Olpe boys start slow, still defeat Argonia, 60-43
Ken Easthouse
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Olpe boys shrugged off a sluggish first half and went on to dominate Argonia, 60-43, in the Class 1A Sub-State championship game Saturday at White Auditorium.
Olpe led by just six points at the half, but used a 10-2 run to open the third quarter to put the game out of reach for the Raiders.
“Their quickness was getting to us,” Olpe coach Chris Schmidt said. “I told this senior bunch, ‘We don’t want to end it like this.’”
Olpe was coming off a 78-44 win over Chetopa the night before, and looked winded at times in the first half.
“We played a little tight,” Schmidt said. “Fatigue was a big thing.”
Argonia appeared to come out with more intensity than Olpe, which briefly caught Olpe off guard.
“They came out ready to go,” said sophomore Cole Krueger, who led the team with 14 points, “but I think we handled it.”
Leading the way for Olpe was Jordan Pargman, who ended the game with 11 points. Pargman had been struggling for most of this season, playing inconsistent at times.
“I’ve been in a slump for a while,” Pargman said. “It feels good to play like this.”
Even with Pargman’s help, Olpe struggled offensively. While normally utilizing a transition-based offense, Olpe was forced to grind it out against the Raiders.
“They were patient,” Schmidt said. “They did a good job slowing us down.”
Olpe’s defense made a difference in the game. The Eagles forced 19 turnovers against the slower-paced Raiders, which translated into significantly fewer shots. Argonia only made 11 field goals throughout the game.
The win puts Olpe into the State tournament for the second year in a row. The Eagles (24-1) will face Claflin (20-5) at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.
They hope to fare better than last year, when the Eagles bowed out in the first round.
“We’d like to stay longer than one game,” Pargman said with a laugh.
OLPE boys 60, ARGONIA 43
Olpe 13 13 14 20 — 60
Argonia 11 9 8 15 — 43
Olpe (24-1) — Krueger 14, Stueve 8, S. Pargman 10, Pettijohn 4, J. Pargman 11, Schmidt 5, Haag 2, Klumpe 4, Burenheide 2.
Argonia (20-5) — Henberger 2, Simon 13, Allen 3, Brewster 14, La. Greene 5, Pontious 4, Le. Greene 2.
Halftime — Olpe 26-20. Total fouls — Olpe 21, Argonia 15. Fouled out — None.