With two seconds left in overtime and McLoud nursing a one-point lead against Bethany Friday night, the Redskins’ Coby Cardin was headed to the free-throw line.
But before he could get there, coach Tim Boyer grabbed him by the shoulder and said a few words into his ear.
Cardin, a junior, calmly swished both shots, hitting nothing by nylon, and the Redskins held off Bethany in the final two seconds, winning the district championship, 54-51.
So what did Boyer say in that brief exchange?
“I told him ‘you’re the hardest-working kid on this team. You’re going to make these free throws because you deserve to make them,” Boyer said after the game.
“You love when kids like that get a chance to shine because there are so many little things he does in a game that coaches recognize.
“Those were big free throws. It takes a lot of guts to get up on the line with two seconds left in a one-point game and knock them down. That was big time.”
The district championship was the second in a row or the Redskins, who had gone 16 years without one.
Now 14-9 on the season, they will host No. 15 Mannford at 8 p.m. Friday in the winners’ bracket of the regional finals.
In other playoff action in the area, Dale and Prague swept both ends of their district games and both will host their own regionals beginning Friday, due to weather adjustments.
Wellston boys won their Class A regional and will play No. 3 Vanoss Saturday at Kellyville with a berth in the state tournament on the line.
Davenport won its first regional game on Thursday, but fell to Tushka Saturday night in Byng.
Scores:
Class 4A Boys
McLoud 54, Bethany 51 (OT)
Blanchard 49,NRC 42
Class 4A Girls
Bethany 78, McLoud 23
Blanchard 66, NRC 43
Class 3A Boys
Prague 74, Lexington 48
Seq-Claremore 51, Chandler 20
Community Christian 67, Meeker 50
Class 3A Girls
Prague 38, Lexington 32
Seq-Claremore 49, Chandler 47
Community Christian 76, Meeker 14
Class 2A Boys
Cashion 85, Stroud 42
Dale 73, Colbert 39
Class 2A Girls
Dale 85, Colbert 44
Cashion 60, Stroud 36
Class A Boys
Wellston 67, Okarche 55
Wellston 51, Stuart 50
Davenport 72, Velma-Alma 63
Tushka 52, Davenport 45
Class A Girls
Okarche 76, Wellston 27
Summit Christian 60, Wellston 44