23 WEEKLY 2026
MARCH
A
B A L D W I N
C I T Y
ARE 4A CHAMPS!! Photograph by Lawrence Sports
nine points in the fourth quarter, with the pressure mounting and the clock working against them, the Bulldogs didn’t panic. They didn’t rush. They simply leaned on what had carried them all season. “Honestly, we’ve been in that position before,” head coach Donnie Blanchett said. “We talk about the next three possessions and what we need to do on offense and defense. This is a veteran group that never got rattled.”
FREE DIGITAL VERSION
N E W S P A P E R
BHS BOYS BASKETBALL
The final minutes of Baldwin High School’s 4A State Championship game felt familiar—because this team had been there before. Down
VOL 4 NO. 10
That composure showed immediately. Baldwin chipped away at the deficit, possession by possession, trusting the system they had built over years—not just a season. Blanchett’s message in the huddle was simple: stick to the process. “Do what we do every day,” he said. “We have a process set up for everything, and we put a lot of trust in our guys.” The Shot That Changed Everything With the game tied and less than a minute remaining, Baldwin ran a familiar set, looking to attack the rim through its primary scorers. But when Cooper drove
into the paint, he was quickly surrounded. Instead of forcing a shot, he made the right play—kicking the ball out. Waiting on the perimeter was Devyn Wadel. “I can think of a lot of big shots,” Blanchett said, “but none that were close to that level in that situation.” Wadel, set and ready, delivered— draining the three-pointer that gave Baldwin the lead for good. Moments later, Rock Creek rushed a three-point attempt that missed. Baldwin secured the rebound, and the ball found Leo at the free throw line. Two clutch shots pushed the lead to five with just 25
Back Cover:
Baldwin City Metabolic Medicine
seconds remaining. “At that point, I knew a lot had to go really wrong for us to lose,” Blanchett said. “And with our experience, nothing was going to go wrong.” A Team Effort All Season Long While Wadel’s shot will be remembered for years, Blanchett is quick to point out that this championship was built on depth and trust. Contributions came from all directions throughout the season and tournament. Continue on Page 3