02-29-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
JUNCTION – For the Woodlawn Cardinals, making postseason runs is nothing new but it had been a two year drought on regional hardware for this program.

The last two winters ended with rival Sesser-Valier moving on.

However it was back to the winner's circle last Friday for the Cards after spanking NCOE and Steeleville to win the 1A Crab Orchard Regional.

Woodlawn's 67-29 victory in the title game improved the record to 26-3 with losses to Okawville, Christopher and Flora, the latter two games on a really bad weekend two weeks ago.

On the other hand, Woodlawn has wins over larger schools 3A Herrin and 2A teams Pinckneyville, Hillsboro, Greenville, Hamilton County along with winning their sixth-consecutive Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament title.

Also on the resume are wins against 20-game winners Altamont and 1A powerhouse Waterloo Gibault.

Ross Owens, a 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward, is a “do-everything” type that fits the leadership role he relishes.

The team has good size for a 1A squad with 6-foot-4 senior Brett Harris and Austin Ballard, a 6-foot-3 senior up front.

Five-foot-eleven junior guard Blake Wollerman joins Owens in the backcourt.

Owens leads those four players in double-digits in scoring with 16.7 points a game.

Ballard (12 p.p.g.), Harris (11.7 p.p.g.) and Wollerman (10.7 p.p.g.) make the Cardinals dificult to defend.

Garret Minks is a 6-foot-4 senior who adds six-points a night and reserve sophomore Trey Isaac comes off the bench.

Owens leads the club in free throw shooting and assists and has 85 steals to his credit this season.

The Mounds Meridian Bobcats had a rough beginning of the season but have come on strong in the second half and repeated as regional champs, beating Cairo after rallying from 17-points down to capture the Century 1A Regional crown with a 43-42 win.

Coach Erik Griffin, in his second season running the program, has a club that has a 20-11 record while going unbeaten in the South Egyptian Conference for the “umpteenth” time.

Leading the stat sheet for the Bobcats is 6-foot-4 senior Daniel Valentine who is averaging nearly a double-double (15.1 p.p.g., 9.8 r.p.g.).

He was a part of last season's state tournament run to Peoria.

Six-foot-two sophomore Demareon Nicholson and 6-foot-4 senior Jerrett Sims are right at 11 points per game for Meridian while 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Darnell Lowe adds 8.7 points a contest.

Meridian has played arguably the toughest schedule of this group, facing Missouri powers Scott County Central and Charleston while also playing 3A Massac County, and playing in the tough Benton Invitational Tournament.

The Goreville Blackcats and head coach Todd Tripp made it into the sectional fray by beating Gallatin County 88-69 on Friday night to hoist the plaque in their own gym.

The Blackcats have won regional titles in three of their last four years but they haven't reached a sectional title game in that stretch.

If they are going to do it this time they will have to beat a Christopher team that has beaten them three times, including an overtime thriller 87-84 back on January 15 when Hunter Wheeler drained a halfcourt shot at the buzzer for the game dagger.

Brant Glidewell is a 6-foot-5 junior forward who helped lead the club to a 22-9 mark heading into the sectional by averaging 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

Sophomore guard Braden Webb is the top scorer with 16.6 points per game and he leads the team with 3.1 assists.

Five-foot-nine senior Jared Vaughn (9.5 p.p.g.) and 6-foot-3 sophomore Tanner Dunn (9.6 p.p.g.) are also producers as is 6-foot-2 junior Davis Helton and 5-foot-10 sophomore Peyton Massey.

Of their nine losses, only the three defeats to Christopher were 1A schools. The other six were to five 2A teams and 3A Benton.

The Blackcats topped Gallatin County twice, beat Anna-Jonesboro, Webber Township, Johnston City twice and Waltonville, beating the Spartans for third place honors at the Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.