The No. 2 ranked Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys basketball team had their record setting season come to a close Tuesday in the class 2A state quarterfinals at the hands of the No. 7 Monticello Panthers 46-43 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Panthers scored the first five of the game, but the Golden Hawks answered back with baskets from Carter Harmsen and Jack Pennington to put together an 11-2 run and take an 11-7 lead into the second frame. In the second period, the Panthers hit five threes and opened up their largest lead of the day at 27-18 at the break. The third quarter belonged to the Golden Hawks as the defense suffocated Monticello, not allowing the Panthers a point as Mid-Prairie ran in 15 in a row to take a 33-27 lead to the fourth. The Hawks still held an eight point advantage with just over six minutes to go, but Monticello put together their own great defensive quarter, holding Mid-Prairie without a field goal for five and a half minutes of the final period while getting hot again from downtown to erase the Mid-Prairie lead. a Preston Ries three pointer with 45 seconds left in the game proved to be the winner. Will Cavanagh’s three with five seconds left pulled Mid-Prairie within 44-43, but a pair of Panther free throws supplied the final margin of victory. After the game, head coach Daren Lambert talked about the game and the season. “Looking down in the second and fourth quarter, they got us pretty good and we didn’t capitalize on the offense end. We had a really good third quarter. That was just two good teams going back and forth, what you expect here at state. We just ran out of time today. The deciding factors were they had some guys that aren’t their normal point getters step up and hit some big shots. They pushed a lead out that we had to go chase. We were a little careless with the basketball today, 18 turnovers, gave them a lot of extra possessions. We forced them into some turnovers too but just didn’t capitalize. We stuck with our diamond press, our man to man, we just played it a lot better after half. You got to give some credit to Monticello, they hit some open threes and then they hit some threes with hands in their face. Like I said to our guys ‘I’m extremely proud. Just so much love for those guys and what they have accomplished throughout their entire careers. I know that’s not the trophy sitting in the locker room that they want, but a couple days, 10 years, 15 years from now, they’ll understand what they’ve done for us. I see it now, but they can’t yet because they’re kids, they’re living in the moment. You look at the stands and you see the future Mid-Prairie basketball players sitting there taking it all in. That’s how they get hungry and work and build the program.”

Monticello knocked down nine threes in the game, was a perfect seven of seven at the line and forced Mid-Prairie into a season high 18 turnovers. The Golden Hawks shot 50% as a team, outrebounded the Panthers by two and outscored the Panthers in the paint 20-12. Tate Petersen had a game high 19 points to lead Monitcello, Ries added 11. Carter Harmsen was the lone Golden Hawk to get to double figures with 11 points. The loss ends Mid-Prairie’s season at 24-1. Monticello improves to 22-3 and will take on Rock Valley in the 2A state semifinals Thursday. Mid-Prairie’s unbeaten regular season this year was their first since 1991, and included their first conference title since 2009 and their 24 game winning streak was the longest in boys program history. This year’s trip to state was the first since 2010. Mid-Prairie will say goodbye to seniors Will Cavanagh, Carter Harmsen, Justice Jones, Ethan Kos and Jack Pennington.