It was the first time the Wooden Shoes had reached the state tourney since 2007, when that THS squad also brought home the third-place trophy. And in the 99-year rich basketball history at the school, this is just the fourth team to reach the Final Four.

“Ever since these kids were in sixth grade, they’ve been told they were the class that was supposed to get here,” Reeder said. “They’ve had all these expectations and they lived up to every one of them. I’m incredibly proud of this entire group.

“They knew this was their last game,” Reeder, who is completing his fifth season at THS, added. “Our first game today was disappointing, but they didn’t let that bother them. They attacked from the very beginning and did exactly what this team does. They just played and it was fun watching them do that.”

After the opening score, the game was tied just one other time in the first half and that was at 18-18. But the lead changed hands eight times. Back-to-back three-pointers by Garrett Gaddis gave the Shoes an early 10-7 lead, but the Rockets came back to lead 11-10 at the end of the first eight minutes.

The two teams traded baskets for a while in the second period. Taylor Ridge standout Jase Whiteman – who along with T-Town’s Caleb Siemer were both selected to the Class 2A All-State Second Team – scored 14 points in the opening half, including consecutive jumpers than knotted the game at 18-18 at the 3:16 mark.

A three by Brendan Niebrugge gave the Shoes a lead they never relinquished. Siemer added a free throw and a three of his own from the top of the key and Brendan Niebrugge capped the first half with a long three from the wing just ahead of the buzzer to give THS a 28-22 edge at intermission.

“These guys are incredible,” Reeder said. “They were diving on the floor, playing pressure defense, grabbing rebounds and running the floor. They were trusting their fundamentals and really wore them (Taylor Ridge) down.”

As a result, the margin continued to expand in the third quarter.

The Rockets got within four, 31-27, but a short jumper by Siemer ignited the decisive run. He added two more buckets during the 4½-minute stretch, while Brendan Niebrugge converted a turnover into a score and Gaddis drilled a three from the corner to complete the 11-0 surge and make it a 15-point bulge, 42-27.

The Rockets were within 13 heading into the final eight minutes, but Siemer hit two more shots and Caleb Bloemer added another, giving the Shoes their largest lead of the game, 48-31, with five minutes still left.

Taylor Ridge, with 28 wins under its belt this season, wasn’t about to stop playing hard. A three-pointer by Caleb Cunico and a basket by Carson Klemme started a 12-1 run. Back-to-back threes by Cunico and Whiteman made it a six-point game, 49-43, with 1:39 to go and the Rockets had a chance to get even closer, but another three attempt by Whiteman was off the mark.

“We’ve stressed and stressed about taking care of the basketball and rebounding once we get under the five-minute mark,” Reeder noted. “We did not do that tonight. We stopped playing a little and they put together a nice run.”

A pair of free throws by Siemer restored order and James Niebrugge added another foul shot with 25 ticks left to secure the victory.

“These kind of games are tough,” Reeder said. “There was no time to really prepare or just breathe. You just move on to the next game. But I really enjoyed this. It was my last time to coach this group and they are a special group.”

For the Rockets, who finished their season at 28-6, Whiteman scored 20 points and Landon Bull added 10. They shots 40 percent from the floor, connecting on 17-of-42 shots overall. They were 6-for-21 from behind the arc and 3-for-4 at the foul line.

The Shoes also had two players in double figures. Siemer finished his career with a double-double, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Brendan Niebrugge added 10 points. THS made 19-of-46 attempts, a 41 percent clip. They were 8-for-17 from three-point range and 6-for-11 at the line. They also held a 29-17 rebounding advantage.

“Caleb was so good tonight,” Reeder said. “He was aggressive inside and finished with both hands. He played like an all-stater.”

T-Town completed its season with a 29-9 record.

But Reeder was forced to say goodbye to five seniors – Brendan Niebrugge, James Niebrugge, Caleb Siemer, Caleb Bloemer and Logan Roepke.

“You know what defines them?” Reeder explained. “Yesterday (Wednesday), they received hundreds of cards from first and fourth graders, who wanted to support them and thank them for being role models. This is a special group that has lived up to every expectation.

“But they didn’t just expect this to happen,” Reeder added. “They worked at it. They knew they would have to work hard in order to make it happen and they did. I am so impressed and so proud of these guys. They will be missed.”