2020 was the year the Hamlin Chargers expected to do great things at the Class A state tournament.
But when the Covid-19 outbreak caused the cancellation of the tournament, the Chargers had to work for a second chance at the tournament in 2021.
“Having made the state tournament and returning four starters, I thought we had a really good chance to make it back and exceed expectations,” Head Coach Tom Koisti said.
The Chargers are now back at the state tournament, but it was no easy road to get there. Hamlin faced an array of great teams, defeating Florence/Henry, Flandreau, Groton Area, Sioux Valley and Tea Area early in the season. However, a four-point loss to White River was the key turning point for the Chargers.
“We played a tough schedule early on and we were still trying to find our way,” Koisti said. “We battled back and took the lead in the fourth and just didn’t make some shots. It kind of made us realize that they are a good team and we are right there.”
The Chargers then elevated their game play, defeating more great teams including Aberdeen Roncalli, Redfield, and Waverly-South Shore on their way to the state tournament. Hamlin also has an active 15-game winning streak, but knows it will be challenged by Belle Fourche in the state tournament.
The Broncs are one of the top teams in the West River area, and currently have a seven-game win streak, but Hamlin also has one of the best defenses in the state. No team has scored at least 40 points on the Chargers since February 6th (Sioux Falls Christian) and a team hasn’t scored at least 50 points against Hamlin since the White River loss on January 16th.
“We matchup well,” Koisti said of the first round game. “We are going to rely on the things we have done all year long, solid defense and patience.”
And if the Hamlin faithful have anything to say about it, the Chargers will nearly have home-court advantage this afternoon in Watertown.
“We have always had great fans at Hamlin. We get a lot of well wishers and people that follow us and it’s going to be nice to have the state tournament at Watertown. If we keep winning we could have a great crowd later this week.”
The Chargers will face Belle Fourche at 7:00 p.m. this evening.
This article is part of our new series of State Tournament Previews
