Wethersfield’s Landon Sauer faces up against Fulton center Baylen Damhoff during the 1A Wethersfield Regional semifinal on Wednesday night. In the foreground is Fulton senior Trevor Tiesman. [Photo by Marlie Lindstrom of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program]

The Wethersfield Flying Geese found themselves among the tall trees and had difficulty contending with the height advantage that Fulton brings to the court. 

The third-seeded Steamers used that advantage to the tune of a 68-46 win against host and sixth-seeded Wethersfield (12-18) in one of the two regional semifinal games played Wednesday night on the southside. 

Annawan (2) knocked out ninth-seeded Galva, 48-47, on a 2-point buzzer beater, so the Braves (24-8) will now face the Steamers (23-11) at 7 p.m. Friday for the 1A Wethersfield Regional championship game. 

Fulton 68, Wethersfield 47

Fulton’s 6’6″ senior Baylen Damhoff did the bulk of the damage by putting up 31 points against the Geese. The Steamers also have three 6’4″ players that they rotate in and out. 

Although the Geese struggled with their outside shooting, they hung tough during the first quarter. Wethersfield was down just four (14-10) at the end of the first frame.

Damhoff scored six inside and Brady Read hit a 3-pointer to give Fulton an early 11-6 lead. Landon Sauer made a turnaround jumper to bring the Geese within one at 11-10. Trevor Tiesman then made a trey at the end of the quarter to give Fulton a 14-10 advantage. 

The Steamers hit the accelerator in the second quarter and outscored Wethersfield 22-11, but the Geese had a few highlights in between. Sauer hit a 3-pointer, making the score 22-13 with about four minutes left in the half.

Read countered with a trey that banked in from the top of the key at 25-13. With under two minutes left in the half, junior Zeb Rashid got in on the action and made a 3-pointer with the score now 30-18. 

On the other end, Sauer snatched a Fulton pass and ran in it in for a layup at 34-21. On the last play of the half, Damhoff scored on a tip in, giving Fulton a 36-21 halftime lead.

The Steamers put up some impressive first half numbers. Damhoff racked up 14 points, Leu had nine in the second quarter and 11 at the half, while Read added six in the first half. 

Sauer had a dozen for the Geese. 

Wethersfield hit a third quarter lull and was outscored 13-5 as Fulton’s lead grew to 49-26. 

There was no fourth quarter quit in the Geese as they topped Fulton 20-19. A big key to Wethersfield’s 20-point total was some impressive 3-point shooting by Colin Hornback. 

The senior made three from beyond the arc for nine fourth quarter points. The final three of No. 22’s prep career came with 2:22 left on the clock. 

Senior Dillon Horrie scored five fourth quarter points in his final game on the Wethersfield hardwood. He scored 13 on the night. 

Sauer’s prep career came to a close as well. The senior scored his final two points in the fourth quarter and he had a team-high 14 points. 

Damhoff continued his onslaught by scoring 11 more points in the final frame and 17 total in the second half. 

Leu finished with 15 points and Read added 10 in the win. 

Wethersfield’s four other senior players are Matthew Ponce, Ryker Gillespie, Caleb McGill and Nathan Oliver.