02-28-06
BY JACK BULLOCK
WEST FRANKFORT - The postseason success of the 2005-06 Hamilton County Foxes shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone in Southern Illinois.

With its simple formula of taking what the other team gives them and executing their fundamentals as they have for 20 seasons under head coach Curt Reed, the Foxes will play Friday night in the school's first boy's basketball sectional final since 1999 as a result of a 55-44 win over Goreville Tuesday night at the West Frankfort Class A Sectional.

Hitting 22-of-34 from the field and forcing the Blackcats into a horrible 19-of-54 shooting performance, Hamilton County will now wait and see who survives the Mount Carmel/West Frankfort winner from the Wednesday night semifinal matchup.

Getting inside play from 6-foot-4 center Kevin Waier (17-points) and the usual slash-to-the-basket 'stylings' from Cedrick Graham (20-points), Hamilton County (21-10) broke open a close contest in producing the clubs' 13th consecutive victory.

Waier was in command in the paint for the Foxes while Graham and his other teammates were cutting to the basket for very easy scores on a night where the Foxes were clearly in control.

"If we get it (an easy look) we will take it, if not we will back it out," said Reed, talking about his patient offensive attitude that has served his program so well over the years.
"Our kids are smart kids and they know what to do against this, and this and this. Our team adjusted very well to what they (Goreville) were doing."

Goreville, who won back-to-back regional titles for the first time in school history, saw its season conclude at 24-5.

"They're good. And they just took us out of what we wanted to do," said Goreville mentor Todd Tripp. "We didn't attack the basket tonight. We shot four free throws and that means we didn't attack and that is our strength."

Hamilton County used an 11-4 spurt to turn a 26-23 halftime lead into a 37-27 advantage with 3:46 to go in the third quarter.

Graham, who was named a member of the ABV First Team All-South squad on Monday, scored six of those points in the run.

He scored on a drive to the basket just seconds into the second half and then scored on the next possession on a backdoor finish of an assist from Waier.

Waier did his damage from within 10-feet of the basket, converting a three-point play after being fouled by Goreville's Dustin Fox in that same game-changing burst.

"We didn't do a very good job of guarding the Waier kid and he gave us some problems," added Tripp. "We tried fronting him early but we didn't do a good job helping out."

From that point on, Goreville was pressing offensively and could never get back closer than six points.

Five-foot-ten senior Justin Hood, playing in his final prep game, tried to get his team back in the contest with three late buckets to close out the quarter.

Along with a basket by classmate Brandon Rogowski, Goreville trailed 43-35 heading into the final frame.

However the defense in which the Blackcats prided themselves on for the entire season couldn't come up with enough stops to thwart the Hamilton County spread offense.

Waier scored the first two baskets of the final quarter, pushing the lead to 12.

But there was nearly three minutes of game clock difference between the baskets as Hamilton County was in no hurry and Goreville was frustrated while missing shots.

The Blackcats missed three lay-ups in that time frame, adding to the pressure.

Waier's second score from the right blocks at 4:48 made it 47-35.

Needing to foul late in the contest, Goreville chased the Foxes with little success and by the time they got Hamilton County in the bonus, there was just 1:37 left.

Four free throws by Graham and Bryan Thomas followed by two fast break scores by Graham and Jake Welch put the Foxes into the title game on Friday.

A Goreville 3-pointer by Lowell Stone finished the scoring as the Blackcats saw their season come to a close.

"We were playing tonight against a coach whom I am sure was prepared for us," added Tripp, talking about coach Reed. "They broke our press tonight and they played Hamilton County basketball against us."

Goreville had came from behind to take a 23-20 lead with 4:45 to go in the second quarter on a 9-2 run with Rogowski, Jason Robertson, Stone and Brock Fischer all scoring.

But Ham Co. scored the final six points of the period with Waier scoring twice in the lane along with a pair of free throws by Thomas.

Adding that run to the beginning of the third quarter scoring jaunt, Coach Reed's club outscored Goreville 17-4.

Hood led Goreville with 14 and Rogowski, an ABV All-South Second Team choice, ended up with 11 as those two seniors finished their final high school basketball games of their careers in that Blackcat black.

Graham topped all scorers with his 20 markers while Waier was the only other Fox in double-digits with his 17.

Travis Ackley hit a pair of big 3-pointers - the only two for Hamilton County in the game - in the first half and finished with six points, as did Thomas.

Ham Co. outrebounded the Blackcats 20-18

"We didn't play very well the first half but you have to have a little bit of luck," added Reed. "But the harder I work, the luckier I get."

