03-11-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA – Mount Carmel and head coach Tyler Buss put together a “golden” season in 2016-17 as they reached the IHSA 2A championship game on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Aces on this night had to settle for “silver.”
Chicago Orr, the winner of the Red Division of the Chicago Public League and who dropped down to 2A this season, were far too athletic for the Aces in the title game.

03-11-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA – Coming up big in crucial times is what turns good teams into great champions. During the postseason run by the Effingham St. Anthony Bulldogs leading up to the 1A title game against Okawville there were times when things didn't go well.
But in each game Coach Cody Rincker saw his team dig down and manage to win games when they didn't necessarily play their best by making the big plays when they counted the most.

03-10-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA – Basketball is a very simple game when you take a long look at it.
And if you are blessed with two 6-foot-8 athletic players, the game gets even less complex.
Mount Carmel head coach Tyler Buss has that luxury and, because of those two player who compliment each other so immensely, his Golden Aces are on the verge of winning the school's first state championship in boy's basketball since 1927.

03-10-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
PEORIA – Defensively speaking, the Okawville Rockets were on top of their game on Saturday afternoon in the 1A semifinals against Newark.
The ABV top-ranked team is now a win away from being on the "top of the mountain."
Behind 24-points and 14-rebounds from 6-foot-4 senior Noah Frederking and a blanketed shutdown of their opposition, the Rockets will now play in the state title .....

03-03-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
NORRIS CITY – Championship programs are never overwhelmed by the moment.
In describing the ten year run of success by the Woodlawn Cardinals, it is best to use the phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
The Cardinals entered 2016-17 with nearly an entirely new cast of combatants after graduating four starters from a state tournament team from a year ago.

03-01-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
WEST FRANKFORT - Mt. Carmel's 6-foot-8 junior forward powered his way to a double-double in points and rebounds against Teutopolis on Wednesday night at the 2A West Frankfort Sectional.
He netted 28-points and snared 15-rebounds in leading the Aces to a 66-64 win.
However it was his final pass of the game, to 6-foot-8 senior forward .....

02-28-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE – This season the Okawville Rockets have dealt with the added pressure of being a preseason number one team in the state in Class 1A and a favorite to get to Peoria.
Although there were a few anxious moments in their 62-36 win Tuesday night over Carrollton, they were few and far between as defensively they took the .....

02-28-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
NOKOMIS - A very similar looking sectional from a year ago has also emerged at 1A Nokomis this week as three of the four sectional combatants from a year ago are back for another shot at going to state.
Last season Patoka, Effingham St. Anthony and Dieterich were joined by Edwards County at the Red Hill event.
This season Edwards County was 2A and Altamont joined the winner's circle .....

02-28-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
NORRIS CITY – The Norris City-Omaha-Enfield 1A Sectional has three repeat entrants and one newcomer set to battle this week in hope to advance to the Carbondale Supersectional on Tuesday night, March 6.
Christopher, Woodlawn and Mounds Meridian return after winning their second consecutive regional titles respectively. Gallatin County won its first regional title ......

02-24-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
CRAB ORCHARD – For the Sesser-Valier Red Devils and head coach Shane Garner, the feeling heading into the title game of the Crab Orchard 1A Regional was of optimism. Having won 11-of-13 games, including an 85-81 overtime win over their Friday night opponent and Franklin County rival Christopher back on February 14, the feeling was warranted.

02-22-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY – Never look past a defending champion, no matter what.
Programs like Woodlawn might have down years, but they should never be counted out.
In the first season under new head coach Brian Gamber, these Cardinals went through a transition phase and the losses added up.
But what has emerged is a young team with a senior leader .....

02-21-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
CRAB ORCHARD – Depth and experience are two very important aspects of a championship caliber ball club to have in your possession as a coach heading into the postseason in boy's high school basketball.
Head coach Shane Garner has that luxury.
His Red Devils used both of those attributes in their dismantling of .....

02-20-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELIZABETHTOWN - For as hot as it was inside of Oxford Gymnasium Monday night in the opening round of the Hardin County 1A Regional, it was equally cold for the Joppa Rangers in the second half of their game against the host Cougars.
Zach Essex witnessed his teams cool down which turned out to be a complete melt down.
The Rangers, after taking a 24-12 halftime lead ....

02-18-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
WEST FRANKFORT – The state tournament is set to begin for 1A and 2A boy's high school basketball teams in the State of Illinois.
All teams want to head into the postseason playing their best basketball.
They want to “peak” at the right time.
After not playing their best basketball in Friday night in a win .....

