DARLINGTON - After watching Benton senior Kane Hoffman hoist the WIAA Division 4 boys basketball regional championship plaque and run over to the student section after the Zephyrs' 68-46 win over Monticello, Tyler Ritschard knew that was the party he planned on hosting.
"That was not a good feeling," Ritschard said of watching Hoffman after losing the Darlington regional title game Saturday. "I didn't want to see it. I wanted us to be taking that regional championship over to our crowd."
Benton (21-2) spoiled the Ponies' plans by jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter, highlighted by a four-point play by Benton senior Connor Hendricks.
"I told the kids yesterday and today, we belong," Monticello coach Brad Pickett said. "We absolutely belong here. There were times I don't know if we believed that. The kids played hard and never quit."
Ritschard, who scored a team-high 13 points, found ways to penetrate the Zephyrs' defense and made plays when the Ponies needed.
"He's still learning," Pickett said. "We have to live with some of the mistakes he makes sometimes. Tyler did a nice job. He will only get better. He's the type of player who makes the other kids around him better."
Monticello (15-8) went to a 2-3 zone midway through the second quarter after senior Casey Klossner and junior Tyler Meier picked up two fouls. Benton sophomore Michael Droessler did most of the damage early on by scoring a game-high 22 points.
"Realistically, I didn't want to go to a 2-3," Pickett said. "It's something we had to do to stay out of foul trouble."
Monticello found itself trailing by as many as 28 points in the second half, though the Zephyrs outscored the Ponies just 30-26 in the third and fourth quarters. However, Monticello dug itself a first-half hole and trailed 38-20 at halftime. The Ponies had 11 of their 15 turnovers in the first half.
"Benton is a very good defensive team," Pickett said. "We were trying to get our feet wet a little bit. They have been here and won this before. It took us a while to get our feet wet."
Meier scored 10 points and fellow junior Jacob Marty added seven. Monticello senior Brandon Holz scored six points and had five rebounds in his last prep game.
"We knew we could hang with them," Holz said. "They were more experienced and they just hit all their shots. Benton is a really good team. They were already penciled in for Randolph. Hopefully, they can get there and get to state."
Holz said his most memorable moment will be winning a shared Six Rivers East Conference title with Barneveld.
"We were picked fourth for conference and we were the co-champions," Holz said. "All the seniors, we really pushed ourselves and never quit."
"That was not a good feeling," Ritschard said of watching Hoffman after losing the Darlington regional title game Saturday. "I didn't want to see it. I wanted us to be taking that regional championship over to our crowd."
Benton (21-2) spoiled the Ponies' plans by jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter, highlighted by a four-point play by Benton senior Connor Hendricks.
"I told the kids yesterday and today, we belong," Monticello coach Brad Pickett said. "We absolutely belong here. There were times I don't know if we believed that. The kids played hard and never quit."
Ritschard, who scored a team-high 13 points, found ways to penetrate the Zephyrs' defense and made plays when the Ponies needed.
"He's still learning," Pickett said. "We have to live with some of the mistakes he makes sometimes. Tyler did a nice job. He will only get better. He's the type of player who makes the other kids around him better."
Monticello (15-8) went to a 2-3 zone midway through the second quarter after senior Casey Klossner and junior Tyler Meier picked up two fouls. Benton sophomore Michael Droessler did most of the damage early on by scoring a game-high 22 points.
"Realistically, I didn't want to go to a 2-3," Pickett said. "It's something we had to do to stay out of foul trouble."
Monticello found itself trailing by as many as 28 points in the second half, though the Zephyrs outscored the Ponies just 30-26 in the third and fourth quarters. However, Monticello dug itself a first-half hole and trailed 38-20 at halftime. The Ponies had 11 of their 15 turnovers in the first half.
"Benton is a very good defensive team," Pickett said. "We were trying to get our feet wet a little bit. They have been here and won this before. It took us a while to get our feet wet."
Meier scored 10 points and fellow junior Jacob Marty added seven. Monticello senior Brandon Holz scored six points and had five rebounds in his last prep game.
"We knew we could hang with them," Holz said. "They were more experienced and they just hit all their shots. Benton is a really good team. They were already penciled in for Randolph. Hopefully, they can get there and get to state."
Holz said his most memorable moment will be winning a shared Six Rivers East Conference title with Barneveld.
"We were picked fourth for conference and we were the co-champions," Holz said. "All the seniors, we really pushed ourselves and never quit."
