Apple Valley Eagles Topple Champlin Park

The Apple Valley Eagles didn't start a single senior, but a senior did step up to assist them in a thrilling 64-61 win over the previously unbeaten Champlin Park Rebels for the Class AAAA title Saturday night.

Six-foot-6 senior Steve Christiansen collected six first-half points when his team really needed them. Six-foot-5 senior Riley Parham also lit a spark for the Eagles at times in the tournament and Head Coach Zach Goring told KDHL after the game they couldn't have won without the seniors. Goring told his team everyone needed to do the very best they could in their role against an outstanding Champlin Park team that beat Apple Valley by five points in the Granite City Holiday Tournament in St. Cloud in late December. He told them not to step out of their role and try to do too much, "just do the best you possibly can at your role."

Nobody did their role better than freshman point guard Tre Jones. Jones guarded Metro Player of the Year JT Gibson and held him to six points. Gibson torched Apple Valley in that December game for 38 and Goring said in his opinion Gibson was "the best player in Minnesota this season." Gibson didn't have a field goal during the second half and averaged 19 points a game.

Virtually all the H&R Block statistics in the game were even except one, free throws. Apple Valley made 19 and Champlin Park made nine. Both teams collected the same number of field goals and the Rebels had more threes, so clearly the difference in the game was the charity stripe and Jones was eight of nine from the line and hit all of his pressure-packed free throws at the end of the game. Apple Valley got to that line by attacking the basket.

The other H&R Block stat of the game was Apple Valley's 36 points in the paint to Champlin Park's 16. In the first half, Apple Valley took advantage of Champlin Park's lack of size inside when 6-foot-8 sophomore post Theo John got in foul trouble and had to sit the final four minutes by pounding the ball into the middle with 7-foot junior Brock Bertram. He rewarded them with eight first-half points and finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds. John didn't have a field goal for Champlin Park and ended the game with two points, six rebounds and six blocks.

Champlin Park senior Marty Hill led all scoring with 19 points and had nine rebounds. Sophomore McKinley Wright hit big shot after big shot, including a three with just over two minutes to go that made it a one-possession game. He had 17 points and six rebounds, and senior Jeremy Johnson collected 15 points and seven rebounds for the Rebels.

Jones not only hit his free throws down the stretch, but had some impressive rebounds.  The 6-foot-1 Eagle has some serious hops, collecting six boards in the contest. Sophomore Gary Trent Jr. led Apple Valley in scoring in every game in the tournament. The 6-foot-5 swing man had 15 points and nine rebounds and played every second of the game. So did Jones for Apple Valley and Gibson didn't leave the floor for Champlin Park. With the media time outs it really is not that big a deal.

Champlin Park finished their season 31-1 and Apple Valley 30-2. The Eagles' other loss came to crosstown rival Eastview. Look for Apple Valley again next year -- remember they didn't start a single senior. I was told the Champlin Park program is also loaded and could be back, although they did start three seniors. It was a terrific game and a great way to end the 2014-15 boys high school basketball season in Minnesota.

The Target Center was filled in the lower bowl and there were a number of people in the top level seats, also. The picture below is of Apple Valley Head Coach Zach Goring coming toward me after cutting the final cord of the net.