12/26/2021
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELDORADO - The 57th annual Eldorado Holiday Tournament begins on Monday and the Herrin Tigers are the top-seeded team.

Since the event was seeded two weeks ago, Herrin hasn't won a game since.

Herrin sits at 3-4 on the year, with three-straight road losses to fellow River-to-River Conference teams Murphysboro, Pinckneyville and Carterville.

Those three teams are a combined 23-3 so it is a given that the Tigers have played a rough schedule so far.

They also hold a win over 10-1 Breese Central from earlier in the year along with victories over Sesser-Valier and Cairo.

The other loss was to rival Marion, 53-45, in the season opener.

Coach Shurtz has a nice combination of veterans and young talent as they look to win their first ever EHT championship.

Five-eleven senior Riley Chrostoski and Haydon Mayer, a 6-2 junior, were varsity players a year ago and they, and their young teammates, have stepped up.

Coach Shurtz looks at Chrostoski as a 'coach on the floor' while Mayer is a scoring threat.

Six-five sophomore Jonathan Harrison has become a defensive force for the Tigers and point-guard 5-11 freshman Kyrese Lukens has added spark to this club.

Exavier Williams, a 5-9 sophomore guard, adds to the offense along with Dillon Hall, a 6-0 senior.

Slayde Huntley, a 6-4 senior, also plays minutes for Herrin.

The number-two seed is no stranger to success at this event.

Massac County comes into the EHT at 8-3 for head coach Joe Hosman.

The Patriots are the defending champions after winning the 2019 tournament, beating Fairfield, 57-51, in the title game.

Coach Hosman is looking for his program's eighth championship and has his sophomore son, point-guard 6-0 Isaac Hosman, is leading his teammates.

Six-four junior Brady Cissel anchors the middle of the floor for the Patriots.

In the backcourt 5-11 junior Brody Smallman and 5-10 sophomore Will Harmon have played key roles in the season so far as has 6-6 junior Ian Higgerson.

Massac County enters the event with defeats coming to Marshall County (KY.), 3A Marion and unbeaten SIRR Ohio foe Murphysboro.

The Patriots won the Vienna Thanksgiving Tournament to open the season and after losing those three games rebounded with victories over Harrisburg, Anna-Jonesboro and Calloway County (KY.).

The third-seed in the event is Hamilton County, a high seed for the first time in a while.

Head coach Doug Miller has his Foxes playing quality basketball so far this season, which has been a carryover from last winter's 11-6 club.

In 2021-22 Hamilton County now sits at 10-1, with the lone defeat coming to Benton, 49-48, at the Goreville Invitational back on December 3.

The Foxes went 4-1 that week and have rattled off seven-consecutive wins since the loss, including a 59-44 win over Fairfield on the road.

They broke a Mules' long BDC West Division winning streak dating back to 2017-18.

Hamilton County also defeated BDC rivals and EHT teams Carmi-White County, Edwards County and Eldorado.

Wyatt Hamson, a 6-8 junior, has come up big for the Foxes this season and posted a career high 21-points in their most recent win, a 64-44 win at Webber Township.

One of the top players for Hamilton County is Grady Lueke, a 6-2 senior forward, who averaged almost 10 points a game as a junior.

Six-one senior guard Brady Thrane, 6-0 senior guard Austin Harrelson and Claven Lueke, a 5-10 senior, have stepped up during this successful season.

Six-three senior forward Jaden York and Layton Karcher, a 6-2 senior guard, give the Foxes a lot of scoring options as they head into the EHT.

The fifth-seed in the event might be playing the best basketball of all the EHT teams.

Carterville enters the tournament at 7-2 with the two losses coming to highly regarded 1A Steeleville and 2A perennial power Nashville.

They also show wins over Red Bud, Lovejoy, Sparta, Trico, Anna-Jonesboro, Carbondale and Herrin.

The win over the top-seeded Tigers (51-45) was a big one for Coach Shane Hawkins' club heading into the tournament.

The Lions have players who have 'kicked in' in this so far successful campaign.

Six-two 6-2 senior John Stroud, 5-7 junior Peyton Bittle and 6-5 junior Kade Lustenberger have played well for the Lions.

Defensively the Lions have held opponents to under 40-points a contest.

The Mules and head coach Scott McElravy have wins over Casey-Westfield, North Clay, Lawrenceville, Salem, Marshall, Sesser-Valier, Flora and Eldorado.

