What happens when you lose your leading scorer to a mid-game injury in the state quarterfinals?

If you’re fortunate to be as deep as the Kickapoo Chiefs, you call on your role players to step up and hand the keys over to your star-studded backcourt.

With Jared Ridder suffering an ankle injury early in the second quarter, Kickapoo’s guards took the game over and guided the Chiefs to a 95-81 victory over defending Class 5 state champion Blue Springs South Saturday night at SBU in Bolivar.

“We just had to get the other guys ready to go,” said Kickapoo coach Dick Rippee. “Jared’s a heck of a player, everybody knows that. We’ve got a good team. We just tried to re-focus our guys on doing their thing. Nobody needs to try to be Jared. Just be themselves, we have plenty of good players.”

The Chiefs are headed to the Final Four for the sixth time in program history and first since 2006. Kickapoo reached three Final Four between 2003-06.

Kickapoo guards Isaac Johnson – a Drury commit – and Cam Davis led the way against Blue Springs South. Johnson scored a game-high 30, besting Blue Springs South’s KJ Robinson by one point. Davis added 24 points.

 “I thought our guys answered the bell and did a heck of a job in the second half without Jared,” Rippee said.

Roughly half of Johnson and Davis’ point totals came at the free throw line, an area that played a big role in the final outcome.
With Blue Springs South trailing by 13 going into the fourth quarter, the Jaguars extended the game in the final five minutes by repeatedly fouling Kickapoo after each basket.

The result was Kickapoo shooting 35 free throws in the fourth quarter alone, making 24 of those attempts. Johnson was 11-for-12 at the line in the fourth quarter. Davis attempted 19 free throws in the game and was 9-for-13 at the line in the fourth quarter.

“Honestly, it felt like a practice,” Davis said. “When we get on the line and shoot free throws (in practice), that’s what it felt like. Every time we were getting the ball, we were going to the free throw line. I’m just glad our guys stepped up and made free throws when it mattered.”

For the full recap, read OzarkSportsZone.com