	1	2	3	4	-	Final
Goreville	14	9	12	9	-	44
Hamilton County	16	10	17	12	-	55

Goreville (61) - Stone 1 1 0-0 5, Hood 7 0 0-0 14, Madden 0 0 0-0 0, Fischer 2 0 0-0 4, Robertson 1 0 0-0 2, Trovillion 0 0 0-0 0, Duran 3 0 2-2 8, Rogowski 3 1 2-2 11, Fox 0 0 0-0 0, Billingsley 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-17, 3FG-2, FT-4-4, PF-15.
Hamilton County (55) - Welch 1 0 0-0 2, Graham 8 0 4-6 20, Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Waier 8 0 1-1 17, Walls 2 0 0-0 4, Ackley 0 2 0-0 6, Thomas 1 0 4-5 6.
2FG-20, 3FG-2, FT-9-12, PF-12.
Fouled Out - None.
Technical Fouls - None.

Paris Class A Sectional
Teutopolis 55, Olney East Richland 45
The Wooden Shoes advanced to Friday's sectional title game behind 14-points from Kyle Ruholl and 13 from Jason Runde as they took the measure of the Tigers for the second time this season.

Hitting on 18-of-21 free throws, including all eight attempts in the fourth quarter, Teutopolis improved to 27-3 on the season and will play the winner of Vandalia and Effingham St. Anthony, the second semifinal game at Paris to be played on Wednesday.

Runde hit a single 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and finished 10-of-10 from the foul line, six-of-six in the final frame.

Coach Rob Flanagan's Cats' closed out their season at 22-8 and were led by Dhon Hatten with 15-points and Keane Thomann with 13.

Greenville Class A Sectional
Trenton-Wesclin 57, Columbia 39
Taking advantage of the Eagles' free throw shooting problems, Coach Brent Brede's Warriors improved to 25-5 with the semifinal victory over fellow Cahokia Conference team Columbia.

Columbia (17-13) hit just 4-of-17 free throws in the loss, including all eight of their attempts in the second half.

Having rallied to tie the game at 25-apiece at intermission, coach Mark Sandstrom's club failed to carry over that momentum in the final 16 minutes of their season.

Trailing 41-29 in the fourth quarter, Columbia made a 6-0 run to get to within five.

But Wesclin outscored the Eagles 16-4 to finish off the game and advance to Friday night's finale.

Nick Fuhler topped the Warriors with 20-points while Sean Rakers and Nick Schomaker finished with 14-each.

Columbia got 12-points from Trent Blank and 10 from David Marlen. Erik Roediger added eight.

Mt. Sterling Brown County Class A Sectional
Liberty 64, Piasa Southwestern 41
The Birds saw their dream season end as Liberty's All-Stater Justin Brock scored 25-points and grabbed 12-rebounds in the lopsided win.

The Eagles (27-4) rolled to a 16-5 first quarter advantage, 28-12 at halftime, and cruised into Friday's sectional title game against the winner of Wednesday nights' Barry-West Pike/Hardin Calhoun winner.

Coach Larry Lowis' Birds (26-4) were led by Daryl Betts with 12-points and Chris Wood with 11.

Shelbyville Class A Sectional
Nokomis 49, Edinburg 27
Nokomis, the eighth ranked school in the state used a 16-4 run in the second quarter to end all doubt in a 49-27 win over Edinburg Tuesday night.

Combined with a 9-2 first quarter, Nokomis led 25-6 at the half.

Michael Keller and Derek Johnson shared scoring honors - 11-points each - for the Redskins, who have won 27-consecutive games since dropping a decision to Freeburg back in November.

Dylan Linton topped Edinburg (26-7) with a game-high 14.

Coach Steve Kimbro saw his Nokomis club improve to 29-2 on the season and they await the winner between Pawnee (23-4) and Neoga (22-5) in a game to be played Wednesday night.

Pinckneyville Class A Sectional
Nashville 54, Murphysboro 52 2OT
For the second time this season the Hornets outlasted Murphysboro in overtime.

Behind 18-points from Dillion York, coach Darin Lee's Nashville club (22-9) will play in a sectional title game for the third consecutive season.

Lucas O'Rear, the ABV Deep South 'Player of the Year' added 11-points for Nashville, who trailed the entire first half falling behind 25-18 at the break.

Murphysboro's Jeremy Landers paced all scorers with 24 while teammate Cortez Turner chipped in 18.

Coach Daryl Murphy's' club saw its season end at 18-10.

After a scoreless first overtime, Nashville guard Tommy Pelczynski hit a 3-pointer to put the Hornets up for good.

Nashville will play the winner Wednesday's Pinckneyville/Mounds Meridian semifinal on Friday night.