03/12/2022
BY JACK BULLOCK
CHAMPAIGN - In a season in which offensive success was a struggle and defense was the premium, it was fitting that the Nashville Hornets clinched the program's first boy's basketball state championship since 1978 with a defensive stop.

Six-seven senior forward Saxton Hoepker leaped high into the air to block the shot of Monticello's senior guard Ben Cresap in the final moments in the IHSA 2A championship game.

The horn sounded on a state title game victory for the Hornets.

Hoepker scored what turned out to be the game winner with :21.7 left on a baseline drive and his defensive stop secured the 2A state championship.

“We knew they (Nashville) were going to come out and pressure and we knew the rim would be
open. Our rule is if you have a layup take it. We made great passes, made great reads and
executed just like we wanted to; great team basketball,” said Coach Roy. “Sometimes the ball bounces your way, sometimes it doesn't.”

Coach Patrick Weathers club ended their splendid season at 30-4.

While Hoepker and fellow senior Isaac Turner each having very 'off day' offensively, classmate Kolten Gajewski had his best game of the season.

The 6-5 forward hit all five of his field goal attempts, knocked down all four of his free throws for 14-points and led his team with 11-rebounds.

“It just shows that we're not going to give up,” said Gajewski. “It was our shot and we were going to just keep working and working. We came here to get it done and we did.”

Senior guard Nolan Heggemeier only connected on one shot in the game but it was huge.

Trailing 31-25 with under three minutes remaining the senior guard drilled home a 3-point bomb to cut the deficit in half.

Hoepker ended up with just four-points and Turner closed out his day with six.

Six-three junior Carter Schoenherr ended up with five-points and hit the other 3-pointer as the Hornets connected just twice (2-of-12) from the arc and were overall 12-of-33 from the field.

For most teams an offensive afternoon like this would result in a defeat but this was just another 'three yards and a cloud of dust' win for Nashville as they were able to get one final defensive stand.

On the other side of the court Monticello had multiple chances for the school's first ever boy's basketball championship, including the final look.

Six-foot senior Dylan Ginalick led Coach Kevin Roy's club with 11-points in the heartbreaking loss.

Cresap finished with eight-points and 5-9 senior Trevor Fox ended up with five.

Joey Sprinkle, a 6-2 senior, ended up with with just four-points.

However he scored on consecutive offensive trips with the second one coming on an inbounds play which gave the Sages what appeared to be the game-winning bucket and a six-point advantage with 2:40 left.

But Nashville was far from finished.

The Hornets forced four of Monticello's nine-turnovers in the final quarter and Coach Weathers' club scored the game's final seven-points.

“Credit to Monticello, Coach Roy, they have a great program. I feel like we stole one there.
I can't say enough about how resilient this bunch of guys are, never giving up. We didn't have
great vibes, especially down the stretch, but we got enough stops and enough rebounds, partially the blocked shot at the end there to get it done,” said Coach Weathers. “Didn't really expect to be playing from behind the entire time, either, or what felt like the entire time. The old cliché, defense wins championships. It's not always pretty but these guys found a way to get it done.”

Monticello led at the end of the first quarter despite hitting just 1-of-9 shots from the floor.

The Sages hit 4-of-5 free throws and the lone bucket was a 3-pointer by 6-2 senior Tanner Buehnerkemper.

Nashville scored four-consecutive points to take a 10-7 lead in the second only to see Monticello match that run as the two teams 'slugged it out' to an 11-10 Sages' lead at the half.

Schoenherr and Gajewski each scored on drives, with the Gajewski bucket coming on a Turner assist.

Ginalick scored both baskets for Monticello on drives.

Offensively the best quarter by both teams came in the third.

The Sages hit 5-of-7 from the field in the quarter, and took a 25-21 lead to the fourth.

Schoenherr, who spent part of the second quarter on the bench with a pair of personal fouls, hit a 3-point shot to trigger a 7-2 run to begin the frame.

Monticello responded with three forced turnovers in their end of the quarter offensive move.

A basket by Fox and the inside points from Sprinkle had Monticello dreaming of a championship.

The defense for the Hornets, however, didn't allow another point.

“Nashville is a great team and they made plays when they needed to to be able to pull that out, so
our hats are off to them,” said Coach Roy.

The big shots from Heggemeier and Gajewski and the defensive rejection from Hoepker sealed the state championship for Nashville.

“It's just so unreal to come through this program. Some people don't get a chance to play in a state tournament (championship game) and I've been lucky enough to play in four in my four years here,” said Turner. “And the other times we got second but to come out on top is unreal. I don't really know how to put it into words. It's crazy.”

Monticello ended up 11-of-31 from the floor.

“We've been here before, there was no need to panic, we kept grinding and valued each possession. We had some uncharacteristic turnovers, I think we were pressing a little bit, kind of forcing the issue at times. But the defense bailed us out as we got enough stops to close the gap and eventually take the lead,” said Coach Weathers, who was senior on an Elite Eight team at Nashville in 2006-07.

Nashville (32) - Schoenherr 1 1 0-1 5, Heggemeier 0 1 0-0 3, Hoepker 1 0 2-5 4, Knepp 0 0 0-0 0, Gajewski 5 0 4-4 14, Turner 3 0 0-0 6. 2FG-10, 3FG-2, FT-6-10, PF-10.
Monticello (31) – Cresap 2 1 1-2 8, Fox 2 0 1-2 5, Ginalick 2 1 4-5 11, Buehnerkemper 0 1 0-0 3, Foran 0 0 0-0 0, Sprinkle 2 0 0-0 4. 2FG-8, 3FG-3, FT-6-9, PF-11.
Fouled Out – None.
Technical Fouls – None.