The loses were to unbeaten 3A Richland County in the title game of the Lawrence County Capital Classic back in November, Teutopolis and Hamilton County.

This is a senior led team with 6-2 Dylan Best, 5-10 Noah Barger, 5-10 McGwire Taylor and 6-3 Camden Robbins all hoping to still be playing on the final day in the evening session.

Six-three junior Eric Rodgers and 5-6 senior guard Jesse Milner also are part of the rotation.

The three losses are to teams that are a combined 28-3.

The six-seed Carmi-White County currently sits at 4-5 on the season for head coach Kevin Wolff.

The Bulldogs four victories have come against Gallatin County, West Frankfort, Cairo and Norris City-Omaha-Enfield.

The defeats came against DuQuoin, Red Bud, Benton, Hamilton County and Flora.

Six-four junior Bryce Conner has been a scoring leader for the club.

Tyler Goemaat, a 6-2 junior, has also stepped up for the Bulldogs as has 6-1 forward Brody Attebury.

Ty Stubblefield, a 5-10 senior guard, along with 6-2 sophomore Landon Driscoll have been important for Coach Wolff.

Lanten Stockton, a 5-11 junior, along with freshmen 6-4 Mitchell Edwards and 6-1 Gavin Holloman are part of the mix for CWC.

Harrisburg and head coach Randy Smithpeters have gotten off to an inauspicious beginning of the 2021-22 season.

The Bulldogs are just 3-5 thus far.

In the first week of the season at the Trico/Murphysboro Tournament, Harrisburg dropped games to Lovejoy and Murphysboro.

Their last three games have been defeats to Goreville, Massac County and DuQuoin.

The wins came against Hardin County, Trico and Chester.

None of which have winning records.

Nevertheless the Bulldogs will be a threat to still be playing on Wednesday.

Michael Godsey, a 6-1 senior guard, has picked up where he left off in 2020-21 and has been a team leader for Coach Smithpeters.

Nathan Lawrence, a 6-3 junior, has also played well for the Bulldogs.

Six-nine senior Christopher Allen has helped out in the middle.

Nate Lawrence, a 6-3 junior, along with 5-10 junior Myles Crank, and 6-1 sophomore Camron Ande.

Vaundre' McIntosh, a 5-10 junior guard, and 5-10 junior Tevin Godsey play important roles as well.

The eight-seed is Vienna, who like many of these teams, have played some good teams heading into the EHT.

The Eagles have just a pair of losses (Mounds Meridian and Massac County) and stand 8-2.

Coach Stephen Dreher has his club in a turnaround mode as they were just 6-12 a season ago but have played well so far.

Vienna has wins over Eldorado, Carrier Mills, Cobden, Galatia, Trico, Pope County, Johnston City and Paducah (KY.) CCA.

However only Cobden has a winning record of the teams Vienna has conquered.

Six-five senior Skylar Blankenship and Owen Treat, a 6-2 sophomore, have been good for the Eagles this season.

Five-eight senior Sean Acree and 5-9 junior Kaden Vaughn have stood out this season for Coach Dreher.

If you're looking for a non-seeded team with a chance at a first round win Hardin County is one of the talented teams with a shot.

Coach Rodney Lane improved the schedule a few years ago and, although they stand 4-5 on the year, the Cougars have been on the 'prowl' with some really strong teams.

The losses, against Goreville, Anna-Jonesboro and Hamilton County in the first week of the season were by a combined total of seven-points.

The other losses were to Harrisburg (62-56) and Benton (50-35).

The Cougars have been led by Jake Vaughn, a 6-1 senior, this season in the success so far.

Ben Vaughn, a 5-11 senior, along with 6-5 senior Bryson Cullum and Gavin Smith, a 5-11 senior, will have to continue to play well if they want to upend Vienna on opening day and end up with some hardware.

Carrier Mills-Stonefort and head coach Austin Ferrell suffered through a rough beginning to 2021-22, losing their first four games of the season before improving its record to 6-5 going into the EHT.

The early defeats came to Cobden, Vienna, Massac County and Eldorado; all of which occurred at the Vienna Turkey Classic.

They have wins over Mounds Meridian (also at Vienna) and then victories over Dongola, Galatia, Thompsonville, Century and Pope County.

A close 50-46 loss to Eldorado stopped their winning streak at six.

Caden VanMeter, a 6-1 senior guard, has been a four-year starter for the Wildcats.

