By LIONEL TIPTON

TOWANDA, Kansas – There might have been just one seed separating Circle and Winfield, but Tuesday night’s sub-state opener showed it to be a much wider gap.

The eighth-seeded Thunderbirds, facing the No. 9 Vikings for the third time this season, raced to an 11-0 lead and never looked back, cruising to an 86-66 triumph.

“We got up big and kind of played at our pace,” said senior Hunter Cowman, who was one of four T-Birds in double figures.

Senior Landon Boldra said, “Coach (Jordan Crawford) always preaches, ‘Step on the neck and squash the head.’ So, once we get up, we don’t let off.

“I think the problem is when we let up. We gave up a 16-point (lead) in the fourth quarter at Buhler (but still won in overtime). We know that if we let off the gas, it’s nothing good. So, we’ve just got to keep the throttle down and play hard.”

Circle (14-7) advances to its third straight sub-state final, but will have to beat the West’s top seed, Andale (18-3), on the road Friday to earn a Class 4A State Tournament berth, its second in as many years.

“They’re a big, physical team (but) it’s a winnable game if we show up and play,” Cowman said of Andale.

Crawford said, “We’ve got to knock off the No. 1 team in 4A West at their place. We’ve done that (kind of thing) in the last couple of weeks.”

After five straight victories – including a double-digit triumph at McPherson, the West’s No. 2 seed and last year’s 4A champion, the Thunderbirds’ confidence couldn’t be higher.

Winning at McPherson was huge for his team, Crawford said.

“That builds confidence,” he said. “So, when these games come up, we’re prepared for the moment.

“(Andale) started off the year with a couple of losses … then (won) 17 or 18 games. The respect is there – we know what Andale is about. We keep talking about ‘Respect All, Fear None’ … Let’s go play ball Friday and take care of business.

“I’m confident that we can go in (to Andale) right now and come out with a sub-state title.”

Winfield just had the unfortunate role of being on the receiving end of Circle’s onslaught Tuesday – especially with Circle getting off to the 11-0 start.

“We played at a quick start – we talked a lot about that,” Crawford said. “The ball was going in the hoop, and we were getting stops defensively. We built a lot of confidence early in this game, and I’m proud of the effort.”

Seniors Landon Boldra, Hunter Cowman and Keaton Koenigsman, who combined for 58 of the T-Birds’ 63 points last Friday against Mulvane, all finished in double figures against Winfield (11-10) in the final game on their home court.

“We knew it was ‘win or go home,’ so we played extra-hard,” Boldra said. “I wanted to end my career, and for the seniors, too; we wanted to win our last game in the ‘Bird Cage.’ We knew that if we lost, we were going to go home – and we didn’t want to go home.”

All three again finished in double figures – Boldra led with 23; Cowman with 16 and Koenigsman with 12 – but freshman Keenan Boldra also had a big game, hitting three three-pointers and finishing with 15 points.

Keenan Boldra, who stands just 5-foot-5, packs a mighty punch despite his diminutive size. He didn’t score until 1½ minutes into the second quarter, tossing up a floater in the lane that went for an and-one.

His big brother Landon helped ignite the 11-0 start, scoring six points in a span of 3:04. But he wasn’t the only one.

“He’s a very savvy player (and) has got a lot of heart, a lot of grit. It’s really special to see him get it with his brother while his brother is playing – some of the best basketball I’ve seen since I’ve been (at Circle),” Crawford said.

It is interesting to note that Landon Boldra, who now stands 6-0, was about as small as Keenan in his freshman year. So, it is scary to think what Keenan will be able to do once he gets a growth spurt.

He said his freshman season has been special by being able to play alongside his older brother in the Circle backcourt.

“It’s been awesome,” Keenan said. “It’s a dream come true, honestly, to be out there with my brother, my friends and family. We’ve dreamed about it our whole lives; we just talked about it all the time.”

The 11-0 opening run set the tone, he said.

“That was probably the most important couple minutes of the game,” Keenan said. “To get off to a fast start, and we just kept pulling away. They couldn’t catch up from there.”

Though not a starter yet, Keenan’s play is drawing great reviews from his teammates.

“Keenan’s great, man,” said Koenigsman, who will embark on a career as an electrician after graduation. “I love seeing him shoot the ball. It’s fun.”

As for Landon Boldra, he said this season of playing alongside Keenan is the stuff of memories.

“It’s definitely something I’ll be able to tell as I get old,” he said. “I’ve never gotten to play with my brother (on a team), and it’s definitely very special.”

In much the same way as Landon, Trevor Cowman suddenly shot up to 6-3 and had a remarkable senior season two years ago. Hunter, a sophomore, was plagued by a foot injury, or there might have been another T-Bird “brother act.”

Tuesday, Hunter Cowman took feeds down low and converted three layups, and junior guard Easton Smith added five points as Circle led after one quarter, 19-9. All of Winfield’s first-quarter points came in the final 4:42 of the quarter.

