The North Star Bearcats just keep on winning.
When one piece of their team falls, another almost always fills it. That was the case in the Ramsey County Boys’ Basketball Tournament, when the team was without one of its top shooters, Dane Hagler, until the final game.
Parker Simon, who so brilliantly compensated for Hagler’s absence in Friday’s dominant victory over Benson County, didn’t have the same performance on Saturday. Head coach Jesse Vote’s plan was to use Hagler sparingly to ease him back into action. But Hagler ended up playing the majority of the game upon his return, leading the Bearcats with 20 points in their 50-43 victory over Devils Lake JV. The win crowned North Star as the champion of the tournament and improved its overall record to 8-0.
“[Dane] didn’t have any pain, really,” Vote said. “Maybe some adrenaline flowing. He wants to be out there just as much as anybody else; senior year, we’ve got to have him on the court. The kids feed off of that. They like when they’ve got their point guard back.”
Simon was named MVP of the tournament. He displayed a versatile style of play, keeping a fine balance between going for big three-pointers and sneaking in for layups. His 24 points on Friday were the highlight, but he was an important force throughout the entire tournament.
“I still think he was one that got tired. He’s had to work hard for his points,” Vote said. “And he’s another one that shooting is contagious for him. If he hits a couple, or hits one or two, he’s gonna be on fire the whole night long. And he got to the basket a couple times; just lost his body control to finish. He knows that, and we’ll make sure we work on that.”
The North Star defense came out strong, silencing a Devils Lake JV team that struggled to land its shots in the early going. The Firebirds scored only five points in the first quarter, all from Kade Fee. Parker and Karsen Simon scored four and five points, respectively, leading a twin brother attack.
“I can rely on him, and he can rely on me,” P. Simon said. “It’s just awesome having him out there.”
After establishing a 12-5 lead after the first quarter, North Star didn’t score for the first five minutes of the second quarter. P. Simon just didn’t find the same rhythm he had on Friday, missing a lot of the shots that he made with ease in the defeat of Benson County.
“If shots aren’t going down, just gotta drive and kick and get my guys open, and just feed for that to score,” Simon said.
A set of brothers on the other side, Max and Mason Palmer, became pests for North Star. They combined for 11 points in the second quarter, getting Devils Lake JV within four at the half — a slim 20-16 lead for the Bearcats.
“We were talking defense on the bench,” Simon said. “Palmer, on their team, is a hell of a shooter, so we just gotta get our hands up on him, push the floor and hope for the best.”
Despite the break, the Firebirds were able to keep some of that momentum going into the game’s latter half. It was then that Mason Palmer took off, scoring a whopping 15 points in the third quarter. His fourth three-pointer of the game — and third of the quarter — momentarily tied the game at 26 apiece. The North Star defense, which only allowed five points in the first quarter, permitted 19 in the third.
“They caught fire, and we didn’t shut the water off as quickly as we would have liked,” Vote said. “We started off the game great, hot. We worked hard, and maybe our legs are getting a little tired.”
On the Bearcats’ side, Hagler made his third three of the game — one in each quarter. His brother, Hunter Hagler, P. Simon and Chas Bisbee also contributed to keep North Star in the lead by the skin of its teeth. At the end of the third quarter, the Bearcats were up 38-35.
“I know a lot of guys came off the bench and stepped up, so it was great to see them having fun,” Simon said. “I’m just proud of how we stepped up and played.”
And despite a contest that was closer than they would have ideally wanted, the Bearcats commanded their lead in the fourth quarter. Hagler scored nine more points, including a three-pointer that felt like the final dagger, putting North Star ahead 47-35. He pumped his fists and roared — the look of someone who’d been waiting to get back on the court and have his chance.
“He’s pretty much everything for our team,” Simon said of Hagler. “It’s great to have him out there, and he just leads our team.”
Mason Palmer ended up with 23 points for Devils Lake JV, all coming after the first quarter. His efforts weren’t quite enough to lead a comeback, but he was crucial for keeping the Firebirds competitive in this one.
“The Palmer kid is a tremendous shooter,” Vote said. “We lost him at times, which is frustrating. We didn’t work together on the defensive end, but we found a way to gut one out.”
Up next for North Star is district tournament play, which begins with Friday’s game against Cavalier at 7 p.m. The Bearcats will look to keep riding their undefeated streak.
“It’s kind of when the second season starts,” Vote said. “The first season is over. We got through that without a blemish. But now it’s time that the games are actually gonna mean something.”
