MADDOCK — One day, they have an all-time record broken. Another day, they have a 1,000-point scorer.
It was just another week in the life of Benson County girls’ basketball.
The defending state champions are headed back to the region tournament as this year’s District 4 champions. After the Wildcats’ intense 53-51 win over Langdon Area/Munich in the district title game on Monday, head coach Bryan Kenner was named District 4 Coach of the Year, while his daughter Aubrey Kenner won District 4 Senior Athlete of the Year.
A game earlier, Kenner broke the Benson County all-time scoring record of 1,847.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Kenner said after winning the district championship. “Like, this is my last game ever in my Maddock gym. And to get the senior athlete award and be coached by my dad, who got district coach of the year, it’s just crazy.”
Sophomore Lacie Fautsch also surpassed 1,000 career points in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game.
“It feels amazing,” Fautsch said. “I couldn’t have done it without any of my amazing teammates dishing me the ball.”
Kenner, who reached 1,000 points early in her junior season, broke the Benson County all-time scoring record in Saturday’s district semifinals. The record had previously been held by Quinn Neppl.
Her dad admitted to feeling a mix of emotions.
“It’s hard to be Dad and Coach. I’ve talked about that before,” Kenner said. “Like, I probably don’t appreciate some of those moments as much as I should. But I’m super proud of her. She’s worked her butt off to get there. She usually guards their best defender and gets face-guarded or chased every night. And it isn’t always about the points; it’s what she does for us, other stuff that’s really big and makes me proud as a coach and a dad. So, super happy for her. But really, it’s about the team and where we’re at and what we’re doing that makes me proudest right now.”
For Aubrey, her dad has been there every step of the way.
“He always pushes me hard,” she said. “We are constantly in the gym getting shots up whenever I ask him to, whenever he asks me to. And it’s just keeping that at-home and practice game boundary that is just really important for us. And I’ve been doing it for a while now, and so I’m just extremely grateful to have him as a coach and a dad.”
Fautsch, meanwhile, came into Monday’s game nine points away from 1,000.
She scored five in the first quarter. But she didn’t score in the second quarter, then sat for the last two and a half minutes of the first half after reaching three fouls.
“It’s one of those things, we knew it was going to happen,” Coach Kenner said. “I thought it was going to happen early; she gets in foul trouble, they got two girls on her most of the night.”
Fautsch had an and-one in the third quarter. The Benson County bench began some preemptive cheers. With the three-point play, Fautsch was now at 999 career points.
Her moment came early in the fourth quarter. The six-foot center put in a reverse layup for her 10th points of the night — and 1,001st of her career.
“She’s an amazing player,” Coach Kenner said. “She’s completely changed the way teams have to defend us. And really, really proud of her, too.”
Fautsch said she didn’t know the exact number she needed for 1,000. But when she made that shot, Kenner immediately called a timeout.
“I had a feeling when the timeout was called and the crowd was cheering,” Fautsch said.
Fautsch joins teammates Kenner and Kaitlyn Maddock in the 1,000-point club. Maddock reached the mark during last year’s state tournament, as a sophomore. Fautsch one-upped her by getting it during the district tournament.
“We’ve got three active 1,000-point scorers on a team. That’s pretty rare to happen,” Coach Kenner said. “For Fautsch to get it as a sophomore, I think she’s the earliest in program history ever to get it.”
Fautsch credited her friends and mentors along the way in getting her to this point.
“All my teammates and coaches that I’ve had in the past, they really mean the world to me,” Fautsch said. “And they’re so helpful in who I’ve become today.”
Benson County’s trio of 1,000-point scorers will head into the region tournament in Larimore as the No. 1 seed from District 4.
Not to mention Addisyn Faul, who’s taken strides as a player and had the game-winning shot on Monday — and senior starter Ella Fossen, who’s been a rock for this team as well.
The third senior on the team, Isabella Engstrom, accepted the team trophy during Monday’s postgame awards ceremony.
Aubrey added: “To be champions with my team that I absolutely love every single one of them — it’s just, I’m so happy.”
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