Entering Wednesday’s district semifinal game, the fourth-seeded Harrisburg boys knew they had to contain Langden Kitchen to have a chance at beating state-ranked Westran. The Bulldogs held the 6’7 senior to just six points while unceremoniously dispatching the top-seeded Hornets from the postseason, 60-39, before a raucous crowd in New Franklin.

Harrisburg will now take on second-seeded Salisbury in the district championship on Friday night. The winner will move on to face the District 8 champion in the state sectionals in Jefferson City on Monday, February 27.

Harrisburg coach Kyle Fisher said his team considers the regular season practice for the real season, which starts with the district tournament, and credits the demanding schedule for preparing the Bulldogs for postseason play.

“Our kids were tremendous tonight. That’s why we play the schedule we play all year long,” Fisher said. “That’s why we play those Class 4 and Class 5 teams to prepare us for big games like this. Playing Westran… that’s like going against a Class 4 or a Class 5 team, as far as the physicality.”

Fisher said Wednesday’s semifinal against Westran was the best his team has played all season. The two teams faced each other 12 days prior in the regular season, with Westran winning the battle at home 46-43.

“We had a lot of things that were fresh in our minds,” Fisher said. “We had some adjustments that we tried to make. The big thing is that our guys are not scared of the moment. We had a little lull there at the end of the year. I’m hoping the lull was because we were ready for the real season to start. The real season is here, and we’re playing our best basketball.”

After a minute of feeling out one another, Harrisburg struck first on Wednesday with layups by senior Braden Wyatt and junior Hayven Samuels to take a 4-0 lead. But Westran found its footing and rattled off 10 straight points. The run kicked off with a pair of free throws by Kitchen. Little did anyone suspect, but those would be the only points he would score in the first half.

“He’s a tremendous player,” said Fisher about Langden Kitchen. “If he gets a shot up, he’s probably going to score. Our whole game plan was trying to keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible, and if he does catch it, try to get it out of his hands before he gets it up. I think he missed a few tonight that he normally makes. We got lucky in that respect.”

Not only did the dominant Westran senior struggle under the basket, but he also racked up three fouls in the first 12 minutes of the game. That meant he sat out for significant minutes while Harrisburg was piling up the points.

After falling behind 12-11 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs outscored Westran 17-9 in the second period to take a 28-21 lead into halftime.

Westran scored first in the opening half minute of the second quarter, but Harrisburg responded with seven straight points, sparked by a 3-pointer by Samuels to tie the game at 14-14. Sophomore Trace Combs then made two quick buckets in the next 40 seconds to put Harrisburg in the lead by four. The lead would hold through the rest of the game as the Bulldogs would go on to outscore the Hornets 10-6 over the final five minutes of the first half.

“I felt our guys really rose to the occasion tonight, especially after the first quarter,” said Fisher. “We were a little hesitant early on. We were settling for too many jumpers. Once we started going to the hole, we got into a rhythm, and shots started falling.”

Harrisburg continued to pull away in the third quarter. Senior Braydon Ott opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers, then hit another shot from the arc halfway through the third quarter to put Harrisburg in front by double digits.

Kitchen was whistled for his fourth foul of the night midway through the third quarter, and Harrisburg seized the opportunity.

When the two teams last played on February 10, Kitchen also found himself in foul trouble. Fisher said his team let up a little bit when he left the floor, and that cost them the game. But in Wednesday’s rematch, the Bulldogs kept up the pressure.

“Obviously, if you can get the best player on the other team in foul trouble, that’s going to be to your advantage,” Fisher said. “We were able to do that tonight. We did that in the last game against him, too, but the other guys stepped up and made plays. I thought last time we relaxed a little bit when he got into foul trouble. But tonight, we kept the hammer down. I thought we did a good job of staying aggressive once he got into foul trouble.”

Heading into the final quarter, Harrisburg held a 45-21 lead. The deficit widened when Samuels opened the final stanza with a 3-pointer that was followed by a layup and a two-handed slam by Combs. The Bulldogs finished the game by outscoring Westran 15-10 in the fourth quarter. Ott converted all four free-throw chances, and Samuels sank both of his shots from the line in the final two minutes to ice the win.

The Harrisburg defense doubled down on Kitchen all night. When the senior fouled out of the game with 2:09 on the clock, he had scored just six points, well below his per-game average of 23 points this season. Fisher credits junior Hunter Cole and senior Austin Darwent for holding one of the most dominant players in mid-Missouri to a half dozen points. “They had him for the most part. They’ll be the first ones to tell you they had a lot of help from the other four guys on the floor. Our guys did a tremendous job of battling and keeping it out of his hands.”

Kitchen wasn’t the only player hampered by mounting foul totals. Three other players racked up four fouls each over 32 combative minutes. Combs was called for his fourth foul of the game less than halfway through the final quarter. And Hunter Cole racked up two fouls in the first minute of the game before finishing with four. For Westran, senior Ashden Dale was whistled four times.

Dale led Westran with 12 points as the only Hornet in double-figures. He sank two 3-pointers in the second half and finished 4-for-4 from the line. Sophomore Marshall Kitchen finished with eight points off the bench, followed by junior Blake Williams with seven.

The Hornets conclude the season with an overall record of 22-5.

Leading the way for Harrisburg was sharpshooter Braydon Ott with a game-high 18 points. He made four 3-point shots and finished 4-for-4 from the line. Samuels was also perfect from the charity stripe, sinking all four free throws and adding 3-pointers to post 14 points total. Braden Wyatt finished with 11 points.

Combs added eight points, and Cole posted five to round out the Harrisburg starting five. Junior Wyatt Lind came off the bench with four points, all in the second quarter. In all, Harrisburg played eight of its 15 players on Wednesday.

“The guys who came off the bench tonight did a great job,” Fisher said. “Wyatt Lind was huge. Austin Darwent was huge throughout the whole game battling the Kitchens. That’s why you develop a bench. That’s why you mix and match guys all year in case you need them in a big game like this.”

Harrisburg finished nearly perfect from the free-throw line with 10 makes on 11 attempts. The Hornets were 10-for-14 from the line.

While Wednesday’s win over No. 10-ranked Westran was undoubtedly the most exciting game of the season for Harrisburg, the Bulldogs must regroup and focus on the task ahead. Second-seeded Salisbury currently holds the No. 5 ranking in boys’ Class 2 teams in the latest poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on February 21. On Wednesday, the Panthers defeated third-seeded and eighth-ranked New Franklin 63-50 in the district semifinals to advance to the championship game.

Salisbury (24-3) is playing for their third-straight district title. The Panthers have beaten Harrisburg in the last five meetings dating back to February 2021. Most recently, they defeated the Bulldogs 64-51 on February 14.

“We know Salisbury really well since we played them last week and how from the many times we’ve played each other over the years,” Fisher said. “We’re going to have our hands full, but we are excited to get to play.”

Friday’s title game tips off at 6 p.m. at New Franklin High School.