Baldwin defeats previously undefeated Rock Creek to claim Class 4A boys state basketball championship
Story & photos by Dale Grosbach
The Rock Creek High School Mustangs boys basketball faced the Baldwin High School Bulldogs in the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) Class 4A boys state basketball final at the Hutchinson Sports Arena on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
Rock Creek entered the game as the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A KSHSAA Boys Basketball Championship with an unblemished 27-0 record, while Baldwin was the No. 6 seed with a record of 21-6.
Both teams advanced to the finals with relative ease the previous evening: Rock Creek defeated Hugoton High School 73-53, and Baldwin defeated Holcomb High School 65-45.
From the opening tip-off, the game featured an up-tempo pace as both teams sought to gain an early advantage. Rock Creek applied full-court pressure on made baskets, while the Baldwin defense focused on keeping the Mustangs out of the lane.
The Mustangs opened strong, taking a nine-point lead by the end of the first quarter, thanks in part to Gavin Rosa's successful three-pointers. Baldwin responded in the second quarter, utilizing a strong post-up offense to outscore Rock Creek and take a 24-23 halftime lead.
The fast-paced play continued into the second half. Rock Creek came out shooting well, outscoring Baldwin in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead at 48-39.
In the fourth quarter, Baldwin followed the pattern they used earlier in the game to recover momentum. The Bulldogs upped their scoring, increasing their shooting percentage to 64.3 percent. Baldwin outscored Rock Creek by 15 points in the period. With 5:42 remaining, Baldwin scored five points by forcing back-to-back Mustang turnovers to tie the game at 50-50. From there, the Bulldog defense forced Rock Creek into additional turnovers, and the offense drew fouls, allowing Baldwin to maintain their lead until the final buzzer, winning 66-60.
The game statistics highlight the features of Baldwin's victory: the Bulldogs shot 61.0 percent from the field, compared to Rock Creek's 43.6 percent, and scored 16 more points in the paint.
For Rock Creek, Porter Gill led the scoring with 16 points, while Ethan Tonsor contributed 13 points and Logan Klingenberg grabbed seven rebounds. For Baldwin, Leo Schoenberger was the top scorer with 19 points, followed by Devyn Wadel with 17 points and Cooper Carr with 13 points. Colton Collum led the rebounding effort with five.
Baldwin was the lower-seeded team in all three games they played during the 2026 boys championship. The victory marks Baldwin High School's first KSHSAA boys basketball championship.
