Arlington High School brought its basketball team, its band and more than enough folks to fill the bleachers Friday night at Adams Central for the Class C1-8 District Final.
“Look at our following tonight,” Eagles first-year head coach Tashia Wolf said 150-plus miles from home. “I mean, holy cow. The support from this community is unbelievable.”
It was felt even after the host Patriots, last year's state runner-up, concluded AHS' season a win shy of its first state tournament in more than two decades. The home squad won 51-34 inside a packed gymnasium, dropping the Eagles' season record to 21-5 — the second-winningest in school history. Only the 23-3 2000 state championship team won more.
“You always have goals and hopes and things you want, but I didn't think that we'd make it this far,” Wolf admitted after her players had nearly run out of tears in the aftermath. “So, being able to experience that, creating those life-long experiences that they're going to have, it's going to be a world of difference come next year when we have that under our belt.”
Arlington won 13 games last season, but it didn't feel the level of stress it felt during the high-stakes 2023-24 campaign. The Eagles weren't as frustrated after tight losses they could have won and they did not feel the same level of pressure games like Friday's brought.
“A lot of great experiences for the kids,” Wolf said. “Things that, I think, will drive us into the future.”
In the moment, though, AHS did what it could to keep up with the 20-5 Adam Central team in its way. When the Patriots built a 9-2 first quarter lead, sophomore Valeria Carvajal came off of the bench and scored a bucket. Her classmate, starting point guard Emme Timm, took it upon herself to get to the foul line, too, pulling her team within 11-7 through 8 minutes.
“Our free throws were huge,” Wolf said. “Without those, we wouldn't even had a close score there.”
Junior Britt Nielsen added a pair of makes from the stripe to start the second period before Timm hit a floater on her way to the basket, pulling her team within two again, 13-11.
From there, though, Adams Central took control. Macy Wolf, Coach Wolf's sophomore daughter, banked in a 3-point pointer and senior Austyn Flesner scored on a slick assist from Timm, but the Patriots pushed their lead out to 10 points by halftime.
“Just didn't have the steam,” Wolf said. “Wasn't our time.”
The home squad held double-digit advantages throughout the second half, holding off Arlington by 17 points in the end. Wolf credited Adams Central's defense, particularly its ability to clog the lane.
“There was always somebody there,” she said. “We couldn't get there. That made it hard.”
The Eagles needed 3-point makes to trim their deficit, but finished with only two from beyond the arc. Timm made one, finishing with a team-high 10 points. Macy Wolf made the other, scoring nine points altogether, while Nielsen had six points.
Flesner and Taylor Arp, meanwhile, combined to score five of their seven total points during the final period — the last quarter of the AHS basketball seniors' careers.
“It's been so fun to watch them blossom this season. I just want them for a little bit longer,” Wolf said. “They've grown so much in their skill-base, but also in their leadership and just the way they've really embraced the change in culture and the different changes we expect at practice.”
While both Flesner and Arp will graduate in May, though, every other Eagle who contributed to the 21-win season this winter will have the opportunity to return for the next. Coach Wolf watched them closely from the exhibition game against Blair last November through the Friday's contest in a crowded gym just outside of Hastings. She was able to watch her sophomore daughter, Macy, enjoy the ride, too.
“I experienced (this) as a high school kid, and that is something that I've always wanted for my kids,” Wolf said. “To be able to play on the big stage.”
Next season, AHS will have the experience to aim for even bigger.
CLASS C1-8 DISTRICT FINAL
Friday
Adams Central 51, Arlington 34
AHS (21-5) 7 11 7 9 — 34
AC (20-5) 11 17 13 10 — 51
Scoring: AHS — Emme Timm 10, Macy Wolf 9, Britt Nielsen 6, Austyn Flesner 4, Taylor Arp 3, Valeria Carvajal 2.
AC — Megyn Scott 21, Gracie Weichman 11, Briley Nienhueser 8, Lynsie Lancaster 4, Annie Trausch 3, Ava Katzberg 3.
