Emporia — There's a joke making its way around Free State High these days about the school's boys basketball coach.
"Someone told me that I should get docked at least half my salary because I don't start working until February," FSHS coach Jack Schreiner quipped.
For the second year in a row, Schreiner has induced a seemingly-improbable late-season surge from his squad and led the Firebirds to the Class 6A state tournament. This time around, Free State overcame back-to-back losses to close the regular season and toppled top-ranked and defending state champion Leavenworth (58-56) before clipping Lawrence High (53-51) on Saturday in the sub-state championship at LHS.
Seventh-seeded Free State (11-11) will face No. 2 Wichita Southeast (19-3), which was the 1999 state champion and finished third a year ago. Tipoff for today's state quarterfinal game is 6:30 p.m. at Emporia's White Auditorium.
"Last year, obviously we played real well in the game and felt that we had a good opportunity to win," said Schreiner, whose team was defeated in the quarterfinals by the Pioneers, 57-51. "But we also came home thinking we had a good season. We were kind of content to just go. This year our goal was to take the next step not only to go, but to win that first game so that we're guaranteed two more."
Not only is Wichita Southeast no stranger to the state tournament, but also the Buffaloes know a thing or two about the Sunflower League. Last year at state, Southeast defeated Shawnee Mission West in the quarterfinals before losing to Leavenworth in the semifinals.
The Buffaloes who held off SM Northwest, 67-58, earlier this season in their home tournament don't think the extra exposure to the Sunflower League will provide much of an advantage, though.
"It's whoever you line up against you've got to be prepared," Southeast coach Carl Taylor said. "We need to do what we do well and get out and execute. When we come to play, we're tough to beat, especially when we all play as team. We lost three games that I didn't think we should have, but we did."
The Buffaloes, who were defeated twice by Wichita Northwest by a total of seven points and lost to Wichita Carroll by six, have been led during the postseason by senior forward Jeff Martin and senior guards Rone Smith and Darel Lucas.
In wins over Manhattan (61-35) and Wichita North (67-48), Martin averaged 15.0 points per game, Smith scored 13.5 ppg and Lucas added 10.0 ppg.
"I think we match up very well," Taylor said of tonight's tilt. "We play good defense, play well together. We do whatever it takes. If we need to slow it down, we can. If not, we can push it up the floor."
Speaking of the floor, Schreiner thinks that's one area where the Firebirds could have an advantage. Free State has been an annual participant in the Emporia Tipoff Classic, held every December in White Auditorium.
"Pat (Krivoshia) has already played 10 games in that gym," Schreiner said. "I think that's got to be an advantage for us. Now, he's obviously played more, but Neil (Dougherty) played, Morgan (Minnis) played, Keith (Wooden) has played. All those kids have played three games in that gym already and are used to it and I firmly believe that that's an advantage."
Krivoshia, the team's leading scorer with an average of 13.4 ppg, has carried the Firebirds of late. Since one of Free State's starters left the squad in January, Krivoshia has averaged 17.5 ppg during a span of 11 games.
Wooden (12.3 ppg) is second on the team in scoring, followed by junior swingman Andron Cruse (6.1) and Dougherty (4.6). Cruse missed practice Tuesday with a "tweaked" ankle, and senior guard Chris Luman watched from the sideline because of an illness. Schreiner expects both to be able to play today.
The Free State coach also knows his guards will have to play a big role in order for the Firebirds to continue to roll.
"They're going to pressure the heck out of us," Schreiner said of the Buffaloes. "Heightwise, they may be a little bigger, but nothing to where there's a distinct advantage. What scares me is their pressure. They will be relentless with that and obviously that scares me because we had some problems against Lawrence High with some pressure.
"Basically, like I told the kids, if we can handle their pressure and rebound with them because they score a lot of their points off of rebounds then I think we have a chance and that's all we want a chance."
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