BY CHARLES CHANEY

AUGUSTA, Kansas — The last couple of seasons, the Orioles’ boys basketball team has lacked confidence on the court.

So far, the 2024-25 season is different.

The Augusta boys hit 3s, drove to the rim with confidence and attacked a much improved Winfield team on the final day of the first semester schedule, beating the Vikings, 64-55. It was done behind two impressive performances from the super duo of Brody Haskell and Beckham Stoops.

“We got hit with that punch [in the third quarter] but they responded,” Augusta head coach Ryan Petty said. “They were very confidence when they shot the ball. Once again, our guys are just relentless and they’re going to keep at it.”

Stoops credited the coaches.

“Coaches emphasized confidence with us this year,” Stoops said. “This year, we have a lot of basketball players and not just athletes. Having people dedicated to basketball and it’s just the passion and energy we bring on the court that puts us over.”

This Augusta team provides the swagger and confidence when they walk on the court, they’re going to win. Takes you back to the Zach Davidson, Jaren Jackson days when they could erupt for 70-80 points in a regulation game. With the shot clock, they’re playing a higher tempo game now.

The two combined for 44 points just a few days after they went for 25 in a win over Mulvane.

“There’s not a bad shot for those two, with Brody and B[eckham]. Any time that they get a shot, we feel really good about it.”

For Haskell, he’s now a leader on the Augusta squad and as the two have worked to be a ying and yang of one another, Haskell adds another feather in his cap of Augusta legacy. He shoots down any legacy, saying he hasn’t won anything so it doesn’t matter. He’s all about leading his squad first and foremost.

“I’ve always been kind of the youngest guy on the team,” he said. “Knowing that I’m one of the older, most experienced guys and seeing I want to lead those guys. I want to show them the right way to play this.”

First, they had to withstand Christian Moree and Co. The Vikings are one of the most improved teams in Kansas, let alone 4A. They had already matched last year’s win total heading into the contest but Augusta defense and offensive prowess were just too much. While Winfield ended up getting some second chance points, it was Augusta speed that caused Winfield issues.

It was the defense’s ability to not gamble that ended up being the differences. The Orioles aren’t really deep and lack some veteran experience, their ability to not go for a silly reach across the body and make their defensive decisions to be intentional instead of reactionary was the difference in the win.

“We talked about that in the third quarter,” Petty said. “We had to get out on the shooters a little bit and if we get a hand up, it discourages the shot a little bit. Even that hand can lead to turnovers as well.”

After Winfield had pushed back into the game with a big third quarter where they started out the frame hitting three of their first four shots and then had a couple of stretches where they hit two, three in a row. While Moree was getting his points, it was Haskell who took on the responsibility to help guard him in the fourth quarter.

Haskell held him to zero points in the fourth.

“Coming in, we didn’t know who was going to guard him,” Petty said. “We talked about it as a staff and we threw out some names and then just during the game, Brody took it upon himself and said ‘I’m guarding this dude’ and he guarded him well.

“He took a charge in the fourth and just hit him and then him and Beckham took over the game. It’s almost like we’re not going to lose this game. “

“I took advantage of [attention to Stoops],” Haskell said. “The game just came to me and it was my time to make plays. I’ve been in these situations before.”

Augusta led 32-19 at half but Winfield pushed. Then, the Augusta defense clamped in the fourth quarter with the Vikings only shooting 3 for 13 in the final frame and the Orioles were able to push the game back out to comfortable levels, including Haskell hitting the game-sealing 3-pointer late in the fourth.

The way Augusta closed out the game showed they have a chip on their shoulder they’re not going to let anyone take from them.

“Everyone knows we’re young and inexperienced,” Haskell said. “We like proving people wrong and it’s shown people think we’re not going to be very good and we’ve surprised a lot of people.”

For Stoops, he’s just finding it out. He’s scored 11, 22, 9 and now a career high of 25. The added attention is something he revels in. That’s the confidence you want in a sharp-shooter on your squad. While he’s undersized at the varsity level but has plenty of time to grow and you see his confidence growing every game.

“I’m just focused on my team,” Stoops said. “I get that people are probably talking about me right now, but I’m just trying to block it all out and just play my game and just do what I can to help my team win.”

16 first half points can do that.

“I’ve just been waiting because I’ve started very slow,” he said. “In my heart, I know I can knock down shots. I’ve been waiting for is to make that first one and then it’s just rolling on from there.

“When I get rolling, I don’t normally miss.”

The Orioles finished the game outscoring Winfield (2-3), holding them to only 1 of 8 final shots, including their final four of the game. They forced three of their four turnovers in the fourth as well, all while everyone was hitting 3s and being aggressive.

Now, the Orioles will have a couple of weeks off before they welcome in the defending champions, McPherson on Jan. 7.

“So we just got to get prepared for them. I mean, like, that’s a good team. I mean, they’re young this year, so like, we mean, like, “We we know in our hearts that we have a chance. Thank you. So we just got to get prepared and keep this energy that we have right now over break. What’s

“We know we have a chance, we’re both young teams,” Stoops said.

Augusta 64, Winfield 55

Winfield 11 8 26 10 – 55
Augusta 15 17 19 13 – 64

WINFIELD (2-3) 55:

Hutto 3 (1) 2-2 – 11; Hoyt 1 (3) 0-0 – 11; Graham 3 (1) 0-2 – 9; Gibson 0 (1) 0-0 – 3; Moree 5 (1) 3-4 – 18. TOTALS: 13 (8) 5-8 – 55.

AUGUSTA (4-0) 64:

Haskell 4 (3) 2-2 – 19; Sullivan 0 (1) 1-1 – 4; Roberts 2 (1) 0-0 – 7; stoops 2 (6) 3-3 – 25; Chappell 1 1-1 – 3; Martin 2 0-0 2; Ralston 1 0-0 – 2.