The layups have become a staple in Cowman’s game, and many of his 22 points last Friday against Mulvane also came off field goals low in the post.

“Me and Landon just have that chemistry where that back-door pass has been there the past few games,” Cowman said. “It’s been wide-open.”

He also set the tone defensively, blocking Winfield’s first shot of the game and igniting a Circle fast break.

Each team had won on its home floor this season, with Circle taking a 14-point victory in December and Winfield winning by 10 in the rematch.

This time, Circle was determined not to leave anything to chance – especially with a potential State tournament slot on the line.

Having such an easy victory in their final home game will be an enduring memory for the three seniors. And having a state spot within reach only adds to the importance.

“It feels like we’re playing for something now,” said Koenigsman, who scored Circle’s first basket and hit key field goals throughout. “We’ve just been firing on all cylinders recently; our game plans have gone really well. Everybody’s clicking … the bench is helping.”

Winfield’s chief offensive weapon was 6- 5 senior Christian Moree, who concluded his stellar career at the school with a team-high 22 points, including two three-pointers. Moree’s graduation will end his family’s contributions to the Vikings. His sister, Aleah, was a star post player for Winfield’s girls a few years ago.

Circle’s Smith gave up 8 inches to Moree but still gave a gritty effort on defense, as did fellow junior guard Dom Sawyer.

“His effort is phenomenal,” Crawford said of Smith. “He’s our best defensive player – he’s accepted that role He said on that bench for a couple of years and saw Nick Ahles do it for a couple of years.

“If you look at the last couple of weeks against some of the ‘4s’ and ‘5s’ he’s guarded … he’s what we call a ‘dog’ on defense.”

Crawford praised his underclassmen, including juniors Sawyer, Clay Gilbertson and Jaxon Jordan.

“I thought those guys, for the role we need from them … collectively, their defense was good; collectively, they were winning ’50-50 balls’ and putting in max effort,” Crawford said. “It looked like (Tuesday night) that they understood what we need from them on any individual given night.”

After one quarter, the T-Birds led by 10 and by 11 at halftime. In the second half, Circle never took its foot off the throttle, putting up 47 points and sealing the Friday date with Andale, a 57-33 victor over 16th-seeded El Dorado.

Landon Boldra – the only one of the three Circle seniors who is planning to play basketball in college – put on a remarkable showcase, blending three-pointers with drives inside and short fallaway jumpers. Of particular note is a three-pointer almost at midcourt to close the third quarter, boosting the Circle lead to 66-42.

Boldra had tried one from about the same distance at the end of the first half and missed. However, Winfield’s Drew Graham fouled him with 1.3 seconds left in the half. Boldra hit all three free throws, and Circle took a 39-27 lead into the locker room.

Andale and Circle have a recent history – especially on the girls side in postseason play. All too often, Circle has brought talented girls teams in, only to be deprived of the state tournament by the Indians – sometimes on the Thunderbirds’ home court.

So, in addition to trying to snag a spot in the 4A tournament, the T-Birds will try to do so facing a school that has been a constant thorn to its girls team.

Adjustments have had to be made as well. After playing all season with KSHSAA’s new shot clock, all postseason games are being played without one.

“If you’re playing controlled-pace basketball with the shot clock, there’s no reason you can’t do that and then some when you don’t have a shot clock,” Crawford said. “I thought we handled that extremely well. I thought we still dictated pace. I thought we had good possessions.

“I think the biggest fear for a coach is you slow it down too much, and you get out of your rhythm.”

Appearing in their third straight sub-state final is nice, Crawford said, but he said he wants more.

“We’re very proud of that, but we’re not satisfied,” he said. “Thirty-two minutes of great ball, and we’re sitting in Salina (the 4A State site). We’re playing very cohesive basketball, team-oriented on offense and defense, and it’s really special to watch.”

The Circle girls will begin 4A sub-state play Wednesday night at Pratt holding the 10th seed. Should the Thunderbirds (9-11) oust the seventh-seeded Greenbacks (11-9), a likely matchup with second-seeded Buhler (16-4) would stand in the way of a state-tournament spot.

Circle boys 86, Winfield 66

Winfield 9 18 15 24 – 66

Circle 19 20 27 20 – 86

WINFIELD – Hutto 4 (2) 2-4 12, Graham 2 3-4 7, Tagg 3 (2) 0-0 8, Gilliland 1 (1) 0-0 3, Gibson 6 (2) 0-0 14, Moree 7 (2) 6-7 22. Totals 23 (9) 11-15 66.

CIRCLE – Smith 3 (2) 0-0 8, Gilbertson 1 4-7 6, Jordan 2 0-0 4, Cowman 8 0-0 16, Sigg 1 0-0 2, K. Boldra 5 (3) 2-3 15, L. Boldra 6 (2) 9-9 23, Koenigsman 5 2-2 12. Totals 31 (7) 17-21 86.