Scott City completes its upset run in district final

CHARLESTON -- When freshman Katie Hogan scored a basket during a third-quarter rally, the Scott City students erupted with the chant: "You can't stop her. You can't stop us."

No team could stop the Rams, which began the Class 3 District 1 tournament seeded fifth, but knocked off three higher seeds to claim their first district title since 1996.

Hogan paced her team with 13 points during a tight second half against Charleston, and junior Stephanie Essner converted a late fourth-quarter 3-pointer that broke a 45-45 tie.

Scott City earned a 52-47 victory over the No. 3 Bluejays in the championship game Friday at Charleston High School to win its fourth district title in the program's history.

"Oh my gosh -- I'm speechless," Essner said between celebrating and taking pictures with her teammates. "I started varsity as a freshman, and just every year we've gotten better. We got a new coach this year and it's outstanding. Our team played so well, I'm speechless. Being the underdogs means that we had to go in -- nothing to lose -- and play our guts out and hope for the best. And that's what we did."

It was certainly an impressive week for Scott City, which won its other titles in 1990, 1991 and 1996. The Rams started the week by beating No. 4 East Prairie in the first round last Saturday. They upset No. 1 Kelly in the second round Tuesday. First-year coach Kerry Thompson said the win over Kelly marked the first time the Rams had beaten the Hawks in 10 years.

The Rams (12-13) will play Greenville in a sectional contest at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday at Poplar Bluff High School.

"It's been over a decade," said Hogan, who added that she is not surprised her team was able to earn three upset wins. "We worked hard for it. We wanted it."

Hogan led all scorers with 19 points despite playing with a pulled muscle in her rib area. Essner added 15 points.

"There was a little bit of pain in the beginning, and during the game I got an elbow to the rib," Hogan said. "I just had to tough it up. It's district play."

Probably the biggest play Hogan made came with 49 seconds left in the third quarter, right after Charleston went on an 9-0 run to tie the game 38-38.

Hogan scored a layup in traffic and was fouled. She converted her free throw to put the Rams up 41-38, regaining the momentum that Charleston had taken.

During the second half, the Scott City students had fun chanting Hogan's full name and screaming, "She's a freshman."

"Katie Hogan, a freshman, has stepped it up on varsity," Essner said. "She's injured right now, but none of that affects any of us when we're out on the court."

Scott City entered the fourth quarter with a 43-38 lead, and the Rams held a seven-point advantage early in the period. But Charleston battled back for a 45-45 tie with 4:13 left.

Just as Hogan stole momentum from the Bluejays late in the third, Essner did the same when she sank a 3-pointer with 3:57 left to put the Rams ahead 48-45.

"I had my hands up ready to shoot," said Essner, who added that she received the pass from Hogan. "I looked at her and she looked at me, and I just [caught it] and shot it."

Hogan converted a pair of free throws to put the Rams ahead 50-47 with 2:25 left. She then made a steal off a deflection with 1:54 left, and when fouled 10 seconds later, she again converted her free throws to make it 52-47. Stacey Heisserer forced a steal for the Rams with 40 seconds left to seal the game.

Throughout the game, the Rams drove inside, finding Hogan down low, getting either baskets inside or fouled. The Rams made 14 of 17 free throws.

"We've been hustling up and down the court," Heisserer said. "We were hoping to get fast breaks and get it up and down the court and get them tired."

For Thompson, this year is his first as a girls basketball coach. He coached boys basketball for 11 years. He stopped coaching the boys team after the 2003-04 season when he accepted a position in administration. He took over a Scott City girls team that won only five games last year.

"We had a lot of close games late in the year that we lost," Thompson said. "But I thought that made us grow. I told them, 'At the end of the year, we can be a team -- if we learn from those losses -- that nobody wants to play.' And I think we proved that this week."

In the Class 3 District 1 boys final, Charleston beat New Madrid County Central 59-57.

@z_agate_HSbasketball_linescore:Charleston129179-- 47

Scott City189169 -- 52

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:CHARLESTON (47) -- Jerquawnda Sherrell 15, Chelsie Lane 4, Cedrica Rodgers 9, Kasuela Cooper 7, Karia Simpson 10, Tariah Simpson 2. FG 17, FT 6-14, F 17. (3-pointers: Sherrell 4, Rodgers 3. Fouled out: Rodgers)

SCOTT CITY (52) -- Stacey Heisserer 6, Stephanie Essner 15, Katie Hogan 19, Melanie Lacey 6, Ashley Brant 6. FG 18, FT 14-17, F 13. (3-pointers: Essner 2. Fouled out: none)