Donovan Garletts and Marquette Catholic are looking for back to back 1A state titles Saturday. The Blazers meet a familiar foe in Barr-Reeve despite being separated by 264 miles. It was Barr-Reeve that Marquette defeated for the state championship last year.

The postseason has not been a smooth ride for Marquette this season. The Blazers had a closer than expected sectional semifinal against Gary 21^st Century. They slipped by Fort Wayne Blackhawk in the first game of the regional, 70-64 in overtime. The biggest obstacle was last week at the Lafayette Semi-State.

Marquette was down big early against Liberty Christian. They were down 15 points after the first quarter before coming back late in the fourth quarter. It was Providence College-bound wing Ryan Fazekas leading the way in crunch time. He scored 18 points with 10 of them coming from the free throw line.

Marquette starts with Fazekas. The senior is averaging 21 points per game. Barr-Reeve definitely knows how dangerous Fazekas can be when he is on. He torched Barr-Reeve for 34 points in the title game last year. Fazekas then started off the December 6, 2014 meeting with 13 points in the first quarter. Barr-Reeve contained him after the first period and were able to comeback and get the victory.

Marquette being able to get Fazekas clean looks will be a key to the game. No other player averages double digits for Marquette although five others score between six and eight points. Multiple players are capable of scoring, but Fazekas is the only one with the ability to beat Barr-Reeve by himself.

The front court will be another key for Marquette. JoVonte Peals, Malcolm Reed and Tyshaun Smallwood will need to contain Addison Wagler. That is something the Blazers failed to do in the December 6 loss where Wagler scored 30 points. The trio will also need to get Marquette extra opportunities on the offense glass. Wagler and Duncan Roy do a good job of rebounding, but Peals, Reed and Smallwood need to battle them in the paint.

The back court of Braxton Miller and Kyren Miller will need to make sure Logan James does not go off like he did last week against Clay City. James usually is not a huge scorer but he showed last week that he is capable of taking over a game. Braxton and Kyren will need to be alert on the defensive end.

The 1A state championship game is shaping up to another good game. Marquette will likely need Ryan Fazekas to score 17+ points in order to win while containing Addison Wagler. This should be a fun game to watch on Saturday.