12/24/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
ELDORADO - There is a clear cut favorite at the 58th annual Eldorado Holiday Tournament this week and it's the defending champion Herrin Tigers.

Herrin enters the event undefeated at 9-0 having an average margin of victory of 23 points so far in 2022-23.

Head coach Sayler Shurtz has his club primed for a big week with the only single digit scare coming from Benton on December 9th, a 47-46 win at home.

The Tigers captured the DuQuoin Tip-Off Classic title to begin the year and have defeated four teams with winning records (Carmi-White County, Carterville, Murphysboro, Benton) as they also rolled past the other five (Sesser-Valier, Cairo, West Frankfort, DuQuoin, Carbondale) by a combined 331-165.

Haydon Mayer is a 6-2 senior guard while 5-11 sophomore Kyrese Luken continues to improve.

Last season Herrin took care of four opponents, including Massac County in the title game 53-36 as Mayer took home the Most Valuable Player honor.

Six-five junior Jon Harrison has also been stellar in the unbeaten run as they head into the EHT as the top-seed.

Exavier Williams, a 5-9 junior, along with 6-4 Fox Connor and 5-11 Reese Billingsley give Coach Shurtz a bunch of options.

Five-ten senior Taylor Brandon along with sophomores 6-1 Madox Billingsley and 6-4 Grady Cox supply depth as a talented team that has yet to taste defeat in 2022-23.

The number-two seed has been a fixture of the EHT for decades with head coach Joe Hosman leading the Massac County Patriots into the event as the second-choice.

His club sits at 9-1 with the lone loss coming to Murphysboro at home back on December 9th.

Eight of their nine wins have come by double-figures and a key win over Calloway County (KY.) on December 3rd at the annual Marshall County (KY.) Hoopfest, 74-68, is a nice line on the resume.

Other quality wins were on the road against Vienna (championship game of the Eagles' Turkey tournament) and Harrisburg.

Isaac Hosman, a 6-0 junior guard, has been the catalyst so far for Massac County and he has help up front from 6-4 senior Brady Cissell and 6-6 senior Ian Higgerson.

Junior guard Will Harmon, senior guard Brody Smallman and sophomore guard Kris Garnett have all been factors for Massac County.

Carmi-White County enters the week as the number-three seed for head coach Kevin Wolf.

The Bulldogs have just a pair of losses so far with a 77-67 loss to Herrin at the DuQuoin tournament and a 64-31 thumping on the road at Benton.

Six-four senior Bryce Connor has made a strong comeback from a season ending elbow injury last winter and is the statistical leader for the Dawgs.

Tyler Goemaat, a 6-2 senior, along with 6-6 sophomore Mitchel Edwards, 6-3 junior Landon Driscoll and 6-1 sophomore Gavin Holloman have been part of the success so far.

Heading into the tournament CWC has seven wins over teams that are a combined 26-42.

Carterville is the number-four seed heading into the tournament and, if things go as planned by the tournament rankings, the Lions and head coach Shane Hawkins will get a second shot at Herrin this season.

The two teams hooked up last Tuesday at Herrin with the Tigers winning 64-54.

Carterville has a 7-3 mark heading into the EHT, with the losses coming at Murphysboro (50-43) in the title game of the Trico/Murphysboro Tournament and a loss to 4A O'Fallon (52-46) at the Edwardsville Shootout on December 10th.

Those three teams are 23-3 so far.

Six-foot senior Cade Hawkins and 6-4 senior Kade Lustenberger have been scoring leaders.

Peyton Bittle, a 5-7 senior, and 6-2 senior forward Blake Burkey have also come through for the Lions.

Carterville has wins over Steeleville, Trico, Nashville, Red Bud, Steeleville, DuQuoin and Carbondale thus far.

The lone loss came at home in the finale of their own Thanksgiving tournament to Massac County.

The Eagles have taken the measure of everyone else in high-powered offensive way.

Coach Stephen Dreher has his club averaging 83 points a game in their 10 games, with the low point being an 85-64 loss to the Patriots.

However of the nine wins, only four came against squads who are above .500 (Johnston City, Pope County, Eldorado, Mounds Meridian) in 2022-23.