02-15-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
BLUFORD – The Webber Township Trojans celebrated their annual Senior Night on Wednesday with a make up game triumph over conference foe Grayville.
But it was an underclassmen who stepped up to deliver the much needed league win for Coach Brad Beaty's squad.
Six-foot-four junior forward Charles Neal was the deciding factor for .....

02-14-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
NORRIS CITY - For every head coach in every sport at any level of competition, the goal is to have his or her team playing at its peak level heading into the postseason.
Mission accomplished for head coach Keil Peebles and his Carrier Mills Wildcats.
After a bad start to the season where they lost some close games and not so close decisions, the Wildcats have been playing well in the last few weeks.

02-10-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELKVILLE - It was December 18, 2009. It was a road game for the Mounds Meridian Bobcats as they traveled to take on, then, conference rival Goreville.
The Bobcats left the gym that night after losing to the Blackcats, 63-55.
It was the last time that Mounds Meridian had lost a regular season South Egyptian Conference boy's varsity basketball contest.

02-04-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
BENTON - As the 2016-17 Mount Carmel Boy's High School Basketball season has wore on, head coach Tyler Buss has seen many different ways teams have tried to slow down his state and ABV ranked 2A club.

On Saturday afternoon at the Benton Rich Herrin Shootout, the Golden Aces .....

02-03-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
FAIRFIELD – The Eldorado Eagles had revenge on their minds heading into their conference matchup at Fairfield on Friday night.
The game, according to mentor Josh Bradley, was circled on a calendar.
With only two losses on the season and a state-ranking achieved, Coach Josh Bradley and his Eagles could now concentrate on winning the Black Diamond Conference .....

01-31-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
STEELEVILLE - From the opening tap to the final horn, it was clear as day which team was the most ready to play in the Tuesday night matchup between the top two teams in the Kaskaskia Division of the Cahokia Conference.
The Marissa-Coulterville Meteors were the ones who sparkled, especially on the offensive end of the floor.Coach Scott Wine saw his team jump out to an early .....

01-28-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
ALTAMONT - The Effingham St. Anthony Bulldogs are the champions of the National Trail Conference Tournament for the 21st time after dispatching the host Altamont Indians on Saturday night.
Using a big third quarter the Bulldogs got a commanding lead and looked the part of the champion. But there were a lot of anxious .....

01-27-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
HARRISBURG - Despite jumping out to an early lead and never trailing in the semifinal win over Galatia, the Crab Orchard Trojans never were in a comfort zone.
Coach Jon Brown's club, however, managed to overcome some “shaky” moments on both ends of the floor to advance to Saturday night's Greater Egyptian Conference Tournament title game. According to Coach Brown ......

01-23-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
HARRISBURG - According to Gallatin County head coach Doug Miller, his team always has trouble with the Thompsonville Tigers. And for a half of basketball on Monday night at the Greater Egyptian Conference Tournament his Hawks struggled.
But his club, the ABV third-ranked 1A team in this week's rankings, fought through the issues and used a third quarter run to take advantage of some mistakes by the Tigers.

01-21-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
NASHVILLE - Contrasting styles can sometimes make a game much more interesting in basketball. But generally speaking if one style dominates, it can lead to some frustration for other team.
On Saturday night in the finale of the Nashville Invitational Tournament, Breese Central head coach Jeremy Schubert knew his Cougars couldn't allow the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes to score a lot of points.

01-20-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE – In Friday night's 60-37 victory over Madison, the host Okawville Rockets didn't look like the state's top ranked team in 1A for most of the contest.
Coach Jon Kraus was exactly happy about the way his team performed overall but as the saying goes, “a win is a win.”
The Trojans hung close to the hosts on this night and trailed just .....

01-18-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
BENTON - For even the best of teams, there are some nights that don't go as well as planned.
The first half of the Pinckneyville Panthers' contest against Sesser-Valier at the 44th annual Benton Invitational Tournament on Wednesday night would be considered a “clunker” of a performance.

01-17-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
LITCHFIELD – For the Nokomis Redskins, the way they play basketball never really changes from year-to-year under long time head coach Steve Kimbro.

Even though the faces and names change, the 1-2-2 zone defense and .....

01-14-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
HERRIN – With a decided height advantage, the Herrin Tigers had intended on pounding the ball inside against the smaller Woodlawn Cardinals in their annual Saturday night January contest.
But when they struggled to breech the Woodlawn 1-3-1 defense, Coach Mike Mooneyham saw his club go to an outside attack.

