Spartan Law

Collegiate, seemingly the perennial favorite to win 3A, has a big weekend in front of it. The Spartans return to the Bluestem Classic in El Dorado, where they lost in the semifinal to Kapaun last season. They would also lose in the semifinal of sub-state later in the season. Coach Mitch Fiegel, in light of the seemingly automatic success they've been having of late in MCAA league play, must have circled this tournament on the schedule at season's start as a landmark. How this tournament goes could foreshadow how Collegiate's postseason goes. A tourney win in El Dorado makes them an even more solid favorite to win 3A. Collegiate, which will not play another competitive game this season after the Bluestem Classic until they meet 4A Hesston at home on Feb. 17, starts the tourney against Campus. Then, they play the winner of North-Gardner Edgerton. If they win the semifinal, they could meet Trinity Academy, the team they were supposed to clash with at the Bluestem Classic and sub-state last year but didn't make it that far. Collegiate lost their leaders, Cole Fiegel and Clint Cornejo, to graduation, but they were supported last season by a host of sophomores and juniors. They now are in the limelight, led by junior Blake Jablonski, who averages 15 ppg and is an all-around outstanding athlete. He is the only double-digit averaging scorer on the team, a testament to Collegiate's ability to spread the scoring by means of high-pressure team defense. The Bluestem Classic usually matches up top lower class teams with average upper-class teams; it's a perfect formula for the lower-class teams to build confidence by beating schools they're not supposed to beat. Collegiate can gain experience and confidence from this tournament which will not be available in most of their remaining games.