C1S1: Risco rolls over Richland for third time this season, and third Sectional crown

GIDEON – The number three was of significance for the Risco High School varsity boy’s basketball team.

For the third time this season, the Tigers got past Richland (Essex) for a double-digit victory on Monday, which in turn, gave the program its third MSHSAA Class 1 Sectional championship.

Risco rode a fast start to a 74-59 victory at Gideon High School.

“We knew that we wanted to try and get up and down the floor,” veteran Tiger coach Brandon Blankenship said following the win. “Richland tends to play a little more controlled.”

The victory was the 27th in 29 outings for the Tigers, which tops all of the previous Risco squads, which have won six District titles under Blankenship since 2010.

“It’s our love for each other,” Tiger senior guard Sammy Smith said of his team’s success. “We are one cohesive group.”

It was Smith who did the most damage to the Rebels, as he does to most opponents.

He opened the game by scoring 11 of his game-high 28 points in the first eight minutes, as the Tigers jumped out to a 17-10 lead in the opening period.

“Risco plays hard all of the time,” veteran Rebel coach Matt Cline said afterward. “They are talented ballplayers, They are talented ballplayers who have improved a ton over the last year, and they were a pretty dad-gum good team last year.”

A year ago, it was Richland (Essex) who was celebrating a 74-62 win over the Tigers, as Cline’s kids beat Risco in the C1D2 championship game. However, the Tigers played steady basketball at both ends throughout Monday’s contest, despite some Rebel uprisings.

Richland (Essex) (17-12) trailed early in the second quarter but fought back and cut its deficit to 22-20 midway through the period. However, Risco responded by closing out the quarter on a 14-3 run and led 36-23 at the intermission.

“We felt like if the game were in the 70s or 80s,” Blankenship explained, “if we could even push it that far, that would benefit us.”

Another “benefit” for Risco was its ability to rebound against the Rebels, who have some strength and size inside in seniors Tucker Hughes and Eric Williams.

“We knew that we had to rebound,” Blankenship said. “We knew that we had to know our defensive assignments.

“We knew that we had to rebound and then try to push (the pace).”

Hughes was effective in the opening half, as he scored 13 of his team-leading 25 points by halftime. He used his 6-foot-3 frame, athleticism, and strength to score on drives and draw fouls.

Hughes got to the free throw line 16 times and sank nine of those shots.

Richland (Essex) played Risco competitively over the final 16 minutes, but could never cut into the margin, as Smith sealed the game in the final minutes by hitting 5 of 7 free throws in the final quarter.

“Risco plays hard,” Cline emphasized again, “and you can tell they listen (to Blankenship).”

The Tigers got 13 points from junior forward Owen Fortner while junior Eli Rodgers added 10 points and senior Landon Baker chipped in eight.

Rebel seniors Gary Tilley and Williams each had 10 points while senior point guard Hunter Sanders added nine.

Richland (Essex) closes out a three-year run in which the program has won three Class 1 District titles and won 54 games.

“We have had a lot of success,” Cline said. “When we wanted to listen and get down and play, we were a special group to watch.”

The Tigers advance to the Quarterfinals, where they will play Class 1 No. 1-ranked Chadwick (20-7) on Friday (time and location TBA).

The Cardinals beat Eminence 52-41 in their Sectional win and are the Class 1 defending state champions.

Chadwick has won six District titles over the past seven seasons.