Chargers advance to sectional finals

Orion’s Tanner Williams whipped the ball to Trent DeDecker, who popped the ball through the net for a 49-45 lead in the sectional semifinal game on Wednesday, March 3.

DeDecker’s shot gave the Chargers a two-possession lead over the Camp Point Central Panthers with 1:06 on the clock in the Bushnell-Prairie City gym.

Forty-seven seconds ticked off before Panther Alexander Walter fired a shot that missed. Charger Jared Simmer hauled down the rebound.

Seconds later, on another rebound, Central’s Zach Main popped in the first of two free throws but missed the second.

No one controlled the rebound. As the ball headed out, Orion’s Danny DeBacker saved it in to a Camp Point player.

Trailing 49-46, the Panthers got off one shot from beyond the arc. It bounced off the rim with seven ticks left.

The Panthers had enough time to take one more shot. Main fed the ball to Zach Reuschel, who arched the ball toward the net.

It bounded off the rim at the buzzer, and the Panthers were done for the season.

Reuschel had no treys during the game, but all the same the scouting report was that he could hit the three, Orion coach Brent Hutton said.

It was a classic sectional game, he said. Both teams had to value each possession. The Chargers did not take care of the ball at times, letting the Panthers make runs at them.

The Chargers had a nine-point lead late in the second period, and a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter, but let the Panthers battle back into contention both times.

Also, Orion gave Camp Point too many second looks in the second half, Hutton said.

“We lost kids twice in transition who hit threes on us,” he said.

The Chargers had one thing the Panthers did not—a pair of DeDecker brothers.

Tyler DeDecker played by far the best game of his entire career, Hutton said. Funny thing was, Tyler had dinged his ankle in gym class earlier in the day, and his ankle was a little swollen.

Despite the ankle, Tyler finished with 15 points, nine more than his average. That led Hutton to say maybe DeDecker should have a dinged ankle more often.

Trent added 12 points. Hutton said he’s been tough all year, and he probably would start if Orion wanted to have three big guys on the floor at the same time.

Meanwhile, Trent likes to come off the bench, Hutton said. He gives the Chargers an energy boost, and he keeps the rotation going.

Together the DeDecker brothers scored more than half of Orion’s points.

Midway through the second quarter, Tyler nabbed a teammate’s miss and scored from the right corner to give Orion a 15-10 lead.

Forty seconds later, he hit for two from just inside the top of the key.

Camp Point took a timeout, and when play resumed Tyler DeDecker came up with the ball. Trent scored off the turnover for a 19-10 lead.

About halfway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers eased ahead 41-40. On the inbounds play, Williams threw a baseball pass to Tyler DeDecker streaking toward the basket. DeDecker spun in the layup, and the Chargers never trailed again.

That was a key moment in the game, Hutton said.

The dramatic win over Camp Point put Orion into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1995, when many of today’s players were learning to walk.

The Chargers were to play in the sectional championship game with the Lewistown Indians, who had defeated Orion 54-53 in sectional semifinals a year earlier.

Hutton said he expected Lewistown to be tough. The well-coached Indians are a disciplined team able to pressure the Chargers.

Besides the 27 points from the DeDeckers, Orion got seven points each from DeBacker and Williams, and four apiece from James Matson and Simmer.

DeBacker and Tyler DeDecker each netted a trey.

The Chargers made five of 12 free throws. DeBacker shot 2-for-3; Tyler DeDecker, 2-for-4; and Williams, 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, the Panthers spun in three triples and made seven of nine free throws.