Cubs get wish with Jefferson rematch

COLUMBIA -- The Bell City boys basketball team got the rematch it wanted.

Jefferson, the tiny school in Conception Junction, has beaten Bell City the last two years in the Class 1 final four at the state tournament.

The Cubs lost 74-61 in the title game last year as Jefferson capped a 32-0 season.

The Eagles beat Bell City 65-50 in the Class 1 semifinals in 2005 in what was David Heeb's final state tourney appearance as the coach of the Cubs. Bell City had won its second state title in three seasons in 2004.

The third meeting in three years will take place 4:30 p.m. today at Mizzou Arena with the Class 1 championship on the line.

"We want to see Jefferson," second-year Bell City coach Briant Brandtner said following his team's 82-60 semifinal win against previously unbeaten LaPlata. "I don't want to take anything away from Wheatland, but as a competitor you want another chance."

Jefferson granted that wish with a 61-40 thumping of Wheatland on Friday.

The Eagles improved to 30-1 this season and 92-3 during their three-year run.

That's impressive for any size school, let alone one whose enrollment of 54 students is about half the size of Bell City's 107.

The Eagles extended their success with just one returning starter. Six of their top eight players from last year's team departed and Jefferson still had an average margin of victory of more than 35 points in its 30 wins.

"This year's team is a little different than last year, we're not as physical," Jefferson coach Tim Jermain said. "We're quicker, and we're going to try to make it hard on their guards."

The toughest matchup for Jefferson will come inside with the 6-foot-7 Doug Archer matching up against Bell City's 6-10, 300-pound center Will Bogan.

Bogan had 26 points and 21 rebounds against LaPlata.

"We'll try to slow him down as much as we can," Germain said. "He's definitely a presence down there. We really have to try to keep him off the boards."

Added Archer: "It's going to be a challenge. But I'm just going to try to play like this game is any other game."

Archer and Craig Mattson led Jefferson with 15 points apiece in the semifinal win.