Rushford-Peterson made it a goal at the start of the season to make the Class 1A state championship game.

The third-seeded Trojans (30-1) took one step closer to that goal Thursday at Williams Arena, defeating unseeded Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 71-63 in the quarterfinals.

Rushford-Peterson forced 21 turnovers and overcame 12 of their own. With the victory, it earned a rematch with second-seeded Maranatha Christian Academy in the semifinals, a repeat of last year’s semifinal game that the Trojans lost.

“It was a battle last year, so hopefully we can get some revenge this year,” Rushford-Peterson guard Cole Kingsley said. “But it’ll be a great challenge for us.” 

Kingsley led Rushford-Peterson with 18 points Thursday. He helped limit the Falcons’ leading scorer, senior guard Taylor Larson, to 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

“He had to really work hard to get his shots,” Trojans coach Thomas Vix said. “I really thought we did a pretty good job of keeping him from having that big, monster game.”

Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City never trailed by more than 12, despite Larson’s quiet day. Falcons freshman center Gabriel Eisenbacher scoring 16 second-half points to keep the game close.

Eisenbacher cut the Trojans’ lead to five with 6:31 remaining, but a subsequent 7-0 run by Rushford-Peterson put the game out of reach.

NATE GOTLIEB

First report

Third-seeded Rushford-Peterson defeated unseeded Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 71-63 in the Class 1A quarterfinals Thursday at Williams Arena.

Junior guard Cole Kingsley led the Trojans (30-1) with 18 points, and senior forward Austin O'Hare added 14, as Rushford-Peterson clinched a spot in the state semifinals for a third consecutive year.

The Trojans will face second-seeded Maranatha Christian Academy in the semifinals for the second consecutive season. They lost to the Mustangs last season in the semifinals. 

Check back later for more on the game.


Photo gallery: Rushford-Peterson 71, ACGC 63