In a matchup between crosstown rivals, South dominated SM East and won the Sunflower League title.
The Raiders ranked No.1 in Class 6A, topped the Lancers 75-54 on Friday night at SM East, South (19-1), and clinched the league crown with SMNW, a game after clinching the No.1 seed in sub-state.
“I mean to win the league – that’s tough to do,” Raiders head coach Brett McFall said. “You gotta bring it every Tuesday and Friday, and not only do we have the biggest league in the state, we got the best league in the state. That just shows perseverance, toughness, and a lot of consistency.”
After the Raiders jumped out to a 21-11 lead in the first quarter, the Lancers surged with a 19-point second and held the Raiders to just 13 points, led by senior Stephen Hlobik’s eight points to bring East within four at halftime, 34-30.
Despite key foul trouble coming out of the break, the Raiders kept the Lancers at arm’s distance in the second half. Senior Calan Gregory netted all 10 points in the period, as South surged for a 54 – 44 lead after the third.
“This means everything to me,” Gregory said. “I didn’t play the first four games of the year because of a torn meniscus, but to get my starting spot back and to go 19-1 and beating East to win the Sunflower League was the best feeling.”
Senior Jadon Sautter, junior Drake DeBaun, and sophomore Conor Kerrigan controlled the inside attack with 32 of the team’s 75 points.
The Lancer duo of Will Beck (16) and Stephen Hlobik (18) led the team in scoring.
South finished the season tied with SMNW, sharing the Sunflower League title with one loss apiece. They will be the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds respectively in the east division of the Class 6A sub-state.
Box Score
Shawnee Mission South (75)
Gregory 10, DeBaun 6, Allen 9, McKenna 13, Kerrigan 18, Sautter 8, Featherston 5, Hampton 3, M. Burns 3
Shawnee Mission East (54)
Hlobik 18, Beck 16, Jones 6, Mckinney 4, Versheldon 3, Predenville 3, Brock 2, Chinnock 2
Threes: Gregory, Featherston, Hampton, Allen, M. Burns; Beck, Versheldon, Predenville
![Focused on their cameras, seniors Charlie Jin and Jacob Kern take pictures and videos of the girl’s basketball game against Olathe South for KSMS on February 25. “[When I’m shooting a game], I really just think about quantity over quality. If you take a lot of pictures, you’re bound to get a good one,” Kern said.](https://smsouthnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/uVbHe1oWJJ2F276P1vfRGg480EW59O1A4stQTica-1200x618.jpg)
