These games had been marked on a lot of calendars for a long time. As Platte County coach Chris Stubbs said, this district is --- if not the toughest --- then one of the toughest in the state regardless of class and gender.

Both games --- Platte County-Savannah, Benton-Smithville --- went down to the final seconds, and the Platte County-Savannah matchup goes down as an all-time great.

My initial thoughts after leaving Lafayette High School turned to Savannah. How did this team leave the court on the losing end?

I told a local coach prior to the game that I thought Savannah would win if they hit more than five 3-pointers. Well, the Savages hit eight, including six in regulation. There seemed to be no way Platte County could muster a comeback after seeing Savannah's lead increase to 41-34 with just under 3 minutes left.

Even amidst a swarm of Platte County faithful, the Pirates --- in the stands and on the bench --- seemed beaten and frustrated when Stubbs used a final timeout to regroup his troops.

Whatever he said worked. Stubbs said after the game that he reminded his players they had scored 30 in a quarter earlier this year. Lafayette fans might remember that one.

A small spark and, suddenly, the players believed they could make up the difference. And they did.

A real classic.

Gallagher's layup at the end of regulation seemed destined to end the comeback but an unkind roll changed the complexion of the game. Then Savannah seemed out of it after trailing by three late in overtime.

Sara Eiman, who struggled all game with fouls and shooting, missed the potential tying 3, but 6-foot-4 Morgan Johnson didn't control the rebound. After a jump ball, Reine made a seemingly ill-advised two-point jumper that became a tying three-point play.

Just another emotional swing in a long, tiresome game.

After that, Savannah just ran out of gas and couldn't find the offense. The Savages gave a too-talented Pirates team too many opportunities.

Other thoughts:

--- Reine was all about improbable plays. She accounted for all four of Savannah's first-quarter points on one possession, knocking in a 3 from the top of the key and drawing a foul on Taylor Johnson. She hit the free throw for the nearly unheard of four-point play in high school.

--- Benton's second half offensive struggles can't reappear in Friday's championship game. The Cardinals outlasted Platte County last week in overtime, but to repeat that they need a sustained offensive effort. With 6-4 Morgan Johnson in the post, the Pirates can score even when they aren't hitting shots because of the second-chance opportunities they create.

Remember, Johnson spent a significant portion of last week's matchup in foul trouble.

--- Looking at the rosters for the title game, you might be staring into the future. Benton has only one senior that plays significant minutes -- Jenni Musser -- while Platte County has no seniors. Yes, Smithville loses only two players, and Savannah returns a core of talent. But I think it's safe to say that regardless of Friday's winner, Benton and Platte County will be 1A and 1B for next year's district race, if they're still paired together.