Late three, free throws lift Warhawks

GARNER – Rylan Fleshner could hear West Fork football coach Eric Gabe in the stands.

He was telling him the season was over if the Warhawks didn’t win this Class 1A District final game at Garner.

So Fleshner  launched the three-pointer that put his team up for good with 1 minute, 1 second left and launched West Fork over St. Ansgar to go to the sub-state final against West Hancock on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Clarion.

His teammate Zach Martinek took care of the rest, hitting 4-of-6 free throws in the final minute as the Warhawks won 36-32 in a game in which there were five lead changes and three ties in the second half before the fated three.

“That was huge, he needs to keep shooting,” Martinek said of Fleshner’s big-time three-pointer. “He can hit those three-pointers…that was huge. That put us up and that made them have to foul us and free throws ended up sealing it at the end for us.”