WESSINGTON SPRINGS — As the team heads toward Aberdeen this week to play in the Class B South Dakota State Boys’ Basketball Tournament, the Wessington Springs will be making just the school’s third trip to the tourney.

The Spartans qualified for the “B” tournament in 1967 and the “A” tourney in 1994, but have not been back to any state tournament for 30 years.

Spartan coach Kenny Huether expressed that this was not a process that simply started at first team practice in November.

“I’m very proud of my team for the entire year’s work that they have put in to get to this point,” he stated. “Beginning with the individual workouts to the team camps from this past summer, then they played through the rigors of a 20-game schedule and were locked in on a nightly basis.”

The Spartans have been led in scoring this season by sophomore Parker Graff, who averages 17.1 points per game. Ryder Michalek is the lone fellow Springs starter that averages double-figures, with a 14.7 average.

Scoring is a team-wide thing, though, according to Huether.

“Any of our five starters are capable of leading the team in scoring on any given night and that balance is what makes defending us very difficult,” Huether said. “The unselfishness my guys show with sharing the ball has been a pleasure to watch all year and is a big reason that we sit here with a 22-1 season record.”

Long-range shooting has been a significant factor for the Spartans, as 3-point baskets account for roughly one-quarter of all of the team’s scoring. Graff is the leader by far in that category, with 64 made long balls on the season of the team’s 119 total. Accuracy has also driven the offense, as the entire team shoots 46 percent from the floor and 68 percent from the line.

Stifling defense has also been a calling card this year for Wessington Springs, holding opponents to an average of 41.5 points, while scoring 62.8.

Junior forward Michalek leads the team in many of the secondary statistics, pacing the Spartans in rebounds with 185, steals with 66 and blocks with 39 while also making twice as many free throws (64) as any other teammate, while shooting them at a 78 percent clip. Blake Larson is Springs’ leading assist man, with 98.

Wessington Springs starts two seniors, Blake Larson and Brock Krueger, the junior Michalek, and sophomores Graff and Colby Flowers. Juniors Karter Mebius, Sam Poncelow, and Branden Flowers lead the Spartans’ bench crew that have provided vital minutes throughout the season.

The Spartans will open the tournament with the chance to avenge their one loss of the season, a 38-33 loss on Dec. 16 against Howard, their first-round opponent at the State B tourney Thursday afternoon.

“Our earlier matchup with Howard was an intense defensive showdown,” Huether recalls. “They are a big, long team that is very physical and it will not surprise me if this game is again a defensive battle.”

That said, the top teams in the state made it through to the state tourney, as the top six in seed points each made the tourney and the final two teams, Gregory and Viborg-Hurley, were both in the top 11 in the state at the end of the season.

This year’s tournament should be wide open for that reason, Huether projects.

“There are no surprises in the tournament field and any success will have to be earned,” he noted. “We are thrilled to be there and look forward to the opportunity!”