No storybook ending for Blue Jays, last second-shot ends season at Districts

CORNING – As Corning's Caleb Nett released a perfectly aimed three-point shot from 23 feet with six seconds left in the district quarter final Tuesday, hearts of the fans, players, and coaches donning the blue and white sunk.

There was a glimmer of hope, as Head Coach Jim Obermeier called a time out. Calling for the Blue Jays leading scorer, junior Marshall Dolch to take the last shot.

“We planned to inbound to (Dolch) and told him to get as far as he could,” Obermeier said after the game. “The plan was if he got double-teamed, to get rid of it, but if he got a look, then he was going to take the shot.”

Dolch got that shot, but with a hand in his face, the off-balanced shot with 0.4 seconds remaining, came out of his hands flat.

The final Blue Jay attempt hit the front of the rim with the final buzzer sounding before the ball landed.

One year removed from their first-ever State Tournament berth, the Blue Jays' season ended in defeat, 44-43.

The Blue Jays never stopped fighting in the loss to the Red Raiders.

Coming off their overtime win over Stanton, Villisca started off out of sync, plagued with turnovers and only scoring four points in the first quarter.

The Red Raiders continued adding to their lead as they pulled ahead 25-17 at the half.

“We just needed to clean up our game and start focusing on stopping them on the defensive side of the court,” Obermeier said.

The Blue Jays were able to hold Corning to only seven points in the third quarter, led by Nick Eblen and Jared Gillespie who combined for five steals in the game. 

Gillespie, fellow senior Nathan Cordon, along with juniors Timmy Myers and Dolch scrambled to pick up 24 of the team's 25 rebounds to change the direction of the game in the third quarter.

Only trailing by three going into the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays relied on their two junior scorers, Myers and Dolch.

With 20 seconds remaining, Myers drove the lane, sinking a circus-shot while drawing a foul.

Myers missed the free throw, giving the Red Raiders a chance in their final possession.

Corning went to Nett, who led the Red Raiders with 17 points, for their final shot, a three-pointer, with 5.9 seconds left.

Corning advanced to the semifinal with their 44-43 win, where Bedford 68-37 blew them out, Thursday.

Dolch led the Blue Jays with 20 points in the season finale. Dolch led Villisca this season, averaging 15.1 points per game. Myers added 13.1 ppg this season.

Villisca loses Cordon, Gillespie, Jake Eblen, Cody Hardy and Alex Herzberg after this season.

Cordon was second on the team with 34 assists. Gillespie pulled down 72 rebounds in his final season.