Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye / John Gaines Photography
DES MOINES — Payne Prottsman would be the first to say he has had more than his fair share of frustrations this season.
But that hasn’t stopped the 6-foot-2 senior post player from helping the fourth-ranked Notre Dame High School boys basketball team to a berth in the Class 1A state semifinals.
Notre Dame (25-2) will play top-ranked Fort Dodge St. Edmond (24-2) in the first Class 1A state semifinal game at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Casey’s Center.
And it certainly didn’t stop Prottsman from sinking two of the biggest shots he has made all season.
Prottsman scored eight points in the first half, including a 3-pointer to open the scoring, in the Nikes’ 68-62 win over sixth-ranked Bellevue in the quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon.
For Prottsman, there was no better feeling in the world than getting his team off to a hot start in their first state tournament appearance in 17 years.
“It was amazing. If we came out flat it could have been a different outcome. But we came out ready to play and that’s how we play,” Prottsman said. “It was good to see that first shot fall. I knew it was all going to be good things after those first couple shots went down. Have a good first half, a good second half. That’s all I can really ask for.”
Notre Dame coach Dan Kies was not the least bit surprised at Prottsman’s effort. He has seen it the last two seasons. Prottsman always finds a way to help his team succeed.
“We’re not necessarily looking for him to get a quick look at three, but his confidence is built up and his senior leadership has gotten so much better the second half,” Kies said. “I don’t think the moment is too big for him right now. He’s ready for it. That’s huge. We need somebody to be able to come out and make a shot. A couple other guys struggled and that’s fine But you have to have two or three guys step up and be ready to contribute.”
Prottsman was as surprised as anyone to get a wide-open look from the left corner just 20 seconds into the game. It was too good to pass up and his 3-pointer set the tone for the game and helped calm some early jitters.
“I saw an opportunity to make a shot and I took it,” Prottsman said. “Personally it was amazing. Usually I don’t make the first three I take, but seeing that one go in lightened things a little bit for me.”
Prottsman hit another 3-pointer in the second quarter as he and senior teammate Shay Stephens combined for 29 first-half points, allowing the Nikes to take a commanding 34-18 lead into halftime.
“Obviously basketball is not a one-man sport,” Stephens said. “It was really important for my teammates to work together, get each other open and just play the game the right way.”
Prottsman also had a rebound, an assist and a steal. He knows that when his shot isn’t falling, there are plenty of other ways to help his team win. He helped hold KeShawn DeShaw, Bellevue’s leading scorer, to just one point in the first half.
“You have to do what you have to do. You can’t let scoring affect how you’re going to play. If I don’t score that much, I go take it out on defense,” Prottsman said. “We came out ready to play. Our defense was there. Our offense was there. We were just grooving.”