WARDSVILLE - The Blair Oaks Falcons have been waiting a little more than a year for a second chance.
"We can't come out there and get intimidated by their athleticism and start turning the ball over," Blair Oaks senior Carson Prenger said. "We've got to be ready from the start. We know what to expect this year."
Cardinal Ritter stole the ball from Blair Oaks five times in the first 4:30 and led 15-0 to start last year's Class 3 semifinal game at JQH Arena in Springfield.
The Lions won by 14 points and defeated Charleston 88-32 the next day to win the state championship.
Today, Blair Oaks makes its return to the state semifinals at JQH Arena. Game time for the Falcons' Class 4 semifinal against the Vashon Wolverines is 10 a.m.
"We've been working hard these past two days trying to get our minds right and hopefully come out with a better outcome than last year," Blair Oaks senior Jake Closser said.
The Falcons have heard coach Ryan Fick say "value the basketball" plenty this season.
The message has gotten through. Blair Oaks turns the ball over fewer than 13 times per game and has gotten after it on the defensive end, leading to a 24-4 record and a No. 6 ranking by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.
"I think we did a much better job down the stretch," Fick said. "Once we became a little bit more aware of it, I thought we did a better job. We've not played a team that is going to guard us like the way Vashon will guard us. But I think we're aware of what the focus is going into this game because we really talked about it this week."
Vashon has only lost once in its limited schedule of 14 games, including district and state tournament play.
"They are ranked No. 1 for a reason," Closser said. "They're a really good ballclub and play really good defense, and can score pretty much anytime they want. I think we just need to take care of the ball, rebound well and hopefully we can compete."
Today marks Blair Oaks' fourth state semifinal appearance, while Vashon has made it 27 times.
The Wolverines were scheduled to face the Helias Crusaders last year in the Class 4 semifinals, but it was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.
Blair Oaks' 2019-20 season came to and end with the loss to Cardinal Ritter because the third-place game was canceled.
The loser of today's Class 4 semifinal game will not play in a third-place game, either, after Barstow withdrew from its scheduled contest against the Westminster Christian Academy Wildcats.
The Blair Oaks-Vashon winner will take on Westminster Christian Academy for the state championship at 2 p.m. Saturday at JQH Arena.
Vashon came out of District 4, advancing to the title game because of a forfeit before defeating Soldan 76-41.
Vashon then got past Roosevelt (89-31) and second-ranked New Madrid County Central (72-52) to reach the state semifinals.
Opponents are averaging 44.8 points per game against the Wolverines, who have only lost to De Smet 48-41.
Recko Bailey, a 5-foot-9 senior, leads an intense Vashon defense with 3.18 steals per game.
A pair of Division I recruits pave the way for the Wolverines: VCU signee Nicholas Kern and UNLV commit Keshon Gilbert.
Kern, a 6-5 senior, averages 18.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Gilbert, a 6-3 senior, averages 13.9 points and 4.33 assists.
Prenger has often guarded the opposing team's best player this season.
"I like the competition," Prenger said. "I like always going out there and getting their best guy, and being expected to lock them down.
"It's really fun getting to face guard and stuff like that. I've got no other responsibilities than to look you in the face and guard you."
Blair Oaks reached the state semifinals by defeating fourth-ranked East Newton 44-40 last Friday in a road quarterfinal game.
Before that, Blair Oaks defeated Buffalo 69-46 at home in sectionals and St. James 61-29 in the District 9 championship game in Owensville.
"Getting those tough games in before this has prepared us," Prenger said. "We know we can push through adversity like that."
The junior duo of Luke Northweather and Quinn Kusgen have combined to score more than 65 percent of the Falcons' points this season.
Northweather averages 27.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.8 assists per game, while Kusgen averages 18.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
"I think he would admit, early on, it's easy to get frustrated when you've got two, three guys making contact with you all the time," Fick said of Northweather. " He's really adjusted to that and has done a really good job here in the last month or so of playing through that and taking what the defense gives him."
Closser scores 10.5 points per game while averaging 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Blair Oaks' other regular starter, Brysan Jeffries, averages 2.5 assists and has 19 steals.
"Every year is a new challenge as far as defining roles and having guys accept roles," Fick said. " I think our guys have done a really good job of accepting their roles, especially here down the stretch. Guys know what is expected of them and even the guys coming off the bench, they get in the game and they know what we're looking for."
A win today would get Blair Oaks a step closer to its first state championship since the 2000-01 season.
"I think what they learned is it's great to get there, but you want to go there and you want to win a state championship," Fick said. "That's what everybody's goal is that heads to Springfield. I think what we learned is the start of our semifinal game is so important."