Owen Treat, a 6-2 junior, has averaged 21 points a game for Vienna so far.

Six-five senior Charles King and 6-2 junior Tommy Holhubner are both over 10 points a game in scoring.

Dayton Nichols, a 6-1 junior, and 5-9 senior Kaden Vaughn, are also capable scorers for the Eagles.

A second day quarterfinal match up between Carterville and Vienna, if they both advance, might be the best of game of Day Two.

The host Eldorado Eagles (5-4) have won two-straight heading into their own event with recent victories over rival Hamilton County and Carrier Mills-Stonefort for the second time this season.

Coach Josh Bradley's team also sports victories over Gallatin County and Fairfield heading into the tournament.

Multi sport athlete 6-0 senior Parker Price and 6-5 junior Boston Bradley along with 6-1 senior Josh Owens are the main cogs.

Sophomores 5-9 Jake Phelps and 6-3 Andrew Murray are also in the mix.

The four losses (Mounds Meridian, Massac County, Vienna, Flora) are to teams that are 31-5.

One of the two interesting first round match ups features seventh-seeded Anna-Jonesboro and Fairfield.

The Wildcats, after a 4-4 beginning are on a four-game losing skid.

Coach Mike Chamness and his team have triumphs over Hardin County, Hamilton County, Johnston City and Cobden.

The last four games were defeats to Carterville, Pinckneyville, Massac County and DuQuoin.

Coach Chamness leans on juniors 6-5 Payton Denny, 5-10 Dylan Harvel and 5-9 Devin Hall along with 5-9 junior Drew Page and 6-2 senior Dawson Trammel.

Fairfield comes into the tourney with just a 2-7 record for Coach Scott McElravy.

In the Mules defense, they have tackled some tough hombres so far.

Losses have come to Richland County, Mount Carmel, Flora, Eldorado, Hamilton County, 1A state-ranked Casey-Westfield and Newton.

Those seven are 43-22 this winter.

Eric Rodgers, a 6-2 guard, is the team leaders as he was this fall on the football field.

Luke Dukeworth, a 6-4 senior forward, 6-3 junior Layne Tucker, 6-1 forward Landon Harrelson, and 5-9 sophomore Justice Dag have been starting.

Latrael Snyder, a 5-11 senior, is back from a football injury.

The other first round game that could be a good one opens the tournament at 8:30 am on Monday.

Hamilton County, the number-eight seed, started the season with a pair of wins at the Goreville Invitational over the host Blackcats and Hardin County.

They also own wins over Webber Township, Edwards County and Fairfield.

The losses are to Johnston City, Benton, Anna-Jonesboro, Carmi-White County and Eldorado.

Six-eight senior Wyatt Hamson is the top starter for Hamilton County.

Coach Doug Miller also has junior Eli Hanson, along with juniors Trenton Pike and Abe Neal, and senior Wyatt Richards as the starters for the Foxes.

Juniors Kaden Kelly and sophomores Kaleb Carson and Zach Zellers come off the bench.

Harrisburg, with new head coach Andy Fehrenbacher, has been a work in progress as the Bulldogs come into the EHT with a 4-5 mark.

The victories are over Chester, Hardin County, West Frankfort and DuQuoin; none of which have winning marks.

Harrisburg lost to Lovejoy, Murphysboro and Red Bud at the Trico/Murphysboro Tournament and then dropped a road game at Goreville and a home decision to second-seeded Massac County.

Six-three junior guard Cameron Ande, 6-3 senior forward Nate Lawrence and 5-11 senior Myles Crank have been the most productive but others are contributing; including 6-3 senior Andrew Unthank and 5-11 senior Ross Rider.

The Bulldogs are missing 6-5 senior forward Charlie Fehrenbacher who is nursing a foot injury and likely won't be back until January.

The final six teams in the event are a combined 19-42 coming in with only Norris City-Omaha-Enfield at .500 at 5-5.

Carrier Mills-Stonefort (1-9), Edwards County (4-7), Gallatin County (4-6), West Frankfort (3-7) and Hardin County (2-8) will need supreme efforts to upset any of the high seeds in the opening round.