Perry-Lecompton senior Colton Mallonee (15) lets out a scream as the PLHS student section storms the court following a 47-46 win over Silver Lake in the sub-state championship Saturday on March 2, 2019.

Perhaps nothing illustrated Perry-Lecompton’s impressive run to state better than the final seconds of Saturday’s sub-state championship.

After a pair of free throws by Silver Lake, Perry-Lecompton trailed by a 46-42 margin. Nobody in the PLHS gym could have possibly seen what was coming over the final 43 seconds of the contest. With doubt starting to creep in, the Kaws treated it like business as usual.

Senior Conner Morgison drilled a 3-pointer from the corner with 32 seconds remaining. After fumbling the ball for a few moments, junior Blake Farmer hit the game-winning turnaround to clinch a 47-46 victory. The win sent PLHS (20-2) to the 3A state tournament for the second consecutive season.

“These kids, just like last year’s group, have worked so hard and they earned it,” PLHS head coach Jared Swafford said. “Early in the year, there were some people outside of our community that were doubting how good we were. Just to see it all come to this, it is awesome. I’m so proud of our kids.”

But that’s been the mantra all year for the Kaws. They have managed to keep chugging along, using any outside noise as fuel during their 18-game win streak.

“Everyone has been doubting us since we lost our two best players from last year,” Farmer said. “Nearly every game, our coach lets us know that we need to prove our doubters wrong. We just need to go out and play our game, and let it motivate us.”

Perry-Lecompton senior Conner Morgison looks to make a pass during Saturday’s sub-state championship game against Silver Lake at PLHS on March 2, 2019.

Since the very first day of the season, Perry-Lecompton believed in its ability to return to the state tournament, even when those outside the community thought otherwise.

From the outside looking in, there was some reason to believe that the Kaws might take a step back. Perry-Lecompton was tasked with replacing four seniors, including two starters, from last year’s team who lifted PLHS to the state tournament for the first time in 35 years.

The Kaws lost over 52.9 percent of their scoring production from last year, which came from players that played over 45 percent of the team’s minutes. When Perry-Lecompton lost two of its first four games to start the 2018-19 season, it seemed like the doubters were going to be proven right.

“Once people started doubting us, we started playing our game,” Morgison said. “We all knew we could do it. We have just been running our stuff, and playing solid defense. That has helped us get here.”

Players began to buy into their roles after the 2-2 start, and emphasized the importance on the defensive end.

Perry-Lecompton senior Colton Mallonee drives past a Silver Lake defender during Saturday’s sub-state championship game at PLHS on March 2, 2019.

Senior Colton Mallonee might be leading the team in scoring with an average of 14.3 points per game, but there is plenty of balance on this year’s squad. Farmer is producing 13.1 points per outing, while senior Connor Anderson is averaging 10.4 points per game. Morgison, meanwhile, is running the show at point guard.

Sophomores Benjamin Stone and Dawson Williams, along with senior Colton Ketron, have provided plenty of production, as well.

Despite the brilliant balance, and a 15-game win streak entering the postseason, Swafford found publications that predicted PLHS to falter in its own sub-state bracket. He, of course, made sure to tell his players about that.

Swafford will likely find some more evidence of nonbelievers about his team’s chances of taking home a 3A title.

“You have gotten to the point now, obviously, where you are not flying under the radar,” Swafford said. “When different papers and whoever else wants to pick someone else to win, that’s always great bulletin-board material.”

PLHS, the No. 3 seed, will take on No. 6 Larned (17-6) at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.