Dedication and Composure Send Tigers to Final Four

While the revenge tour ends, the mission continues. The Canton Tigers shed the demons of the past as they avenged their loss to Clopton from three years ago. Now, they take down the Harrisburg Bulldogs, the team that ended their season in last year’s sectional round. With a 65-60 victory, the Tigers advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.

Canton held a 30-28 lead at halftime despite being outscored in the second quarter. However, the Bulldogs took control as foul trouble and turnovers plagued the Tigers. Canton rallied back, cutting the deficit to just one point heading into the fourth quarter. The final period was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams answering three-pointers with three-pointers. But the Tigers found a way to gain a late lead.

Down 55-50, Preston Brewer hit a shot to get things rolling. Kaden Oliver followed with a three-pointer to tie the game, and Drew Gottman hit another to give Canton the lead. The Bulldogs responded to tie it back up, but Canton stayed composed, and Gottman put them back ahead by two. That forced Harrisburg to start intentionally fouling in an attempt to extend the game, but Canton held on for the 65-60 win.

After the game, Brewer struggled to put his emotions into words but emphasized the team’s dedication.

“We put in countless hours on this court, outside this court. Everybody comes in wanting to do what we just did—make it to state,” Brewer said. “I mean, guys come in, they work their tails off, they go home and work their tails off, they are dedicated to this game, and that’s why we are where we are.”

Brewer led the Tigers with 26 points, despite not making a single three-pointer. He also recorded eight rebounds and two blocks. Additionally, he made history, surpassing Gabe McKenzie as Canton’s all-time leading scorer, needing just six points entering the game to break the record.

Oliver added 25 points, knocking down five three-pointers. He spoke about maintaining his composure throughout the game.

“I tried to stay composed, whether they went on a run, or we came back with runs of our own. But there were some points in the game where I just really couldn’t hold it in,” Oliver admitted. “When Drew Gottman hit that three in the corner, I just let it all loose.”

Oliver also contributed two rebounds and one assist.

For Harrisburg, senior Trace Combs led all scorers with 30 points, while Rylee Robinson added 10. The Bulldogs finished their season with a 24-6 record after an incredibly hard-fought year. Oliver gave credit to Harrisburg in his postgame interview.

“I mean, give all credit to Harrisburg. They are coached extremely well by Coach Kyle Fisher. They have some really skilled players on their team. Shoutout to Combs—everything we did defensively was to get the ball out of his hands. And it wasn’t just him; they are all fighters, and I respect that.”

Harrisburg will graduate five seniors this year and will look to build for next season.

Canton will move on to Columbia, where they will play the Puxico Indians in the semifinals. Puxico advanced with a 61-43 win over the South Iron Panthers. That game is set for Thursday, March 12, at 6:00 PM at Mizzou Arena.