Six-two senior Zavier Rollins, 6-3 senior Nathan Collins and 5-10 senior Colton Mitchell are a veteran crew that's looking for a breakout at the EHT when they take on Harrisburg on the final first round game on Monday.

The host Eldorado Eagles are unseeded but not without a chance to advance when they take on long time Black Diamond Conference rival Carmi-White County in the opening round.

Coach Josh Bradley's club have wins over Mounds Meridian, Carrier Mills (twice), Gallatin County and Flora.

The losses have come to Vienna, Massac County, Cobden, Hamilton County and Fairfield.

All of those teams have winning marks (40-11) overall.

Eldorado has been led by several kids.

Six-one junior guard Josh Owens, 5-10 junior Parker Price and 5-7 junior Gage Heath are three of the Eagles' starters.

Boston Bradley, a 6-4 sophomore forward, has earned a lot of time along with

Six-three senior Trevor Milligan and 6-1 Dylan Henshaw have both been 'pitched in'.

West Frankfort has a new head coach this season with Josh Sertich taking over.

His Redbirds won their first two contests (Century and Cairo) but they haven't won a game since (2-6).

The losses are two Carmi-White County, DuQuoin, Red Bud, Christopher, Benton and Goreville.

All but one of those losses were double-digit defeats.

Five-eight junior Drew Smith, 6-2 junior Cole Buckingham, 6-0 sophomore Keagan Bowers and 6-0 junior Preston King have been main cogs so far for the Redbirds along with 6-0 junior Lucas Whittington.

Anna-Jonesboro has struggled this season for head coach Mike Chamness.

Close loses and lopsided defeats all look the same on the won-loss slate that sits at 1-10 heading into the EHT.

The lone victory was a 53-52 win over Hardin County back on December 3rd at the Goreville Invitational Tournament.

Losses are to Chester, Hamilton County, Goreville, Benton and Johnston City at Goreville with regular season losses coming from Cobden, Carterville, Pinckneyville, Massac County and DuQuoin.

The last five losses came to teams with winning records.

Coach Chamness has gotten good play from several Wildcats with 5-11 senior Landon Trammel posting the best numbers so far.

Five-ten sophomore Dylan Harvel and 6-1 senior Dawson Trammel have also been important for A-J.

Ethan Carver, a 6-2 senior, 6-3 senior forward Bryce Henry and 6-4 sophomore Payton Denny have also been part of the play so far.

Norris City-Omaha-Enfield and head coach Jordan Johnson have split eight games this season (4-4) as they head into a first round matchup with Hamilton County.

In fact the games they've won have been 'every other game' as they don't have a two-game winning streak this winter.

The victories came against New Athens and Webber Township, good enough for third place at the Christopher Turkey Tournament.

They also beat Thompsonville and Galatia in GEC games.

Losses are to unbeaten Christopher, Crab Orchard, Carmi-White County and Hardin County.

Preston Long is a 6-1 junior guard who has stepped up as a team leader.

Coach Johnson also has 6-3 junior forward Joel Hortin and 5-10 junior Cord Tucker along with Jake Rush, a 6-2 senior, and Will Thompson, a 6-1 senior.

Edwards County has already played 14 games and stand at 6-8 coming into the tournament.

First year head coach Kevin Schnicker's Lions have been led by 5-10 senior point-guard Alex Calverly, 6-3 senior Dylan Rhodes, 6-3 senior Kaden Cowling and 6-2 senior Mitch Mcfall.

Edwards County's wins have been over Grayville, Red Hill, Webber Township, Sandoval, Gallatin County and North Clay. Only North Clay and Sandoval have winning records.

The defeats for the Lions have come against Richland County, Mount Carmel, Salem, Cisne (twice), Sesser-Valier, Hamilton County, and Wayne City.

Only Salem (5-6) have a losing record of the teams Edwards County has lost to.

The Gallatin County Hawks are one of the original teams from the beginning of the Eldorado Holiday Tournament, as Ridgway, were part of the initial event in 1965.

Coach Craig Utterbeck and his Hawks (1-8) have just one win, a 66-54 win over Galatia on November 29th.

Five-eleven senior Jaxon Knott, 6-2 sophomore guard Mattix Sandifer, 6-5 sophomore Noah Richardson, 6-0 senior Lane Henson and 6-2 senior Jeremy Brugger are main players for Gallatin County.

The Hawks have been on Covid19 quarantine and are scheduled to come out in time for their 8:30 am game with Herrin on Monday.