by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It is sub-state tournament week in Kansas and it is the definitive time for high school basketball teams. The winners of a sub-state head to state. The losers start preparing for the spring season.

Here is an update of those Sumner County sub-state teams and the week ahead.

Class 4A boys – Clearwater sub-state  

Click to enlarge. (Clearwater defeated Winfield in the play-in game).

Wellington boys: The Crusaders are traveling to Rose Hill tonight at 7 p.m. The two teams played each other in December when Rose Hill eked out a 70-66 win over Wellington at home. The second Wellington-Rose Hill matchup was canceled due to the sub-zero snowstorm two weeks ago.

Rose Hill has been red hot in February winners of seven straight. That streak helped elevate the Rockets to an Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV championship last Thursday when it beat Wichita Collegiate 57-54. On the other hand, Wellington subsequently has been struggling and is currently on a six-game losing streak.

Still, Wellington head coach Joe Newman likes the team’s chances.

“We match up well with Rose Hill,” Newman said. “For whatever reason, we have not been shooting the ball well. We have the ability to knock down shots. It is just going out there and doing it.”

Sub-state outlook: Newman calls the sub-state a glorified league tournament and looks forward to the return of the 18-team seeding tournament of the past two years. Clearwater travels to Mulvane in the other game. This tournament is wide open but Mulvane and Rose Hill probably are the odds-on favorite to meet in the finals.

Class 4A girls – Clearwater sub-state

Winfield defeated Mulvane in the play-in game. (Click to enlarge).

Wellington girls: The Crusaders will be hosting Rose Hill Wednesday evening in a battle between two league teams that never saw one another during the regular season, but have had plenty of post-season history.  During Wellington’s three-year state tournament run, the Crusaders had to go through Rose Hill twice, and the Rockets upset the Crusaders in 2014 in the sub-state championship.

Wellington is currently on a four-game winning streak and has won 5-of-6 since the McPherson Tournament. The Crusaders have defeated Mulvane, Conway Springs, Wichita Collegiate and Clearwater over the past 10 days.

Wellington head coach Eric Adams said Rose Hill may be the most physical team the Crusaders will see all year. The key is to not let the Rockets get into their heads.

Sub-state outlook: Much like the boys, this sub-state is wide open. Adams said any four teams could end up in state. One could argue the Wellington-Rose Hill could be for the sub-state championship. Clearwater lost their star player to an ACL knee injury about a month ago. Winfield defeated Mulvane by just one point in the Saturday play-in game. But even if Wellington gets past Rose Hill on Wednesday, both Winfield or Clearwater have problematic match-up issues for Wellington.

Class 2A boys – Garden Plain sub-state

Belle Plaine, Conway Springs boys: Well, we are through the first round and already there has been one upset (or maybe).

No. 8 seed Garden Plain eliminated top-seed Sedan 53-40. On paper, it looks like a mammoth upset. But let’s remember Conway Springs has been playing in the Central Plains League against the likes of Cheney and Belle Plaine. Sedan is a member of the South-Central Border League which is very good but is Class 1A ball.

Belle Plaine also got off to a good start, with senior Eli Wiseman scoring 44 points as Belle Plaine routed Wichita Independent 84-58.

Sub-state outlook: The Dragons will be battling West Elk Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. The Cardinals will be playing host to Garden Plain. Belle Plaine should beat West Elk but Garden Plain appears to have the edge with Conway Springs. The Owls beat the Cardinals in the regular season 42-33.

Class 2A girls – Garden Plain sub-state

Click to enlarge.

Belle Plaine, Conway Springs girls: Belle Plaine girls travel to West Elk tonight. The opportunity presents itself for Belle Plaine as West Elk has lost one of its key players. Conway Springs has its work cut out for it when it travels to Garden Plain tonight.

Class 1A-Div. I boys –  Norwich sub-state

Caldwell boys: The Bluejays were eliminated on Friday night to Pratt Skyline 58-46. Caldwell ends its season at 7-6.

Class 1A-Div. I girls –  Norwich sub-state

Caldwell girls: The Bluejays were eliminated by Norwich 46-12 last Thursday. Caldwell ends its season at 0-14.

Class 1A-Div. 1 boys – Flinthills sub-state

Click to enlarge.

Oxford boys: Oxford played a heck of a game last Saturday when it defeated Oswego 62-52 in the first round.  Peyton Rush would score 17 while Kyan Morris had 16 in the big win. It had been five years since Oxford boys got a post-season win. Oxford would outscore Oswego 21-8 in the fourth quarter to pick up the win.

Sub-state outlook: Oxford is battling 14-3 Wichita Classical School. The only common opponent the two schools have is Argonia. Classical won that one last week 60-21. If Oxford pulls off the upset, the Wildcats could be looking at their first state tournament berth since 1952 as Central-Burden and Flinthills are both beatable on the other side of the bracket.

Class 1A-Div. 1 girls – Flinthills sub-state

Click to enlarge.

Oxford girls: The Lady Wildcats also pulled off a big win and ended a long post-season drought when it defeated Wichita Classical School 28-12. Oxford will now play Udall on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Could be a good one. Udall beat Oxford 29-28 in December.

Class 1A- Div. II boys – Attica sub-state

Click to enlarge.

South Haven, Argonia boys: South Haven easily defeated South Barber 64-41 Friday evening. Now it will meet Hutchinson Central Christian that eliminated Argonia 57-20. This could be a barn burner. HCC defeated Caldwell by eight points a couple weeks ago. South Haven is 7-1 in February with a double-overtime 50-46 loss to Sedan.

Click to enlarge.

Argonia, South Haven girls: In what is probably the most competitive sub-state top to bottom, Argonia advanced but South Haven was eliminated. Argonia at 10-4 will play Hutchenson Central Christian with a 12-4 record. Argonia beat South Barber 48-34 in the first round. South Haven was eliminated on the other side of the bracket losing to Attica Thursday 52-47.