Fort Madison boys end year with loss at Mt. Pleasant

Next year starts tomorrow

The offseason starts tomorrow. We thank our seniors — we were very appreciative of the hard work they put in. The rest of these guys, I told them to know this feeling. Remember the score, offseason starts tomorrow, and what you do between now and next November is going to determine what next year is like.””

Ryan Wilson, FMHS Boys Head Coach

MOUNT PLEASANT — Fort Madison’s defense silenced Mount Pleasant for the final 6 1/2 minutes of Monday’s Class 3A boys basketball substate quarterfinal.
The Bloodhounds gave themselves plenty of chances to win, but fell 40-38 to the Panthers.
Mount Pleasant (18-5) plays host to Solon (17-5) in Thursday’s semifinal.
Fort Madison ended its season with a 6-16 record, and lamenting the missed opportunities at the end.
“We executed our game plan really well,” Fort Madison coach Ryan Wilson said. “A couple of shots, a couple of free throws, a couple of calls go our way, and it’s a 5-point or 6-point win.”
Fort Madison had been swept by the Panthers during the regular season — a 25-point loss to open the season and a one-point loss in early January — but this game was more to the Bloodhounds’ pace.
“The lower the score, the better opportunity I felt like we had,” Wilson said.
Fort Madison trailed 39-31 after Nate Dismang’s layup with 6:30 to play. But that would be Mount Pleasant’s last field goal of the game.
“We just got tougher,” Wilson said. “We just got tougher, dug our heels in, and let them know we’re going to be here. We gave ourselves a hell of an opportunity to win.”
Fort Madison had a chance to tie the game down 39-36 with 2 1/2 minutes to play, but Carson Rashid’s 3-pointer rolled off the back of the rim. But the Bloodhounds got the margin to one point on the next possession when Leif Boeding scored off an offensive rebound, then got another stop to have a chance to get the lead. Mount Pleasant’s defense, though, forced a shot clock violation to get the ball back.
Then the Panthers gave the Bloodhounds more opportunities. Owen Vansickel missed the first free throw of a one-and-bonus chance. Fort Madison got an open look at the other end, but Hunter Cresswell’s shot inside missed.
Vansickel was fouled again, and missed the first free throw again. But the ball was tipped back to Vansickel on the rebound attempt, and after being fouled he was able to hit the first free throw before missing the second. The ball was knocked out of bounds, giving the ball to Fort Madison with less than a second remaining.
Wilson drew up an inbounds play similar to the one that gave the Bloodhounds a last-second win over Holy Trinity earlier this season. But Aidan Boyer’s inbounds pass was intercepted by Mount Pleasant’s Aaiden Ashton as time ran out.
“It’s just a matter of trying to get the ball and get it caught,” Wilson said. “Get it down here to where I can use my last timeout and hope for a prayer again.”
Boeding had 10 points for the Bloodhounds. Vansickel had 16 to lead Mount Pleasant.
Fort Madison brings back the bulk of this season’s team.
“The offseason starts tomorrow,” Wilson said. “We thank our seniors — we were very appreciative of the hard work they put in. The rest of these guys, I told them to know this feeling. Remember the score, offseason starts tomorrow, and what you do between now and next November is going to determine what next year is like.”