STORM LAKE — This season was much more than just reaching a substate final for the Manson Northwest Webster basketball team.

The Cougars (19-6 overall) lost to West Lyon (21-3) 80-45 on Saturday, with a state tournament bid at stake.

Manson Northwest Webster head coach Caleb Wubben saw this as a group that changed the program.

“This senior group has led by example and they’ve done a good job of explaining it to the younger players,” Wubben said. “They bring everyone into the weight room and open gym.

“They have set a precedent and helped change the culture as we are working to build this thing. The young kids have bought into that and we’ve challenged them to not be the class to let that slip next year.”

This was the last games for seniors Logan Moline, Kelan Koval, Broc Patzner, Matt Condon and Grant Pohlman.

“This senior group really carried us,” Wubben said. “We talked about it in the locker room. When they were freshmen we didn’t win very many games (five), but we started to build on that.

“To be in a substate final is a testament to this group and what they did in the weight room and at camps. I’m really proud of them as a whole and what we have accomplished. They made history at Manson Northwest Webster.”

In their freshman year (2021-2022) the Cougars won five games. The final three years netted 15, 16, and 19 victories.

On Saturday the Cougars got off to a good start, leading for the first three to four minutes, but the Wildcats went on a burst the final 12 to take a 40-16 halftime lead.

“We started the game leading early on,” Wubben said. “A lot of games we have put a run together. In the second quarter, we went away from attacking the rim and they extended us a little bit.

“We were settling for contested threes instead of going downhill. That was definitely one of the things that hurt us.”

Third-ranked West Lyon outscored the Cougars 40-30 in the second half, to earn a state bid.

“Defensively we didn’t communicate well on screens,” Wubben said. “We got lost on the second and third rotations.”

Moline led the Cougars with 14 points, while Koval added 11 points. Condon had seven, Coy Moline had six, while Charlie Sturgis added five and Pohlman chipped in with two.

Moline finished as the school’s all-time scoring leader with 1,418 points and 543 rebounds.

West Lyon put three players in double figures, led by Jordan Meyer (21). Carson Hoogeveen (19), and Ben Meyer (12) were the other leading scorers.

“We had great support all year,” Wubben said. “It’s awesome and it really helps the environment of the game,” Wubben said. “When you look up and Buena Vista is packed out with parents, students and people from the community, it’s great.

“It’s awesome to have that support and the community has done a great job of supporting this team’s work.”

West Lyon 80,

Manson Northwest Webster 45

Manson Northwest Webster — Coy Moline 6, Matt Condon 7, Logan Moline 14, Charlie Sturgis 5, Grant Pohlman 2, Kelan Koval 11.

West Lyon — Carson Hoogeveen 19, Bryson Childress 4, Easton DeJong 6, Easton Jacobson 8, Jared Ciesielski 6, Jorden Meyer 21, JereJerrence Knoblock 4, Ben Meyer 12.

Quarter scores: 19-8 40-16, 58-29.