01-14-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER – Putting together a great second quarter on Saturday afternoon, the Sesser-Valier Red Devils erased whatever momentum that their opponents had after the first eight minutes.
Visiting Zeigler-Royalton, behind an outside scoring offensive, took a 19-18 lead at the end of the first period of play.

01-12-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE – The Nashville Hornets had some issues offensively on Thursday night against SIRR Mississippi Division rival Du Quoin in a contest moved up a day because of the impending ice storm that is expected on Friday in southern Illinois.

Coach Brad Weathers, however, had one key determining factor which is .....

01-10-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
FARINA - On Tuesday night in a key matchup at home against Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg, the South Central Cougars made a big run in the third quarter to take command and then held on for dear life the rest of the way.

Coach Jamie VanScyoc saw his troops put together a 15-1 move to take the .....

01-09-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
ULIN - The very first possession of Monday night's contest against Century on the road turned out to be a bad omen for Johnston City and their head coach Jerry Hampleman.

With the Centurions having the ball and the Indians on defense, Century missed four consecutive shots but grabbed all four of the rebounds.

01-06-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
OKAWVILLE – Heading into Saturday night's game at Washington County rival Okawville, coach Brad Weathers and his Nashville Hornets weren't in the best of moods after dropping a tough decision on the road at Pinckneyville on Friday night.

By the end of their contest on Saturday, the mood wasn't any better.

01-05-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
DONGOLA – After beginning their season 2-8, including not winning a game in either of their first two tournaments, the Hardin County Cougars were looking for some success when they opened the second half of their regular season schedule on Thursday night at Dongola.

01-03-17
BY JACK BULLOCK
MCLEANSBORO - In a season in which wins have been tough to come by for the Hamilton County Foxes, it helps when a senior can step up and deliver a victory.

On Tuesday night Hamilton County turned to veteran guard Oakley Dial .....

12-30-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
DONGOLA –  The popular tee-shirt slogan that has been all the rage in the past year was a fitting epitaph for the final game of the 5th annual Dongola Christmas Round-Robin.

Coach Zach Essex and his Joppa Rangers can now put a .....

12-29-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
VANDALIA – It's doubtful that the Effingham St. Anthony Bulldogs could have played a better game than they did Thursday night in the championship game of the Vandalia Holiday Tournament.

In a rematch from a game earlier in the week in Pool A, a contest in which .....

12-28-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
PINCKNEYVILLE - At halftime of the championship game of the 10th annual Duster Thomas Hoops Classic, Pinckneyville Panthers head coach Bob Waggoner wasn't happy at all.

His club wasn't playing up to the level in which he wanted and he let his club know about it in the lockerroom as his Panthers trailed 29-22 at the break after .....

12-27-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
SESSER – Playing without one of their key players in the first half of their quarterfinal game on Tuesday afternoon against Marissa-Coulterville, the Woodlawn Cardinals were ripe for an upset at the 36th annual Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament.

Coach Brian Gamber saw his senior leader Blake Wollerman go to the bench .....

12-26-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
VANDALIA – If there was any doubt who the top-seeded team was coming into the 45th annual Vandalia Holiday Tournament, there was little doubt after Monday's opening contests.

The Effingham St. Anthony Bulldogs took no prisoners with two .....

12-26-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
VANDALIA - For the Vandalia Holiday Tournament, the 46th annual that begins on Monday morning, the initial story-line is not about who is there; it is about who is missing.

Four teams from last season, 2015 champion Altamont, Greenville, South Central and St. Elmo-Brownstown are no longer .....

12-23-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
ANNA - The winning formula for the Pinckneyville Panthers has always been the same. It begins and ends on the defensive end of the floor.

Friday night's 73-37 domination of Anna-Jonesboro was never in doubt at any time as Coach Bob Waggoner's Panthers put together a complete performance in improving to 7-1 on the season.

12-22-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHRISTOPHER – The Flora Wolves came into Thursday night's make up game with Christopher desperately needing a victory.

Coach Phil Leib's club have suffered through some tough times .....

12-21-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
ST. ELMO – For the first three quarters of Wednesday night's championship game of the St. Elmo Holiday Tournament the Vandalia Vandals could do no wrong.

They dominated every category and were in complete control in a contest that wasn't one. Coach Brian Buscher saw his club take an early 10-2 lead and expanded the .....

12-20-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
WALTONVILLE - The 2016-17 season didn't get off to a great start for the Waltonville Spartans but things have gotten a lot better since.
Coach Tyler Mitchell has witnessed a stark improvement in his club after a 1-2 beginning of the campaign.
After losses to Wayne City and Webber Township at the .....

