In his postgame news conference, Jackson County Central coach Trent Sukalski paused and motioned his hand to a TV across the room.

“Did you see that?” he asked the players sitting beside them, referring to a highlight from Huskies’ victory showing on the screen.

Jackson County Central was never expected to be here, and the Huskies are embracing the little things in the school’s first trip to the state tournament.

But a 63-46 victory against Annandale in the Class 2A semifinal left little doubt that the unseeded Huskies belong.

Bodey Behrends, Jackson County Central’s 6-9 post, led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds. Matt Ringkob added 19 points with his outside shooting.

“I’m opening the gym constantly for these two, along with a lot of our other players,” Sukalski said. “Their dedication and commitment to be good … That’s why we’re here.”

The Huskies (25-5) played with an up-tempo pace in a battle of two unseeded teams. Despite a slow start, Jackson County Central used a strong run to close the first half. After halftime, with the crowd roaring behind them, the Huskies did not relent. As the tempo increased, it seemed the lead followed suit.

Alex Hohenstien led the Annandale with 12 points, and top scorer Jarod Wilken was held to seven. As a team, the Cardinals (26-6) shot only 30.2 percent as Behrends’ presence limited shot selection all game.
 
The Huskies defeated No. 2 seed Caledonia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

First report

Jackson County Central was never expected to be here, but you might not know if you watched the Huskies play Friday at Target Center.

The Huskies, playing in the state tournament for the first time in school history, dominated the second half and defeatd Annandale 63-46 to advance to the Class 2A state championship game.

In a showdown between unseeded teams that had already exceeded expectations in the 2A bracket, Jackson County Central's up-tempo offense ran and shot its way past the Cardinals.

The Huskies (24-5) started slow, but used a strong run to close the first half. And after halftime, with the crowd roaring behind them, Jackson County Central did not relent. As the tempo increased, it seemed the Huskies’ lead followed suit. 

The Huskies' interior game was led by 6-9 post Bodey Behrends, who scored 20 points and had eight rebounds. Matt Ringkob sparked the effort from the outside with 19 points.

Alex Hohenstein scored 12 for Annandale, but a poor-shooting first half and a second half in which Annandale lost the transition game spelled doom for the Cardinals (26-6).

Jackson County Central also limited Annandale’s top scorer, Jarod Wilken, to only seven points. The Cardinals shot only 30.2 percent from the field compared to JCC’s 46-percent mark.

Jackson County Central will face fourth-seeded Braham in a matchup few expected for the Class 2A championship Saturday at 1 p.m. at Target Center.