 03/11/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHAMPAIGN - Waterloo Gibault head
coach Dennis Rueter knew he had the kind of team heading into
2022-23 that could make a serious run in the 1A IHSA state tournament.
On
Saturday his Waterloo Gibault Hawks completed the mission, winning
the state championship with a 65-45 win over Scales Mound.
Although
the Gibault athletic program has had other state championship
success, with state titles in baseball and boy's soccer, the
boy's basketball program had suffered through some postseason
disappointments in Coach Reeder's 43-year tenure at the school.
A
state title game loss in 1999 and a pair of super-sectional
defeats in 2014 and 2016 were teams that could've perhaps scored
the biggest prize.
Saturday
the Hawks flew past Scales Mound in convincing fashion as they
ended up 32-7, which better's the mark of the 1998-99 state
runner up at 28-7.
When
asked about the difference between 1999 and 2023 Coach Rueter
was clear.
“This
is obviously about these kids. If we hadn't won a state championship
(today) I wouldn't have felt like my career was incomplete.
We've had a lot of good things happen for us,” said Coach
Rueter. “I wouldn't look at it (the win) vindication for
1999 but maybe we were a bit lucky in the super-sectional winning
on a last second shot because in '99 we got beat on a last second
shot. Maybe the basketball gods stepped up and helped us out
a bit.”
Gibault's
Kaden Augustine had quite a championship game performance.
The
6-1 senior guard produced 24 points as he connected on 6-of-7
field goal attempts and 9-of-10 foul shots in the Hawks' convincing
championship game triumph.
Much
has been written about the Hornets, the tiny school of 70 kids
from the northwest corner of the state, as being an often used
cliché 'Cinderella' team.
Coach
Erik Kudronowicz and his club had to settle for second after
bouncing Tuscola on Thursday to finish at 33-6.
With
the big early run and a game-ending 29-8 finish, the Hawks became
the fourth basketball program this season to win a title from
the 618 area code, joining girl's programs Okawville, Breese
Mater Dei and O'Fallon.
“We
always like to represent our area and we feel like we play awfully
good basketball down there,” said Coach Rueter referring
to the Metro-East and Southern Illinois. “Especially the
smaller schools. When our area brings home championships it
kind of shows you the level of play we have. Nashville won a
state championship last year in 2A and we felt like once we
got up here we would have a pretty good shot at it.”
Augustine
came out smoking from the field for Gibault.
He
and his Hawks' teammates were 6-of-9 in the first quarter as
they sprinted out to a 16-2 lead with Augustine hitting four
field goals to go with 4-of-4 free throws.
Both
Gavin Kesler and Hudson Blank scored during the first quarter
success and Kanen Augustine hit a 3-pointer from the right wing
for a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
But
the success that they had in the first quarter forced a bit
of a let up for Coach Rueter's club which allowed the Hornets
to rally.
Six
second quarter turnovers against a 2-3 zone and Scales Mound
all-stater 6-2 junior Thomas Hereau heating up from the outside
caused Gibault to give up most of their early advantage.
Hereau
scored 11 of the Hornets' 18 points as they rallied to within
25-23 at halftime.
“In
the second quarter were a little flustered, we weren't as aggressive
as we should be but I thought the key was the way we handled
the third quarter, the way we came back out and got refocused
and back on task,” said Coach Rueter. “I thought
that was really the key. The fourth quarter we took care of
business. We really defended well. We took care of the ball
and made free throws.” |
Gibault
hit 7-of-9 shots in the third quarter but they only improved on
its lead by two points.