BY CHARLES CHANEY
AUGUSTA, Kan. — Landon Boldra scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the surging Circle Thunderbirds swept rival Augusta, 63-53, on Tuesday night.
Boldra and the Thunderbirds just played their third game in five days amidst a tragic in the community and have tried to be the beacon of light during a tough time.
“The loss of the young girl,” Boldra said. “It has really brought our team together. It’s always been a brotherhood but it’s even more now. We’re so bonded together. We’re finding all ways to win and to do it for him, his family and our community. It means so much more to us now.”
Circle assistant coach Braden Kirpatrick’s daughter passed away in a car accident on Feb. 17 on Highway 254. Since then, Circle boys have rolled off three consecutive wins and are making sure coach Kilpatrick and his family are always on their mind.
“It’s just the adrenaline with this tragedy that’s happened to us,” Boldra said. “We just want it more now.”
Augusta showed how strong the Butler County community is as everyone in the gym wore purple in support and had a moment of silence in memory. Even in El Dorado, they wore t-shirts to support the Kilpatrick’s and Circle.
“He’s my best friend, my brother, ” Circle head coach said of Kilpatrick. “All I can do is be there for them, support them. Stay constant, not just today, not just tomorrow, not just next week but forever.”
Credit Circle for being able to control their emotions and get the job done. Even after they blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead against Buhler on Friday, it was Boldra who was able to hit a big shot to send it into overtime and eventually score the game winner. He was also instrumental in Circle getting their first ever win at McPherson on Monday night. Even when the Bullpups pushed back into the game, cutting it down to single digits, Circle found a way, dug deep, and won by double digits.
That brotherhood Boldra speaks about, you can feel it radiating from the locker room and onto the court.
Coach Crawford credits that brotherhood.
“The guys have handled it outstanding,” he said. “Those snow days… I don’t know if it was a gift or a curse, but when something like that happens. You got snow days, so you’re sitting at home constantly thinking about this. This is this just a week ago and that was followed up by, okay, no school because of President’s Day. Then you have snow days Tuesday and Wednesday. It felt like this this week-plus has felt like a month because there’s been so many emotions, so many roller coasters, so many highs and lows, but I’m telling you, the power of team, yeah, the power of camaraderie, the power of brotherhood.”
Circle (12-7) never really wavered against Augusta. From the moment they tipped, the Thunder birds appeared in control of the game. They trailed for only 45 seconds in the game—all in the first quarter.
After a Keenan Boldra three with three seconds to go in the first quarter, the Thunderbirds would never trail again. Their ability to get second chance points and be efficient at the line drove to be the difference on Tuesday night.
“Coach [Crawford] in practice has been having us run drills, to get us tired,” Boldra said. “Then we go through shooting drills to try and simulate how it feels in a game.”
Free throws in year’s past have been an Achille’s heel for Circle. This year, they’ve been an advantage. They were 18 of 20 against McPherson and just as efficient in the win over Buhler. They were 13 of 14 as a team on Tuesday night.
“Our rotation isn’t very deep this year,” Crawford said. “Guys have to make plays while playing 30-plus minutes.”
Not very deep but talented. Hunter Cowman giving shades of his older brother, Trevor, with his ability to either attack the rim or step out and hit three or you have Keaton Koenigsman, a 4-year player for the Thunderbirds, doing anything everything he’s asked. Easton Smith looking like Tyler Herro 3-point shot, hitting some big ones with they need it or playing man-up defense against team’s top scorers.
While Circle has always been decent at basketball, Crawford and this senior class, who were heralded coming into high school, have moved the notch up for the Thunderbirds. They now take winning and it’s their expectation.
Then Boldra, just a kid a few years ago that hit big shots in mid-season tournaments now taking his game to another level when needed. While he was being face guarded for much of the first three quarters, he deferred to his team and let them do the work. While early on Augusta was happy with Boldra not getting his points, others were able to take over the load.
Boldra, then did went to work in the fourth. He scored three consecutive buckets early in the fourth quarter, helping Circle maintain their distance from Augusta. Then, when the Orioles went into foul mode, he was nothing but net, going 9 of 10 at the line in the second half.
Augusta got within four with 2:34 remaining in the fourth but Koenigsman hit a big 3-pointer to push it up to eight once again, icing the game for Circle.
“We talk about the runs, we talk about the late game leads, and really what it comes down to is there’s we have to play with a sense of calmness about us, a sense of confidence,” Crawford said. “We have to understand that I’ve talked a lot about how life is bigger than basketball. Your life isn’t defined by the wins or losses, and there’s worse things in the world.”
Boldra led all with 21 points and Koenigsman had 14 as well. Cowman had 12 points, nine in the first half. Smith made three 3s for Circle.
Augusta (10-9) was led by freshman Beckham Stoops, who finished with 18 points on the night.
For Circle, they now will host at least one home game in the playoffs. They’re currently the eighth seed and tied with Concordia for seventh, who has them on point differential. A win over Mulvane on Thursday and a Concordia loss would move them as high as seventh, which would put them in a sub-state with McPherson.
“This is when you want your teams playing the best basketball,” Crawford said. “We say it from Day 1, late February, early March, we need to, we need to max our ceiling.”
Boldra is confident the Thunderbirds will be a difficult out for anyone.
“Our brotherhood is really at its peak right now,” he said. “We’re reaching our goal of playing our best basketball at the end of the season.”
Circle 63, Augusta 53
Circle 16 14 10 23 – 63
Augusta 14 8 13 18 – 53
CIRCLE 63: Smith 0 (3) 0-0 – 9; Jordan 2 0-0 – 4; Cowman 2 (1) 2-2 – 12; K. Boldra 0 (1) 0-0 – 3; L. Boldra 6 9-10 – 21; Koenigsman 3 (2) 2-2 – 14. TOTALS: 13-21 8-28 13-14 – 63.
AUGUSTA 53: Haskell 3 (1) 0-0 – 9; Sullivan 0 (2) 0-0 – 6; Roberts 1 (2) 1-2 – 9; Stoops 4 (2) 4-4 – 18; Chappell 2 1-2 – 5; Raslton 3 0-1 – 6. TOTALS: 13-26 7-24 6-9 – 53.
