MERIDIAN — After graduating a senior-heavy squad last year, not much was expected of the Kellogg Wildcats this season.

On the outside, anyway.

The Wildcats had other ideas.

With just two returnees — both reserves — from last year’s squad that lost in the consolation title game, Kellogg not only made it back to state for a sixth straight year, but had a chance to play for a trophy on Saturday morning, but fell 47-43 to the Parma Panthers in the state 3A consolation game at Meridian High.

“We beat everybody else’s expectations,” said Kellogg senior point guard Brennan Atkins, who along with junior forward Gavin Luna were the only Wildcats with previous state experience. “Some people were saying we shouldn’t even be down here. I think we proved them wrong, by playing as hard as we did. That (talk) motivated us to give everything that we had.”

It was Kellogg’s sixth straight trip to state, and seventh in eight years. The Wildcats were trying to bring home a trophy for the third time in five years, having taken third in 2017, and won the consolation title in ’15.

“That was our goal all season, to be playing on Saturday,” third-year Kellogg coach Jeff Nearing said. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to be here. I told these guys early on, it would be a grind. I knew what we had; I was pretty confident we’d get here, and not just show up, but compete. I think we did that pretty well.”

Kellogg (10-15) led 28-22 on a 3-pointer by junior Graden Nearing, the coach’s son, early in the third quarter.

But Parma (22-5), starting five seniors, took it from there, breaking a 38-all tie midway through the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, started when Braydon Jensen, who scored a game-high 18 points, grabbed a missed Panthers free throw and scored. Jared Nielsen, who added 15 points, followed with a putback and free throw.

“The first half we were moving the ball well,” said Atkins, who finished with 12 points and four assists, “and the second half we kinda slowed down, and weren’t moving the ball as well.”

Graden Nearing added nine points and three assists, Luna six points, five boards and four steals for Kellogg, which shot 35 percent (14 of 40) from the field.

The Wildcats started two juniors, a sophomore and two seniors.

“They (Parma) hit a couple of big shots, and their defensive intensity picked up,” Nearing said. “Their length gave us fits; shooters were having a hard time. Makes a difference, that four or five (extra) inches of reach, getting a hand up on our shooters. Then we struggled to keep them off the boards late. But other than that, the kids kept battling. I’m proud of them.”

Kellogg 9 14 11 9 — 43

Parma 9 8 14 16 — 47

KELLOGG — Waller 0, Rickets 4, Atkins 12, Oertli 2, Nearing 9, Miller 4, Davis 2, Jerome 4, Luna 6. Totals 14-40 7-8 43.

PARMA — Jensen 18, Beus 0, J. Nielsen 15, P. Rohrbacher 6, B. Rohrbacher 6, R. Nielsen 2, Powers 0. Totals 15-29 12-20 47.