By Moses Los III.
Ever since his early playing days, Hays High junior wing Heath Agnew was taught to “follow a [teammate] when he’s going to the glass.” His instincts pushed Hays two steps closer to the state tournament.
A last second buzzer-beater from Agnew propelled Hays to a 60-58 win over the Dripping Springs Tigers in Tuesday’s regional quarterfinal playoff. The Rebels advance to play Corpus Christi Miller at 8 p.m. this Friday at the NEISD Blossom Athletic Center in the regional semifinal.
Agnew’s presence was immediately felt, as Hays held a 19-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. Agnew led the Rebels with 20 points in the ball game - ten in the first quarter alone.
Hays head coach Robert Lucero lauded the play of his interior players; specifically Agnew and senior post Hayden Cagle.
Above: A large contingent of Hays High students go through a cheer during the third quarter of the Hays vs. Dripping Springs regional quarterfinal playoff game on Tuesday. (Photo by Moses Leos III)Below: With less than five seconds left, Hays junior wing Heath Agnew (35) takes to the sky to put up the eventual game winning shot. (Photo by Wayland Clark)
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“The best thing about Heath and Hayden is they are skilled on the perimeter and in the post,” Lucero said.
Dripping Springs head coach Craig Swannack understood Hays had the advantage inside. He used his team’s quickness to counter it.
“We tried to pull [their bigs] out (of the paint), attack the basket from the outside, and try to get them in foul trouble,” Swannack said.
Dripping Springs thrived as a result. The Tigers rallied in the second quarter, spurred by senior guard Bryce Hegemier, who bucketed nine of the team’s 15 points.
Dripping Springs closed the half on a 9-4 run, holding a 32-31 halftime lead. Hegemier finished with a game high 25 points.
It caused havoc for the Rebels, which turned to their bench due to foul woes.
“It’s a credit to Dripping Springs,” Lucero said. “They put pressure on the basket with their posts, and the dribble.”
Hays recovered by going back to the paint. Six points from senior post Hayden Cagle in the third took Hays to a 48-44 lead.
Cagle said their victory over Austin LBJ on Friday bolstered their aggressiveness in the paint.
“I know that our guards have faith in us; that really helps,” Cagle said. “We mesh well. Once we get rolling in the paint, it’s hard to stop us.”
The battle in the paint continued in the fourth quarter. Both teams’ interior players fought, with Hays gaining a slight edge.
“(Hays) had their two big guys [in the paint],” Tiger senior Brogan Lynch said. “They were fighting for everything. But (we) had to fight right back.”
Dripping Springs fought back, holding firm in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.
But fatigue showed as the Tigers missed buckets from the field.
Oppositely, Hays’ offense warmed up, building a 56-51 lead with 3:25 to go in the game.
Rebounding was the critical point for Hays, particularly against a sizable Tiger team.
“They were big, they were talented, and they were physical,” Agnew said. “Not only did they have bigs that were physical, they had guards that could rebound. We had to get as many (rebounds) as possible.”
But the Tigers wouldn’t go away. A 7-2 run brought the Tigers right back; the score was tied 58-58 with 1:46 left in the game.
That was the last time the Tigers got the ball.
Hays junior guard Nate Alvarado set up a final shot, holding the ball for the final 90-plus seconds.
Lucero said he wanted to spread the floor, and eventually get to the paint.
Hays initiated his plan with ten seconds left. Junior guard Chris Gonzales got the ball, and drove the baseline. He heaved a shot that missed the mark.
Agnew snagged the rebound and banked a shot off the glass for the win.
“I was playing for the moment. The ball came off, and I felt like I needed to put it in,” Agnew said. “If it went in, it went in. If it didn’t, it didn’t. No harm, no foul.”
The moment following the final shot hit both sides of the emotional spectrum. While Hays reveled in the moment, Dripping Springs tried to piece together the end result.
Ultmately, rebounds doomed the Tigers. Swannack said it was something the team talked about, but couldn’t thrive on in the end.
“Give a ton of credit [to Hays]. They are the best 4A team we’ve played,” Swannack said. “They came to play. They wanted it as much as we did.”
Lucero now has the chance to coach his team to even further heights; none seen in 20-plus years at Hays.
“It’s really exciting; I feel very happy,” he said. “I’m proud of the way the team played.”
Perhaps Hays’ biggest motivating factor was to ensure a last-second loss didn’t happen again.
“Early in the year, we lost on a buzzer-beater to Boerne Champion,” Cagle said. “Bar none, that’s the worst feeling we’ve had in sports. We told ourselves we couldn’t let it happen again.”
