The Iola High School Mustangs evened their Pioneer League record to 2-2 after opening 2026 with a 58-51 loss to the Santa Fe Trail Chargers Tuesday night.
The Chargers pulled away in the second half following a first half slugfest, but the Mustangs could not keep up with Santa Fe Trail in the end as their record falls to 4-4 overall.
Iola turned more than a few heads after briefly leading the Chargers in the first quarter following a 10-9 run catapulted by a bucket by senior forward Brennan Coffield, a pair of buckets by junior forward Keegan Hill and a 3-pointer by senior guard Nick Bauer.
The Chargers closed out the first half with a 28-25 lead after going on an 8-2 run in the final moments of the second quarter, but Iola was far from out of the contest. Santa Fe Trail pulled away in the third quarter, but junior guard Austin Crooks got hot while scoring a team-leading 19 points. Crooks’ hot streak was not enough, however, as Santa Fe Trail continued adding to its lead through the final whistle. Junior forward Keegan Hill and sophomore forward Reed Clift tied for second in scoring with 12 points each.
The Mustangs hope to get back above .500 in the Pioneer League and overall Friday, when they host the Osawatomie Trojans.
Tip-off will take place 20 minutes after the conclusion of the 6 p.m. girls’ game.
