To quote the late Yogi Berra "It's deja vu all over again" would best describe the Class AAAA championship game between the Champlin Park Rebels and the Apple Valley Eagles as the unbeaten Rebels came up short again due to Tre Jones scoring 24 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 60-54 win over the Rebels Saturday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.
It was the second state title in three years for Apple Valley in their ninth trip to state and third overall. The game was also a rematch of the 2015 Class AAAA final that the eagles also beat the undefeated Rebels 64-61.
Theo John would begin the scoring for Champlin Park :11 into the game. Luke Martens would hit from Washington Ave. to put Apple Valley ahead. The lead would go back and forth with neither team not going on a lengthy run. John was outstanding on defense, blocking five shots in the first half. On offense he boxed out well after a missed shot and scored on a rebound. The only significant first half run was when the Eagles went on a 4-0 run. Tre Jones would score to tie the game at 25 and Brian Smith would score with 1:53 left in the first half and that would give the Rebels a 27-25 halftime lead.
Mason Morse would open the second half scoring for the Eagles with a pair of free throws to tie the game at 27. Martens and Jones would find the basket to put Apple Valley on a 4-0 run. A basket by Marcus Hill would end the run and he would pick up his fourth foul with 11:11 left in regulation time. The lead would go back and forth like a playground seesaw. Jones would put the Eagles ahead then Sam Dubois, who hit the game winner against the Chaska Hawks in the quarterfinals would hit a three pointer to put the Rebels ahead. They would go on a 7-0 run after Josiah Strong and McKinley Wright IV tallied. Morse would end the run for Apple Valley and Strong would hit a three pointer. Mohamed Kone would drive down the left side of the basket to score and cut the lead to one. Morse would score to put the Eagles ahead. Hill would score on a layup to tie the game at 52. Apple valley would vault into the lead again with a pair of free throws from Rolland, who would foul out with 1:17 left in the game. Hill would counter with a couple of free throws to even the score at 54. Jones, the brother of Minnesota Timberwolf Tyus Jones would hit the game winner with :51.1 left. Morse and Kone would score to clinch the Class AAAA championship trophy.
Morse was the only other Apple Valley player in double figures, scoring 12 points. Hill led Champlin Park with 15 points. Wright had 14 and John added 12 points and blocked eight shots.
In the third place game played at Ganglehoff Center on the campus of Concordia University, the Wayzata Trojans beat the Maple Grove Crimson 70-66. In Friday's consolation championship game, Daniel Oturu scored 28 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders to a 71-61 win over the Lakeville North Panthers. Nathan Reuvers, who will play at Wisconsin next season, scored a game high 41 points and 12 rebounds.
Apple Valley concluded their season with a record of 30-2 and Champlin Park finished 31-1.
Attendance for the Class AAA & AAAA championship session was 13,893.
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