Castlewood, Freeman set to meet for State B crown

Defending champion Castlewood Warriors and first-time finalist Freeman Flyers to battle for Class B boys basketball title

Mar. 21, 2026 at 10:05am

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The fifth-seeded Castlewood Warriors pulled away from No. 8 Lyman 56-28 in the semifinals to set up a title defense against the No. 2 seed Freeman Flyers, who escaped their semifinal with Wall 74-70. This will be Castlewood's second straight championship game appearance, while Freeman is making its first trip to the final since 1997.

Why it matters

The matchup between Castlewood and Freeman features the defending champion Warriors looking to repeat, while the Flyers are seeking their first state title since 1975. Both teams have overcome the loss of key players from last season, demonstrating their resilience and team-first approach throughout the tournament.

The details

Castlewood used a 7-0 run to end the first quarter with an 11-5 lead over Lyman, then held the Raiders to just one made field goal in the second quarter. Brody Bass scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away. Freeman, meanwhile, withstood a shooting exhibition by Wall and a nine-point deficit in the third quarter to come back and win 74-70, avenging last year's consolation championship loss.

  • Castlewood used a 7-0 run to end the first quarter with an 11-5 lead.
  • Castlewood held Lyman to just one made field goal in the second quarter.
  • Brody Bass scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help Castlewood pull away.
  • Freeman trailed Wall by nine points with 5:03 left in the third quarter before rallying for the 74-70 win.
  • This is Castlewood's second straight championship game appearance, while Freeman is making its first trip to the final since 1997.

The players

Castlewood Warriors

The defending Class B champions, led by Kam Keszler's game-high 22 points, are seeking to repeat as state champions.

Freeman Flyers

The No. 2 seed is making its first state championship game appearance since 1997, when they lost to Armour in overtime.

Brody Bass

The Castlewood senior scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away from Lyman.

David Walter

The Freeman senior led the Flyers with 21 points in their semifinal win over Wall.

Lance Friesen

The emotional Freeman head coach praised his team's character and resilience after they rallied from a nine-point deficit to beat Wall.

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What they’re saying

“They tried to bury us, and we answered. How about the character of these Flyers and their resiliency — all the things that humans need? That was one heck of a show.”

— Lance Friesen, Head Coach, Freeman Flyers

“We know it starts on the defensive end and for us if we're able to shoot the three and get some transition buckets well we're pretty tough to beat because we defend well and rebound well.”

— Castlewood Head Coach

What’s next

The championship game between Castlewood and Freeman is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at 6:45 p.m. local time.

The takeaway

This matchup features the defending champion Castlewood Warriors looking to repeat, while the upstart Freeman Flyers are seeking their first state title in nearly 50 years. Both teams have shown resilience and team-first mentalities to reach the championship game, setting up an intriguing battle for the Class B crown.