Bishop Seabury freshman Joao Carlos Ramirez drives the lane in its sub-state game against Maranatha on Saturday, March 2 at Pleasanton.

Two weeks ago, Bishop Seabury boys basketball coach Jonathan Raney had a simple message for his team: approach every game as a must-win.

“We don’t have to wait,” Raney said. “We’re talented enough, we have enough in this room to make a run.”

The Seahawks start three sophomores in Zach Bloch, Stavian Jones and Miles Branch. Freshman players Joao Carlos Ramirez and Sam Hertzog provide the Seahawks valuable production to round out a varsity team with five underclassmen.

On Saturday, the Seahawks proved that their youth wasn’t a concern.

Seabury scored 95 points, the most out of any city team all season, to defeat Maranatha. Three of the five who netted double digits were sophomores, with Bloch (29) and Branch (23) pacing the Seahawks.

“We don’t have to wait (until) next year when we have Cobe (Green) back, we can win right now,” Bloch said. “Our whole team plays hard, we can overcome the younger age just by how hard we play.”

The Seahawks (No. 5 seed, 16-4) are set to appear in their third state tournament in four years, Wednesday at Fort Hays State University.

Raney, a Fort Hays State University grad (2001-03), returns to his alma mater as head coach of the Seahawks. It won’t be the first time he’s seen the bench of Lewis Field Stadium, however. Raney was a graduate assistant.

“I honestly don’t think we’re finished,” Raney said following the Seahawks 95-71 win over Maranatha. “I honestly think this is the beginning of something that could be very special. From the looks of it today, these boys are continuing to believe and continuing to fight for each other.”

Though the root of the Seahawks’ offense lies in its youth, it can’t go without leadership from its lone senior, Chris Green. He joins three juniors, Sam Bayliss, Jett French, and Henry Nelson, who have each had experience at the state tournament in Manhattan. Against Maranatha, Nelson came off the bench to make sure the Seahawks stayed out of foul trouble.

Green gave credit to glue guys like junior center Luke Hornberger and Jones as a perimeter defender.

“(Luke’s) a great defender and he’s so tough, he takes all the blow from the biggest guys that we go against,” Green said. “He’s always working his butt off, getting rebounds, and he’s an excellent shot blocker. He’s one of the scrappiest dudes on our team. Stavian is very quick, like a pest on defense, and that’s what we need.”

Seabury will face Ness City (No. 4 seed, 19-4) at 8:15 p.m Thursday at Fort Hays State University.

“You can either be happy to be there or go with a purpose, to win another trophy,” Raney said. “Knowing this group of boys, I think we’re going to go in there and want to have success.”