Tolton prepares for first final four appearance since 2016
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Tolton boys basketball team will look to bring home the program's first state championship since 2016 in Springfield this weekend.
First, the Trailblazers have to get through Pembroke Hill in the semifinal round on Friday. Tolton already beat Raiders once this season, 62-52 in the second game of the year. But, as head coach Jeremy Osborne pointed out, both teams have changed a lot since that game.
"Coach Hawkins does a really good job over there with those guys," he said. "They shoot it really well, they defend, and you know they're a tough matchup. So, we have to prepare as if this is a win or go home game because essentially it is."
The Blazers have grown a lot since then as well, as the team is led by seniors Jevon Porter, Justin Boyer, Tahki Chievous, and Tre McCluney.
"They've been playing together for a long time," Osborne said. "They've always had chemistry. Those guys have always played well together and then just being able to kind of share that with team and share their knowledge with the younger guys has played a huge role."
Tolton has gone 21-8 through the season, with big wins over Blair Oaks, Hickman, Fatima, and more. An appearance in the final four is a big moment for any player, but Osborne said that the team's past has prepared them for this moment. Just one season ago the group made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament and now they're looking to take it all the way.
"Being in the moment but not of the moment, we talk about that all the time. Ten toes down no matter where you are, be there. Whether we're playing at Tolton, whether we're playing on the road, conference game, final four the rim is still 10 feet high. The free throw line is still 15 feet and so we're still going to play the game of basketball," he said. "The environment around us could change, but we should never change."
The Trailblazers will tip off against Pembroke Hill at 8 p.m. in the Hammons Student Center on the Missouri State campus in Springfield, Mo.
