By Matt Gade

605 Sports

PHILIP — It’s been years in the making. 

The Wall High School boys basketball team qualified for the Class B state basketball tournament for just the second time in school history.

The Eagles defeated Sully Buttes 64-51 in a Class B SoDak 16 game on Tuesday night in Philip.

But the goal of making a state tournament is something these Eagles have been working on since they were little. Just the other day, a Facebook memory from eight years ago popped up showing the boys playing third-grade basketball together.

“We go from school, to practice, to they're hanging out with each other every night,” Wall head coach Ryan Kjerstad said. “I think my son (Teelan), spends more time with his friends, and that's this group here, then he does at home and you know, I couldn't be happier for them because they're a great group of kids.”

In a battle of No. 8 vs No. 9, the game between the higher seed Eagles against the Chargers of Sully Buttes lived up to the battle one would expect from two separated by just .058 power points.

Despite an early double-digit lead in the first quarter, the Chargers battled back to narrow the lead to just four at the half, 31-27.

In more back-and-fourth basketball, the Eagles held onto their four-point lead after three, 44-40.

To start the fourth, the Eagles came out cold as Sully Buttes managed to take a 45-44 lead with about seven minutes remaining.

Wall's Dawson Handcock (1) and the bench celebrate the lead against Sully Buttes during a Class B SoDak 16 game on Tuesday night in Philip. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

Then the Eagles offense took off scoring 20 points while their defense limited Sully Buttes to seven to close out the game.

“Wow. Hats off to Sully (Buttes). They played a great game,” Ryan Kjerstad said. “It was a battle to the end, but our guys never once doubted. I think it's the reason we play the difficult schedule we do, for those lessons. You don't know how the result turns out. And yes, we lost some heartbreakers, but when it really mattered, we got it done.”

For junior Jace Mohr, the win proved validation that the Eagles are a team to take seriously.

“You know, for a lot of years, nobody really recognizes us for having a basketball team. And I think we changed it this year,” he said. “We've been playing with each other since we were about kindergarten or first grade, and finally, get to the state tournament with all these boys. It feels awesome.”

Heading into the state tournament next week in Aberdeen, the Eagles (17-6) locked up the No. 5 seed and will face fourth-seeded Wessington Springs (21-2).

While the Eagles have six losses on the season, five of those have been against Class A schools with their lone Class B loss coming to Lyman 72-69 on Feb. 1.

“Those games that you lose on those good teams, you learn a lot from and you build on those games,” junior Emmet Dinger said. “We've kind of been doubted all year. Never get any votes or anything, but I think we'll surprise a lot of teams at the state tournament.”