12-19-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
COBDEN - Because of scheduling and inclement weather, the Goreville Blackcats were on a sabbatical of sorts.
Having not played a basketball game since December 3 in their own invitational tournament, Coach Todd Tripp's team took a long time to get the offense going in its matchup on the road against Cobden Monday night.

12-17-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY – It wasn't an offensive “gem” of a game for the Patoka Warriors on Saturday after in the title game of the Conrad Allen Wayne City Holiday Tournament.
However the defensive effort shined like a “diamond” as the Warriors came up with the big stops late in the contest to take home the “gold.”

12-14-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY – As the old saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
In their contest against Webber Township at the Wayne City Holiday Tournament on Wednesday night, Patoka was in trouble in the early part of the fourth quarter.
The Warriors had given up a lead after committing four turnovers in the first 1:12 of play as Webber took at 42-37 lead.

12-13-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
ST. ELMO – Cowden-Herrick-Beecher City made a ton of mistakes on Tuesday night in their quarterfinal game against Mulberry Grove at the 57th annual St. Elmo Holiday Tournament.
But late in the contest the good finally outweighed the bad as they managed to do enough things right on this cold night to get a victory to advance to the semifinals.

12-13-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
ST. ELMO – The top-seed St. Elmo-Brownstown will have its hands full as the 57th annual St. Elmo Holiday Tournament begins on Tuesday night. A strong field, with the addition of two 2A teams this year, highlight what could be a very good tournament, especially on the final day.

12-10-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
WAYNE CITY – The 63rd annual Conrad Allen Wayne City Holiday Tournament will begin on December 10 with a field of eight teams vying for the title with at least seven of the teams with a legitimate shot at the championship.
The tournament will feature three teams that have already won tournament titles this season.

12-09-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
FARINA - Altamont head coach John Niebrugge knows, like most basketball coaches have found out over the years, that on nights when the offense isn't there the defense should make up the difference. On Friday in the their conference opener at South Central, the Indians made up for their rough going with the ball by making things even tougher on the hosts when they had 'the rock'.

12-07-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHESTER - When a team at home doesn't feel comfortable, it usually means the opposition has created a disruptive setting. On Wednesday night in their first ever Black Diamond West Division game, the Vienna Eagles went on the road and became a royal pain to their hosts. After not playing a game since November 26th, the Eagles could have came out flat on this night.

12-03-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
TRENTON – The Nashville Hornets captured the title of the 19th annual Wesclin/Lebanon Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday night with a 61-52 win over the host Warriors. Coach Brad Weathers' club wasn't perfect on this night, but his 4-0 club had very few flaws. In the victory the Hornets committed just three turnovers and, despite missing three consecutive free throws in the final quarte .....

12-01-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
FREEBURG - The Freeburg Midgets have gotten off to a very fast start this season, as they went 3-1 at the Metro-East Lutheran Thanksgiving Tournament last week. They opened their first home game of the season on Thursday in the same way.
With a very fast start.
Jumping out to a quick lead with a torrential downpour of .....
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11-30-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
CAMPBELL HILL - For the Steeleville Warriors and head coach Bryce Bainter, the Trico Tournament can prove to be a long week. On Wednesday night the Warriors got a breather of sorts as they took care of Shawnee in quick fashion. Steeleville led from the outset, with only a couple of ties early, and romped to a 72-17 victory with a continuous clock being used in the fourth quarter. The Warriors .....

11-25-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHRISTOPHER –“If there's a Willett, there's a way.”
According to Wayne City head coach Don Kueper, senior guard Landon Willett has hit some big shots for his program all throughout his prep career.
But his shot on Friday night to beat the buzzer in overtime against Waltonville in the semifinals of the Christopher Thanksgiving Tournament topped them all.

11-23-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
GRAYVILLE – The Edwards County Lions are off to a very good start to their season and, thanks to a big run at the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third, they are now Grayville Turkey Tournament champions. Getting a strong performance from their young backcourt early their veteran frontcourt at the end, the Lions improved their record to 3-0 to begin the season following a .....

11-22-16
BY JACK BULLOCK
CRAB ORCHARD – Figuring out how to win close ballgames is a learned skill and not something that comes naturally to most young kids playing high school basketball. But for head coach Zach Essex and his Joppa Rangers, the learning curve is getting smaller by the day. Jumping out to a early lead, the Rangers held off a second half rally from Pope County and survived a last-second field goal attempted the hit the rim and .....