For the first time in school history, the Clinton Prairie Gophers are semistate champions.<\/p>\n

“It’s a goal everyone has had all year, it’s a goal I’ve had my entire career,” senior Jake McGraw said. “It just feels great because we’ve worked so hard all year. We’ve had some tough times, had some losses, and we’re on an 18-game win streak, there’s nothing else you can ask for, we’re going to the state championship.”<\/p>\n

The Gophers played two physical games in the span of nine hours to cut down the nets at Lafayette Jefferson’s Marion Crawley Athletic Center.<\/p>\n

In game one, Clinton Prairie matched up with Triton, and the Gophers led wire to wire. After winning the first quarter 16-6, the Gophers controlled the next two quarters and led 53-28 going to the fourth.<\/p>\n

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Jake McGraw and Alex Farley each notched 17 points in the win, Nick Curtin added 14 and Nick Ewing scored nine, including five in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

“They were doubling Jake in the post and I just cut and he found me for easy layups,” Ewing said.<\/p>\n

The Gophers defeated Triton 62-47 to advance to the semistate title game. Clinton Prairie would face Kouts, who defeated Monroe Central 50-44 in the early game.<\/p>\n

It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first half. The lead changed hands 11 times through the first 16 minutes.<\/p>\n

Kouts’ Lucas Kleckner was everywhere for the Mustangs. Alex Farley and Kleckner went toe-to-toe throughout the first half.<\/p>\n

“My shot was going in during the first game,” Farley said. “And I was confident going into the second that my shot would fall. Their big guy was hedging softly on screens, I knew eventually he would drift over and I would have a shot at the rim, so I had drives all night.”<\/p>\n