Air Force Academy — When the Kit Carson boys basketball team took the floor Saturday at Clune Arena to face Hi-Plains for the Class A boys state basketball title, they had a little more than winning on their mind.

They also wanted revenge, and it's been that way for quite some time.

The Wildcats defeated Hi-Plains 58-36, winning the Class A boys state championship and finally gaining revenge for last year's 55-52 loss in the title game to the same Patriots.

"We've been on a mission," Kit Carson's Damon Dechant said. "Ever since (Hi-Plains) beat us last year, we've had one thing on our mind and that was facing them again."

Kit Carson looked determined from the opening tip.

Dechant and Wildcat center Stetson Mitchell paced the early onslaught combining for twelve of Kit Carson's twenty points in the first quarter.

The Wildcats jumped to an early 9-0 lead and held the Patriots scoreless halfway through the period. Kent Herman drained a short jumper to get Hi-Plains on the board for the first time with 4:11 remaining in the first.

It was only one-of-two baskets the Patriots made in the period, as Kit Carson jumped out to a 20-4 lead.

"The first quarter, ouch," Hi-Plains coach Dave Sheffield said. "We didn't move and we didn't get in sequence. It really hurt us."

"It's very important," Kit Carson's Ty Trahern said. "Once you get the early lead it can get the other team down mentally and we can get rolling."

That lead made a difference in the second quarter as Evan Bancroft hit a three-pointer to start things off for Hi-Plains.

The Patriots eventually outscored the Wildcats 17-15 in the quarter, yet Kit Carson still went into halftime with 35-21 lead.

The same Wildcat struggles were still evident in the third as Hi-Plains went on a 7-3 run late in the quarter to get to within ten of the Wildcats, 38-28.

That run was broken by an impossible-looking lay-up by Trahern. From that point on, Kit Carson cruised.

"We played a little passive right before halftime," Dechant said. "We just needed to play smarter and get it together."

Dechant scored 8 points in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats secured their second-state basketball title in school history.

Dechant finished with 23 points in the title game and was the tournament MVP, averaging 20.3 points in the three tournament games. The senior did not play much of the second half in either the quarterfinal or semi-final games.

"It's the best feeling there is (winning a state title)," Dechant said. "This one's a little sweeter than the first, though."

"He's a phenomenal player and has been all season," Kit Carson coach Jim Trahern said.

The whole Kit Carson team was phenomenal throughout the tournament. The Wildcats outscored opponents 225-103.

"What makes all of this so special is that they're an exceptional group of kids," Trahern said. "I'm real proud."

Hi-Plains??4 | 17 | 7 | 8 — 36

Kit Carson?.20 | 15 | 8 | 15 — 58

H – Evan Bancroft 3 0-0 8, Brock Benson 1 0-0 3, Nathan Rueb 4 0-1 8, Kent Herman 3 2-3 8, Kendal Rueb 3 0-0 7, Chase McCullough 0 0-0 0, Kraig Tagtmeyer 1 0-0 2, Bryant Benson 0 0-0 0, Geoffrey Mills 0 0-0 0, Wes Henry 0 0-0 0, Brad Schultz 0 0-0 0, Shelby McCracken 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 2-4 36.

K – Damon Dechant 10 3-5 23, Joe Jolly 0 0-0 0, Curt Connelley 5 2-3 13, Andrew Maxcy 1 0-0 2, Stetson Mitchell 4 0-0 8, Ty Trahern 2 1-1 6, Tom Rhoades 0 0-0 0, Tyler Stephenson 0 2-3 2, Antonio Arroyo 0 0-0 0, Jon Ball 0 0-0 0, Josh Hammer 0 2-2 2, Wade Jacobs 0 0-0 0, Armando Arroyo 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 10-14 58.

Three-point goals – H, Evan Bancroft 2, Brock Benson. K, Curt Connolley, Ty Trahern.

Class A boys all-tournament team

Damon Dechant, Kit Carson 6-6 Sr.

Ty Trahern, Kit Carson 6-1 Sr.

Nathan Rueb, Hi-Plains 6-4 Jr.

Craig Debus, Caliche 6-3 So.

Kendal Rueb, Hi-Plains 6-1 So.

MVP: Dechant, Kit Carson. Dechant was the key factor in Kit Carson's domination of the rest of the field.

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