22 (Pierce 6). Assists — TH 5 (Hazlett, Purtee 2), Emporia 8 (deBlonk 5). Turnovers — TH 14, Emporia 15. Total fouls — TH 17, Emporia 13. Fouled out — None.