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On State’s Doorstep

Mustangs all that stand between No. 9 Hawks and trip to Des Moines

South Hamilton sixth man Cole Berg (5) scores on a drive to the bucket against Southeast Valley on Tuesday in Gilbert. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WEBSTER CITY — It’s nothing personal, but opponents haven’t meant much to the South Hamilton boys’ basketball team this season.

Some have been solid foes. Others haven’t. But whether the Hawks were facing a team on a 10-game surge or one mired in a disastrous season, their mind-set hasn’t changed.

To quote George Costanza from Seinfeld: “It’s not you, it’s me.”

“It’s never about the other team. It never comes down to what they’re doing,” South Hamilton senior all-stater Collin Hill said. “We’ve got to be focused on what we’re doing.”

So it should come as no surprise that ninth-ranked South Hamilton (21-2) is putting more emphasis on its own strategy than it is on substate opponent East Marshall (17-5). The two teams will shake hands and go to battle Saturday night at Nevada High School. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

South Hamilton senior Collin Hill (right) discusses a call with an official during a break in play on Tuesday in Gilbert. Hill will play in his 73rd varsity game on Saturday when the Hawks face East Marshall in the Class 2A substate round. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

South Hamilton will be out to claim its second state tournament appearance in the last four years and seventh in school history. That’s been the mission since the 2015-16 season ended in the substate one year ago and to now be on the doorstep has only galvanized the team.

“We’re really motivated,” South Hamilton junior point guard and three-year starter Marco Balderas said.

The Hawks will enter the pressure cooker the winners of eight consecutive games. Since an 84-78 loss to Greene County on Jan. 27, they’ve blistered their opponents by an average of 31.9 points per game.

East Marshall, the winners of 12 of 14 including back-to-back last-second victories over Prairie City-Monroe and Des Moines Christian in district play, will present a new set of challenges. The Mustangs are athletic with a balanced offense, and they have the components to give South Hamilton everything it wants and then some.

Hawks’ head coach Nathan Hill knows all of this and he’s done his pre-game preparation. But, ultimately, he knows whether his players are celebrating with each other or consoling one another Saturday night will come down to their execution.

South Hamilton junior Marco Balderas (center) fights for a loose ball during Tuesday’s 73-60 win over Southeast Valley in a Class 2A district final. Balderas averages 13.1 points and 6.2 assists per game entering Saturday’s substate battle against East Marshall in Nevada. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“They’re going to be very similar to how we are. They’ve got a good big guy, they’ve got good guard play and they’re a team that’s getting better,” Nathan Hill said. “But I believe it’s more about what we do than what the other team does. When we’re focused and dialed in, we’re a tough team and we’re a fun team.”

That all starts with Collin Hill, the bedrock of the program for the last four years. The Truman State recruit was the leader of the 2013-14 group that claimed a spot in the state-tournament field; he understands what it takes to not only reach this stage, but to thrive. And you better believe he has no intention of his 73rd game in a South Hamilton uniform being his last.

“We’re hungry for it, especially me because it’s my last year,” Collin Hill, who has scored 1,432 career points, the third-most in program history, said. “I want to represent South Hamilton and help take us back to state.”

Collin Hill averages 22 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Balderas, a dynamic playmaker who has improved by leaps and bounds at both ends of the floor, contributes 13.1 points and 6.2 assists a night. Sophomore shooting guard Conner Hill (11.6 points) also averages in double figures.

Scoring has never been an issue for this South Hamilton team. But the occasional lapse at the defensive end has made some games dicier than they needed to be. An inability to get stops is why the Hawks lost to Greene County nearly a month ago and Nathan Hill wasn’t all that pleased with what he saw in Tuesday’s 73-60 victory over Southeast Valley in the district final.

“We still have some stuff to work on defensively,” Logan Peters, who scored 16 points on Tuesday and averages 6.1 on the season, said. “East Marshall will be a pretty tough test and we’ll have to be locked in defensively.”

Yes, the Hawks will.

East Marshall has been on a tear in the second half of the season since Zaine Leedom joined the team at the halfway point. The transfer from Grinnell averages 18.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

The Mustangs have three other players that score in double figures — Zane Johnson (15.0), Dru Boliver (13.3) and Tyler DeBondt (10.8). Boliver hit the game-winner against Des Moines Christian on a layup at the buzzer that capped an improbable 8-0 run over the final minute.

Starting Lineups (Probable)

South Hamilton Hawks (21-2)

Player

PPG RPG APG

Marco Balderas 13.1 3.9 6.2

Conner Hill 11.6 2.6 3.8

Collin Hill 22.0 7.9 2.7

Logan Peters 6.1 4.6 2.8

Logan Klemp 5.1 3.3 1.4

East Marshall Mustangs (17-5)

Player PPG RPG APG

Tyler DeBondt 10.8 4.0 8.5

Dru Boliver 13.3 3.7 2.1

Zane Johnson 15.0 6.8 1.7

Eli Anderson 3.4 1.5 1.2

Zaine Leedom 18.2 8.1 3.1

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